20 years of Leah

[Red Ranger 1]

2 hours ago, Trudy Heine said:

I noticed Palmer wasn't in the list of longest serving characters, 11 years now.

Even if you count it from his first appearance and ignore the fact he only appeared irregularly in 2009, John's still only been around for 2576 episodes as per this week in Oz, so he's a way behind that lot.

[Sally Keating]

How nice to celebrate 10 years of Leah and a further 10 years of a background character who occasionally plays with salad in the diner.

[j.laur5]

5 hours ago, Sally Keating said:

How nice to celebrate 10 years of Leah and a further 10 years of a background character who occasionally plays with salad in the diner.

I think Leah had more storyline’s in last ten years then she did in 2007-2009.

In fairness lot of long term characters become in background.

[Sally Keating]

2 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

I think Leah had more storyline’s in last ten years then she did in 2007-2009.

Comparing a period of 10 years to a period of 3 years doesn't seem that useful an argument to me. I'm not sure what your point is.

2 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

In fairness lot of long term characters become in background.

In fairness H&A is the only soap that seems to be written in this bizarre way. In every other soap I can think of,  the long term main characters are consistently the driving force behind storylines and focus. H&A is the only one that seems to treat its mainstays like background characters, to be given secondary focus; used as afterthoughts, given breadcrumbs of short "stories", to fit in around the arcs and attention of the temporary "main" characters who come and go every 2-3 years.  It's almost as if the producers are more interested in their own creations than the characters they "inherit". Look at Martha being alive. Should have been the biggest story in H&A history for Alf - the longest running and most popular character - and instead all details of it were kept as ambiguous and background as possible. Where there should have been story, there was just glossing over.

They even wrote that he knew all along - all to avoid actually giving him story and screen time (him finding out would have been a great story). Going so far as to rewrite and disregard established facts in H&A history, all to avoid actually having to give him scenes in his own story.

Paul Robinson, Karl and Susan in Neighbours are consistently the focus of attention and character-led exploration in Neighbours. Ken Barlow is never out of the action in Coronation Street. Ian, Phil and Sharon are at the forefront of everything in EastEnders. Other characters get stories and focus too of course, but those original (and long term) characters get the fair share they deserve. Meanwhile their counterparts on H&A are treated as glorified extras. Leah no exception. Years of detail and attention went into establishing her strong connection with her family and yet was there a single mention of them the whole time she was "missing"? And VJ? It's just so, SO half-hearted when it comes to their long term characters. A feeling of "Any old crap will do, just write whatever and then get back to the new characters for the next scene." The ones the producers are interested in.

[j.laur5]

4 minutes ago, Sally Keating said:

Comparing a period of 10 years to a period of 3 years doesn't seem that useful an argument to me. I'm not sure what your point is.

In fairness H&A is the only soap that seems to be written in this bizarre way. In every other soap I can think of,  the long term main characters are consistently the driving force behind storylines and focus. H&A is the only one that seems to treat its mainstays like background characters, to be given secondary focus; used as afterthoughts, given breadcrumbs of short "stories", to fit in around the arcs and attention of the temporary "main" characters who come and go every 2-3 years.  It's almost as if the producers are more interested in their own creations than the characters they "inherit". Look at Martha being alive. Should have been the biggest story in H&A history for Alf - the longest running and most popular character - and instead all details of it were kept as ambiguous and background as possible. Where there should have been story, there was just glossing over.

They even wrote that he knew all along - all to avoid actually giving him story and screen time (him finding out would have been a great story). Going so far as to rewrite and disregard established facts in H&A history, all to avoid actually having to give him scenes in his own story.

Just mean i wouldn’t call her background character in last 10 years as she be had career change although it was only temporary and had many life to death storyline’s and fallen out with her best friends over custody battle  and turned into different Leah for while and witch I think made her more interesting seeing more nasty side to her character and be cheated on and other marriage break down. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

That is why if Don, Celia or Morag were still around, they would probably be extras just sat drinking tea and reminiscing about pupils of Summer Bay High from years gone by, and watching the billionth punch up on the beach, and tutting.

 

 

 

[Sunny Girl]

It is really crap the way they (the powers that be) treat their long termers. 

It sucks - Indeed it does. 

[CaptainHulk]

On 22/08/2020 at 14:10, Homeandawayfan. said:

That is why if Don, Celia or Morag were still around, they would probably be extras just sat drinking tea and reminiscing about pupils of Summer Bay High from years gone by, and watching the billionth punch up on the beach, and tutting.

 

 

 

Actually, they would have used Morag just the right amount as she was always in and out throughout the 2000s. Cornelia'd probably still be in it if she were alive.

[Sally Keating]

On 25/08/2020 at 17:28, CaptainHulk said:

Actually, they would have used Morag just the right amount as she was always in and out throughout the 2000s. Cornelia'd probably still be in it if she were alive.

She wasn't used right in her last few years. There is a vast difference in how she was used in the 2000s and how she was used in the 2010s.

[Jamie2811]

On 22/08/2020 at 02:23, Sally Keating said:

Comparing a period of 10 years to a period of 3 years doesn't seem that useful an argument to me. I'm not sure what your point is.

In fairness H&A is the only soap that seems to be written in this bizarre way. In every other soap I can think of,  the long term main characters are consistently the driving force behind storylines and focus. H&A is the only one that seems to treat its mainstays like background characters, to be given secondary focus; used as afterthoughts, given breadcrumbs of short "stories", to fit in around the arcs and attention of the temporary "main" characters who come and go every 2-3 years.  It's almost as if the producers are more interested in their own creations than the characters they "inherit". Look at Martha being alive. Should have been the biggest story in H&A history for Alf - the longest running and most popular character - and instead all details of it were kept as ambiguous and background as possible. Where there should have been story, there was just glossing over.

They even wrote that he knew all along - all to avoid actually giving him story and screen time (him finding out would have been a great story). Going so far as to rewrite and disregard established facts in H&A history, all to avoid actually having to give him scenes in his own story.

Paul Robinson, Karl and Susan in Neighbours are consistently the focus of attention and character-led exploration in Neighbours. Ken Barlow is never out of the action in Coronation Street. Ian, Phil and Sharon are at the forefront of everything in EastEnders. Other characters get stories and focus too of course, but those original (and long term) characters get the fair share they deserve. Meanwhile their counterparts on H&A are treated as glorified extras. Leah no exception. Years of detail and attention went into establishing her strong connection with her family and yet was there a single mention of them the whole time she was "missing"? And VJ? It's just so, SO half-hearted when it comes to their long term characters. A feeling of "Any old crap will do, just write whatever and then get back to the new characters for the next scene." The ones the producers are interested in.

Brilliant post. It is great in H&A when the long termers get storylines but it’s a shame for the most part they are just in the background.