Lulu1978

I didn't mind Lance and Martin.Although,not my all time favourites they were a good comic duo.

I remember how popular Bobby was.She's a legendary character.H&A was lucky at that time that they had Shane and Angel become popular around the time Bobby was killed off.The show was well written back then too.They did a great job with Bobby's death story and the aftermath. I don't watch the current episodes,and I haven't been a regular viewer for the last 10 years so there are some characters that I have never seen or not seen much of.I remember how popular H&A and its stars were in the 90's though and I don't think any modern era character except for the classic characters like Alf,Marilyn,Irene and Sally when she was on the show would even come close to the level of popularity that the shows 90's stars had.I think the most popular characters ever are Bobby,Marilyn,Angel,Shane,Pippa,Alf,Ailsa,Fisher,Irene,Sophie,Blake,Sally.I know some others like Chloe,Shannon,Selina,Gypsy were popular but not as huge as some of the others I mentioned.

ITA. Perhaps Bobby's death is the defining moment which ends the 'early years'. I agree about Bobby's death marking the end of the early years.It felt like a new era without Bobby,Marilyn,Sophie,Blake(who all left in either 1992/1993)on the show.1993 was also the beginning of Shane and Angel so definitely the end of one era during that year and the beginning of another which I think ended in 1998 with Pippa's departure.

I think 1993 was the end of the early years.Most of the original cast and other major characters from the late 80's/early 90's era were gone by the end of 1993.