ALL: Characters you are surprised lasted so long

[kalbir]

@ReddFoxx I swear Daniel Goddard had something on someone at Sony, that's why he was employed for 12 years.

[Fevuh]

I'll duck before I name two.  I'm thinking characters you have that you can do without.  Adam, Y&R and Christine/Cricket Y&R.  I dropped watching Y&R altogether over the most recent Adam - aside from the fact that nothing was happening on Y&R, the little of what WAS happening was all things Adam.  For a year+ they had him eat the show.  Cricket/Christine I've never understood quickly after about 2 or 3 years into the character for her.  Strangely they did make the leap to ditch Paul, which I don't think they had to do - they didn't have to make him an unbearable crotchety old man...but because they DID, I didn't miss his backburner status.  

I do have to disagree when characters like Lillian (GL) are named.  There are characters that make a show feel like home, people in a town that are there, and she's one to me.  She might have had a couple of storylines and then became a sounding board, but every show has to have that.  If they're going to be a good show. 

If you're not careful you'll lose characters like Lisa (World Turns), Nancy (World Turns), Ross (GL), Blake (GL), and Maureen (GL) when they had "hot" stories at once, but then start to filter toward the background.  I think you have to keep people like that to make a show real and ground it.  Toss them a bone of a storyline every 7 to 10 years but you have to keep them.  I don't think this is about those types of characters.  And we know what a mess occurred when they ditched Maureen on GL.  

I agree with those that posted "Cane" on Y&R and I would also have to say Devon.  I don't get either of those two.  Devon has always been a dishrag to me, kind of a character I just don't care about or get the purpose of.  Meanwhile they had a great in Hilary ---- so they killed her off.  LOL.  Then I guess figured out what a disaster of a mistake they made so brought her back as someone else.  

[amybrickwallace]

Did we mention GH's Luke yet? Originally a hood who raped the show's ingenue - who but Tony Geary could have pulled it off?

[Videnbas]

I am actually surprised Taylor on B&B has lasted this long, considering her many deaths. 

[carolineg]

Someone else who had numerous death's and kept popping back up was Days Stefano.  I mean it's pretty crazy the character lives on after the portrayers death off screen or in other people's bodies lol.  

She might have been mentioned but Gabi on Days as well.  Out of all the ingenues that have been on the show and came in and out, I am shocked Gabi is the one that lasted over a decade.  I actually like CB/Gabi just fine but there are about 10 other characters in her age range that would be more relevant and should come back and that's not including Will/Sonny.

[Spoon]

GL had structural problems, they couldve survived Maureen if they had a better foundation which they didnt. That one story was captivating and didn't sink GL, if anything it was the lack of follow through and planning.

[Bright Eyes]

I think, like with Nicole and Chloe as well, it helps a lot that she isn't related to half the town.

[carolineg]

Good point.  Days does end up with characters like Claire who are related to everyone in town.   But there have been characters like Melanie, Mimi, Morgan, Mia that just fell by the wayside (maybe it's the M in their names lol)  And before someone tells me these weren't popular characters I have already gone on record with my Melanie and Mimi love lol.   Again, Gabi is fine, but I am just surprised she's lasted so long especially with some of the reports about CB's personal life/beliefs/demands etc.  But again Days is the worst at building their younger generations, so it's not a shock.  

Edited November 17, 2021 by carolineg

[MichaelGL]

GL: Frank Cooper. 

Honestly I would've traded him for Det. Cutter (RIP 

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) during Brent/Marion's reign of terror. 

Richard Winslow/Jefrrey abomination stayed on GL until the bitter end. 

[Darn]

I was also shocked to learn that CB had been on for a decade, from a bit part on OLTL to 10 years on Days. I think being related to the town albatross Rafe and having Will's child helped her immensely.

[titan1978]

I also think her just sticking it out when everyone else left around her gave her longevity on this era of DAYS as well.

[Soaplovers]

I also think how CB played Gabi made her character more versatile.  She was an ingenue..but CB played her with more of an edge and intensity..which made her perfect to go more on the 'bad' side vs Mia or Melanie.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Soaplovers

[carolineg]

Interesting points about Gabi on Days.  I hadn't thought of some of them.  She was sorta the last one standing and is versatile in being a vixen, villian, and heroine at some points.  Her and AZ's Nicole really turned their characters around I guess to a point that no one thought they'd be leading stories long term when they started.

[Paul Raven]

Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison) on Days.

Neil came on in 1974 and outlasted many characters including many of the Horton family. He didn't have any real ties and I guess this worked in his favor.

He could have easily been dropped in the cast purge of 1980 and further along when vets eg Don, Marie, Maggie, Doug, Julie were dropped but had the advantage of being in a popular pairing with Liz.

When Gloria Loring left in 86, the writers could have sent them off into the sunset but instead Neil managed to hang into the 90's when he finally was dropped w/o explanation.

[Gray Bunny]

 

Turning Nicole into an unhappy drunk while married to Lucas was the best thing to happen to the character. From there, Ari Zucker was able to bring fun and lightness to the role. 

B&B: I was always surprised at how long Amber Moore lasted. I think she was initially brought on as a waitress friend for Sheila to talk to when she was living in rural California. To keep her around and have her be Rick Forrester's babysitter (ha!) was an unexpected twist for me, as I thought for sure she'd fade away into oblivion as so many B&B characters tend to do.