On 4/8/2024 at 2:09 PM, I Am A Swede said:

I wonder if any other soap has disposed of it's founding family with such ruthlessness as the British soap Emmerdale did with their first family, the Sugdens..... I guess it was an omen of things to come when the show began with the funeral of patriarch Jacob Sugden

• Annie Sugden (the matriarch) - dead
• Sam Pearson (Annie's father) - dead
• Jack Sugden (Annie's son) - dead
• Joe Sugden (Annie's son) - dead
• Peggy Skilbeck (Annie's daughter) - dead
• Jackie Merrick (Jack's son) - dead
• Sam Skilbeck (Peggy's son) - dead
• Sally Skilbeck (Peggy's daughter) - dead
• Pat Merrick (Jack's first wife) - dead
• Sarah Sugden (Jack's second wife) - dead
• Kate Sugden (Joe's wife) - dead
• Leonard Kempinski - (Annie's second husband) - dead
• Amos Brearly (Annie's third husband) - dead
• Mark Hughes (Joe's stepson) - dead
• Rachel Hughes (Joe's stepdaughter) - dead

The living members of the extended Sugden family currently off-screen are :

• Robert Sugden (Jack's son) - in prison
• Andy Sugden (Jack's adopted son) - on the run from the law
• Matt Skilbeck (Peggy's widower) - moved away in 1989
• Dolly Skilbeck (Matt's second wife) - moved away in 1991
• Samuel Skilbeck (Matt's son with Dolly) - moved away in 1991
• Joseph Sugden (Rachel's son) - on the run
• Sandie Merrick (Jack's stepdaughter) - moved away in 1989
• Kathy Brookman (Jackie's widow) - moved to Australia in 2001
• Jack Sugden (Andy's son) - moved away in 2019

Only Victoria Sugden (Jack's daughter) and Sarah Sugden (Andy's daughter) remain on the show to this day.

 

I hate how they've reduced the Sugdens to nothing. They really need to expand them with some of the people you have listed. 

The Beales on EE could've been added on here up until recently when they finally brought back Ian, Peter, etc. But at one point, they all but slaughtered that clan. But their extended family, the Fowlers is just down to Martin and his kids. 

7 hours ago, Soaplovers said:

I didn't know about Martha being considered for Michelle.

From what I recall..Beth Bonner and Sabine Singh were in the running.  I think Sabine would have been a good Michelle recast.

Sabine would've been an excellent choice. It is sad that I preferred her Greenpea of Rebecca Budig's version. But I guess that is b/c Sabine didn't have chemistry with Cameron Mathison, but was hot with Aiden Turner. 

If we’re including Australian soaps as well, Neighbours had a brief period of time in the late 90s-early 2000s where none of the original Robinson family was on the show. Eventually Paul returned in the final episode of 2004 and has been on the show since, but there was a Robinsonless time which now seems unheard of.

Over it's 20 yr run, Secret Storm slowly dropped the Ames family, losing Peter, Jerry and Susan along with Aunt Pauline and Grandma Grace- with only Amy left in the final years.

On Search for Tomorrow, the Bergmans were the secondary family consisting of Stu, Marge and Janet. Later Janet had Gary, Liza and Danny. Stu and Marge had a later child Tom.

By the end, only Stu and Liza remained.

On 4/11/2024 at 6:29 PM, Soaplovers said:

I didn't know about Martha being considered for Michelle.

Per Martha Madison, she screen tested twice for the role of Marah (and Marah only): once in 2001 (when Lindsey McKeon was cast replacing Laura Bell Bundy) and again in 2009, with the latter she claims looked like she was going to "get it" but, with the cancelation, the return of Marah was nixed. She also almost got Babe prior to Alexa Havins and the role of McKenzie Westmore's Riley on All My Children. And it was between her and Chrishell Stause for Bethany on The Young and the Restless. I posted this in another thread that seems to be M.I.A.

Edited May 26, 20241 yr by Liberty City