Was it a mistake to kill Bobby off in 1993?

[English Invader]

The decision to kill Bobby off doesn't make sense to me, no matter which way I look at it. Even if the actress wanted to leave the show, why not just make the character move away from the Bay? That way, the option of a return still remains.

Bobby is one of the most memorable and dynamic characters ever to grace H&A and could still make a contribution to the show. At the same time, there are plenty of former characters who are still alive and come back for the odd reunion, but would never be able to fit in as regular cast members again.

Take Lance Smart; he turns up once in a blue moon, says "Aw, fair go, mum!" a few times and then goes off again. That's about as much as his character is capable of these days; it would be impossible to introduce him into the 2011 set-up on a permanent basis. Bobby, on the other hand, would be capable of so much more.

I wish someone on the H&A production team could explain how they could squander such good material while retaining dozens of useless characters that have no value beyond the nostalgic.

[Julez]

At first I thoiught yes. But then I thought maybe it's a good thing because now they can't bring her back and ruin her! She is one the most iconic H&A characters - let's leave her that way

[dncllpyk]

Yes it was a mistake to kill Bobby off. She was one of the most popular characters on the show. But since Ryan Clark and the guy who played Greg didnt want to leave the writers probably thought the best thing was to kill her off. Not having her leaving the Bay and her fam. I was only 7 when Bobby died so I didnt affect me much. But now Ive seen her in the early years I'll probably cry when they re air it in a couple of years.

[alexx]

I wish they hadn't killed her off too but as I said in my previous post about the decision, I do actually think it would have been unlikely for the character to just upticks and move to the city given her circumstances but I would have loved to watch Bobby evolve all throughout the 90's.

On the point of Lance, I dont think he would be useless within the current show - actually I think he'd be great and they need more characters that are a innocently daft as a way to balance out all the PG material the show likes to focus on these days.

[sindikatas]

The decision to kill Bobby off doesn't make sense to me, no matter which way I look at it. Even if the actress wanted to leave the show, why not just make the character move away from the Bay? That way, the option of a return still remains.

Bobby is one of the most memorable and dynamic characters ever to grace H&A and could still make a contribution to the show. At the same time, there are plenty of former characters who are still alive and come back for the odd reunion, but would never be able to fit in as regular cast members again.

Take Lance Smart; he turns up once in a blue moon, says "Aw, fair go, mum!" a few times and then goes off again. That's about as much as his character is capable of these days; it would be impossible to introduce him into the 2011 set-up on a permanent basis. Bobby, on the other hand, would be capable of so much more.

I wish someone on the H&A production team could explain how they could squander such good material while retaining dozens of useless characters that have no value beyond the nostalgic.

I remember I have read somewhere that at the time Nicolle Dickson was leaving the show she requested her character Bobby to be killed off because she thought that this suited her character the best. On the other hand she probably didn't expect that show would last until now.

[samdanfan]

The decision to kill Bobby off doesn't make sense to me, no matter which way I look at it. Even if the actress wanted to leave the show, why not just make the character move away from the Bay? That way, the option of a return still remains.

Bobby is one of the most memorable and dynamic characters ever to grace H&A and could still make a contribution to the show. At the same time, there are plenty of former characters who are still alive and come back for the odd reunion, but would never be able to fit in as regular cast members again.

Take Lance Smart; he turns up once in a blue moon, says "Aw, fair go, mum!" a few times and then goes off again. That's about as much as his character is capable of these days; it would be impossible to introduce him into the 2011 set-up on a permanent basis. Bobby, on the other hand, would be capable of so much more.

I wish someone on the H&A production team could explain how they could squander such good material while retaining dozens of useless characters that have no value beyond the nostalgic.

I remember I have read somewhere that at the time Nicolle Dickson was leaving the show she requested her character Bobby to be killed off because she thought that this suited her character the best. On the other hand she probably didn't expect that show would last until now.

Bobby one of my favs and I wished she hadnt been killed off and she stayed on for a few more seasons but I guess that was up to Nicolle and if she had no problem with the way she left then we fans respect that. I agree with you guys that its difficult to see untalented people get screen time while great icons like Nicolle leave.

I would like to add after she left I found H&A address and sent fan mail request and asked for a Bobby photo and the H&A desk contacted me personally and found an old 8x10 photo of Bobby not signed yet still nice and Its a part of my Aussie collection. Very nice of them

[Snapp]

But since Ryan Clark and the guy who played Greg didnt want to leave

Didn't Greg leave shortly afterwards anyway? Leaving Sam behind and Greg was his real father.

[aussiesoapfan]

I have seen the scenes where Bobby died - very sad the funeral was good with all the flashbacks. I liked Ailsa's and Donald's ones the best. Pippa's flashback didn't really touch me because i'd rather they'd included Pippa and Bobby in the Early years eg when Pippa walks up to Bobby and asks her to stay in a van. But overall it was sad to watch. It was dramatic when Adam turned up and Greg went after him. I wish she was still in it though.

[beau_t]

I have seen the scenes where Bobby died - very sad the funeral was good with all the flashbacks. I liked Ailsa's and Donald's ones the best. Pippa's flashback didn't really touch me because i'd rather they'd included Pippa and Bobby in the Early years eg when Pippa walks up to Bobby and asks her to stay in a van. But overall it was sad to watch. It was dramatic when Adam turned up and Greg went after him. I wish she was still in it though.

They weren't at the stage then where it was plausible to use Vanessa Downing in flashbacks when Debra Lawrance was still a main cast member as Pippa. These days enough time has passed, and with Pippa only being an occasionally seen guest character, that they can get away with it (as seen during the Sally/Miles storyline in 2008 and Sally moving back into SBH in 2004).

If they had used a VD clip, I think the scene before Bobby walks down the aisle at her wedding to Frank would have been a great choice, with Pippa saying she wishes she really was Bobby's mother.

A clip similar to the one you mentioned in the pilot episode, where Bobby turns up at the Fletcher house to see her van (she is invited in for breakfast but declines) is actually used as a flashback during Tom's funeral, which we will see soon!

[Blaxland 89]

I would love to have her in it now because Morag is. They could still have really great scenes argueing or maybe they would of reconciled. However, not sure the current show would do Bobby justice