Characters You Are Suprised Stuck Around So Long vs. Characters You Thought Would've Lasted Longer

[SoapSurvivor]

I'm uncertain if I want to say character or actor, so I'm gonna say character because some have been recasted. I am talking about a character with no family ties, never considered lead but constantly featured and drive stories, they are either eventually backburned or writter out never to return.

Then there are characters that as teens and 20 somethings you just KNEW would be the future of your show. The characters returns always fizzle, they are supporters at best or just don't click with the audience anymore.

DOOL:

Lasted Longer

Kate Roberts - She's been on screen with a 1 year absense for a whopping 20 years, she's not well liked by other characters, she can't keep all of her kids in town, she's never really had a true love and she manages dodged the bullet every head writer change, and we love Kate for that.

Nicole Walker - Another favorite, I just knew once she left the first time that we'd never see her again. She didn't make that much of an impact, again no family ties and was always a B-Character, she somehow made it back and she is definitely DOOL #2 It girl!

Stefano Dimera - Does it really need an explanation.

Thought Would have Lasted Longer

Carrie Brady - She was posed to be the next Marlena, I just knew she would be the shows next leading lady. I thought Carrie would run bad girl sister Sami out of town and face many adversaries through the years. The character of Sami actually won over Carrie, and Carrie was even a supporter to NICOLE WALKER.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I know she has her fans, but I never saw anything special in Christie Clark that was supposed to scream leading actress. She was always flat as hell with no charisma, IMO. I think it was a combination of the writing and the casting that hurt that character in the long-run.

Mind you, Alison Sweeney isn't exactly a first-rate actress either and the writing for Sami has been some of the worst I've ever seen on daytime.

[Paul Raven]

Lasted Longer

SFT Sunny Adamson.

She was around for 8 years,from her introduction to the show's cancellation.

The surprise was in that time,apart from Jo,Stu and Liza,every other character was gone from the time she came on in 78.Her father and sister never came back and she never married in that time,which is unique in itself.Somehow,she dodged the bullet brought about from the constant backstage changes that saw many cast overhauls.

[DRW50]

I have no real idea why Kevin and Gloria Fisher have stuck around Y&R for so long, especially when Kevin has had more failed stories than I can count.

I thought Colleen would be a long-term character.

[DRW50]

With DAYS, I have no idea why Daniel Jonas continues to suck up airtime. I don't know why they never did more with Scott Banning.

[Cheap21]

Lasted Longer

Aidan Devane, AMC. He had like a year and a half of decent material but after his relationship to Kendall fizzled, so did the show's interest in him, yet he went on to last for 5 years longer slinking from one failed relationship to the next

Spinelli, GH. 6 years people. Seriously WTF?!?!

Should have lasted longer

Sarah Webber, GH. I didnt think there was anything inherently wrong with the character. They just needed to get a good actress in the role. She was poised to be the lead younger actress if the late 90s teen scene but was out after a year, only to come back for a few months several years later. Too bad there didnt seem to be much interest in her as I think there could have been an interesting contrast and dynamic relationship between she and Elizabeth had she been kept on and developed

Stan, GH. As a black character I should have known better but I had high hopes when Kiko Ellsworth was cast as Stan. The character was very minor and not played by a hunk type before but this recasting showed promise as they were reworking him to make him more viable. Giving him a mother in Epiphany and a budding romance with Lainey wa a step in the right direction and he probably could have more than a few months. However Spinelli was created and they saw that he filled a similar role as Jason's right hand technology man and thus Stan's role was limited till he was eventually killed off. What an awful decision.

Lasted Longer/Should have lasted longer

Now this may seem confusing but it is to me as well. Steven Lars, GH. The character shouldnt have just been dropped when he was finally cast back in 2004. He was a Webber/Hardy and for similar reasons as Sarah, I think he could have provided an interetnig relationship with his sister Liz. Plus he was a doctor and not tied to the mob. I thought there was potential to last and become at least a supporting male character for that age bracket and should have been here longer than a few months. However they finally brought him back in the form of SR but did virtually nothing with him until last fall. I was surprised he lasted as long as he did considering how wasted he was.

[DRW50]

Reeves being best friends with Steve Burton, and then being a way to bring Heather back, are probably what kept him around. Now that both are hopefully gone for good I wonder if Reeves might go.

The worst is when you almost wish you didn't know why some detritus stays around the bowl, like JPL, who was obviously a Frons pet.

[AlexElizabeth]

I will never understand how Rex lasted 10 years on OLTL.

[VirginiaHamilton]

Mind you, this is the first pair that came to mind (and I'll come up with more)...

Character You Thought Would've Lasted Longer

Schuyler Joplin, OLTL. Not only did Scott Clifton come into his own as an actor in this role (I was indifferent to him as Dillon on GH, though I acknowledge that he did fit the role that the show called for), but he had chemistry with damn near everyone that he came in contact with. I thought for sure that he'd be around for years and years to come, but they canned him while throwing him under the bus for that jackass, Rex - something that I've never forgiven Cartini for.

Replying to Characters You Are Suprised Stuck Around So Long

Gigi Morasco, OLTL. I know I should be adding Rex in the mix as well (since I loathed him so), but there was a time that I found him tolerable (during his relationship with Adrianna). In contrast (especially as I watch the reruns that are airing on SoapNet), I wonder why the hell Cartini thought that she was a viable heroine that was worthy of the airtime that established heroines like Blair, Marty, and (yes, even) Natalie and Yellgado received. Not only did that Sonic-the-Hedgehog heifer have the nerve to be smug when she never had a right to be, other (worthier and established) characters were forced to acknowledge her 'greatness'.

[quartermainefan]

Jan Spears DOOL should have lasted longer. The second actress who played her brought such fun to the role, that there had to be some way to keep her going just to let Jan stay insane and do crazy things.

[carolineg]

I honestly thought Carrie would be around for the long haul on Days. I am also suprised Days never tried to recast Eric (until now). Marlena and Sami have been so pivotal to Days throughout the last few decades that it is strange there is so little emphasis on Sami's twin. Belle and Shawn D are also glaring absences to me.

I am suprised Sonny and Jax lasted so long on GH. I thought they would both be out the door without Brenda/VM. I was shocked when they drove story (well mostly Sonny) for the next decade or so.

[cct]

VS.

Would've made the Greenlee situation FAR more intriguing.

[DynamiteKiddo]

I'm so surprised Matt Ashford and Christie Clark keep getting fired. I think TPTB have inexplicable, weird, major resentments against MA. And I think CC's only issue is that she left in '99--had she stuck around, DOOL would be a totally different show. With a few exceptions, DOOL's producers and writers don't seem to be interested in Carrie's/Clark's brand of traditional soap heroine. With DOOL in the best shape in ages (IMO anyway), I think characters like Jack and Carrie would only significantly enhance the plots, esp. considering their stories were SOOO unresolved.

I'm surprised Julie Pinson's Billie stuck around for over three years with varying degrees of airtime. I loved her (I just love Billie period, save for KA) but after Reilly's misuse of the character, I understand why it would've been very tempting for HS to just cut her. Sad he never sufficiently used her, though.

How has Gabi Hernandez made it when Lindsay Korman was fired?!? They keep on trying with this girl, recast included. I've gotta admit that Blake Berris' Nick (and the Mel/Chad/Gabi climax) has made me finally interested in her, though. Chad's another that would've been easy to ditch EONS ago.

[JellicleCat]

I'm surprised Donna Logan (as played by Jennifer Gareis) is still around at B&B. She's been completely useless ever since her marriage to Eric ended.

[Cheap21]

I would actually say I was surprised she lasted as long as she did. The show created a ton of teens for its Last Blast teen scene. Belle, Shawn, Mimi, Phillip and Chloe were clearly the main ones. I thought Jan would only ever be the high school mean girl and never seen again once they graduated. I thought she would go the same way as Jason who was her male equivalent, at least until they dropped him and kept her on

Good one. She really serves no purpose