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why does a character have to leave when a actress gets prregnant?

zerotheherozerothehero Posts: 21,855
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in Soaps #1
To me it would make more sense to keep the character and have her off screen rather then create rubbish storylines for there exit

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    Chiltons CaneChiltons Cane Posts: 23,676
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    #2
    I agree. I recall when the actress who played Clare in Corrie was pregnant she just didn't appear onscreen for 6 months. She may have been mentioned in passing but they didn't write her out. When soaps have such a big cast anyway and lots of different storylines going on, sometimes you can go months without seeing soem of the characters.
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    kitkat1971kitkat1971 Posts: 39,257
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    #3
    They do sometimes do that. Claire Peacock just didn't appear for a few months, she was always off putting the kids to bed or similar. I think Sally Dynevor wasn't properly written out for one of her three too.

    It's fairly easy to do that if it is a 'secondary' character - somebody that tends to be background most of the time with only a couple of big storylines a year. But if they are a 'star' player, part of one of the major families with a high episode count and high profile story after high profile story then the audience (especially on sites like this) will start moaning about them not appearing and saying we need a proper explanation after 3 or 4 weeks. I can't imagine the viewers just accepting Lauren Branning or Stacey if Turner were to fall pregnant just being 'in another room' for 6 months or longer.
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    MattehhhftwMattehhhftw Posts: 8,688
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    #4
    I actually think Fiz could have just gone off screen for 3-6 months.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 266
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    #5
    Mattehhhftw wrote: »
    I actually think Fiz could have just gone off screen for 3-6 months.

    I think that you could have finished your sentence a few words earlier :-)

    However, I guess with Fiz, although you could cut out the scenes set in Tyrone and her's house, it may be more difficult to explain why she was never in any of the scenes set in the factory.
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    kitkat1971kitkat1971 Posts: 39,257
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    #6
    DavyBoy60 wrote: »
    I think that you could have finished your sentence a few words earlier :-)

    However, I guess with Fiz, although you could cut out the scenes set in Tyrone and her's house, it may be more difficult to explain why she was never in any of the scenes set in the factory.

    Yes the problem with Fiz is her scenes in the factory. Even with Julie who wouldn't be missed for months for having her own storylines, they had to say she'd gone to her mother's to explain her absence from the factory grpup scenes.

    It was easy with Claire because she was a housewife and mother so didn't really have work based scenes.
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    sixtynotoutsixtynotout Posts: 1,142
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    #7
    I think it's because they are entitled to a much longer period of time on maternity leave now and, as in real life, most of them worked so not so easy to keep saying they're at the dentist etc.
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    soap-leasoap-lea Posts: 23,851
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    #8
    zerothehero wrote: »
    To me it would make more sense to keep the character and have her off screen rather then create rubbish storylines for there exit

    I agree especially this day in age when people know the actress is pregnant in real life.

    or they could film a few filler scenes to slot in as an when, give them the odd mention etc etc.

    plus with the way all the soaps are filming now its normal for some characters to be MIA for months so its not like it would always be noticed
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    honeythewitchhoneythewitch Posts: 37,237
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    #9
    DavyBoy60 wrote: »
    I think that you could have finished your sentence a few words earlier :-)

    However, I guess with Fiz, although you could cut out the scenes set in Tyrone and her's house, it may be more difficult to explain why she was never in any of the scenes set in the factory.

    Fiz could have realised it was pointless her working when they had to pay for two lots of childcare.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 218
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    #10
    If it's a few months then they can be referred to being around but not be shown

    "I've just spoken to Dot"
    "Take this over to Dot's"
    "I'm going over to Dot"
    "Dot won't be in this afternoon, she's going to see Dad"

    They did it when James Alexandrou had exams and Martin was absent for Ashley Cotton's funeral.

    If it's a longer exit like 6+ months then the character has to be 'written out'
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