Originally Posted by benbenalen:
“The show has lost nearly all iconic 80s roots, there is a few to nothing,
Angie: Dead
Den: Dead
Lou Beale: Dead, could have left in 2013
Pete Beale: Dead
Arthur: Dead
Kathy: Dead
All of which was a silly mistake, as nearly all of them were still alive, and to answer your question, these days new characters do not stick around long enough to be iconic, we don't watch them grow old anymore because they up and leave, they are not passionate about staying!”
Oh, yeah, a shame a lot of them are killed offscreen without so much of a thought but I wouldn't attempt to bring them back either.
And I wouldn't want to ruin their status as a legend, the reason Anita Dobson would never have returned anyway. Nothing could live up to that original stint.
Sometimes a character is best left with that original arc of beginning, middle and an end.
Sequels never work.

(Or in Sharon's case, trilogies never work).