I remember the cast being very stable from 2007-2010 with an AMAZING cast! But since Peggy left, people started dropping out like flies! We lost Sam, then Stacey, Ronnie, Jane (All three back now though, woo), Pat, Charlie Slater (I LOVED Charlie) Ricky, Heather (She was quite popular and lovely), Syed, Christian, Zainab, Tanya, Jean, Michael, Jack (Hated on DS, but a popular character who made an impact), Janine, David, and now Bianca!

None of them have really been replaced by good characters, other than Mick and Linda, and a few other Carter's, and the only big returnee since has been Sharon, and maybe Sonia, as Kat and Alfie were years ago!

What's everyone's thoughts on this? Have we lost too many big names?

Nope, the cast is the strongest it has been in years in my opinion. Some characters are only in the show for a storyline arc rather than being characters who last a lifetime.

I agree but there is a small amount of deadwood that still needs to go.

Definitely!

Agreed, there's a few bad characters, but they don't get much screentime so its not bad.
Aleks, Charlie Pam, Nancy, Johnny, Mick, Stan and Linda are all great additions, Kush could be good as well.

Detective Chief Inspector Jill Marsden is a big name.

No, i think a lot returns (Stacey.Ronnie, Jane, Sonia) and newbies (Carters, Charlie etc.) have strengthened the cast this year.

I love Janine but I think she needed a break, Bianca was going round in circles, Peggy wouldn't work full time anymore. The only characters the show currently misses IMO are Pat and David. It's a shame Michael French wouldn't commit for longer. He has so much charisma and works with every character. He'd make a great landlord in the future. David and Janine running the Vic. **dreams**

Yeah I quite like them! Not too keen on Aleks though!:P

Pat, Zainab, Janine and David were big losses, but on the other hand most of the Carters are great, as are Charlie and Aleks. We also have Ronnie and Stacey back which is good for the show.

At last we have an EP that can create good characters, something that hadn't happened since the Massoods.

Yeah I'm not saying I miss all of those characters! I REALLY
miss Janine, Zainab, Pat and Peggy though! I do agree Bianca was going around in circles, I never missed Bianca during her 2012 break!

ARCHIE FECKIN MITCHELL?!?!?!:O

And yeah I like all them minus Aleks:P

I liked him but god was he wasted, Larry said so himself, not to mention they made him into a rapist and pedophile for no reason

Love marsden! Better than that stupid ****ing wingebag summerhayes, fml her and abi have got some competition for the most depressing character!

No, I'm sorry I loved Archie!

Trouble with Archie is that he wasn't created to last and we only got to know him through other people's eyes.

I'm really sad that David and Janine left, but I'm happy they can both come back to cause chaos in a couple of years

I think the cast has definitely waned in the last few years. As you said, Ronnie, Stacey and Jane are back which is good, but I think Bianca, Peggy, Pat, Janine, Tanya, Zainab, and even some like Heather are missed.

Nope... Next.

I still miss Wellard !

Peggy hasn't been a loss for me if i'm honest. For me she was a terrible, self absorbed character. She will never ever ever ever make the same impact Pauline and Pat did.

I know there was a shakey moment when he left that I thought the show wouldn't survive but luckily it just managed it (and i mean just)

I miss Peggy, Pat and Janine a lot! Bianca and Tanya not too bothered, I feel the Masoods need Zainab though!

Get David and Janine back and get rid of Dexter, Lee and Tosh and the cast would be perfect!

There's no denying David and Janine were carrying the show through the shakey period when Lorraine Newman was swapping over to Dominic Treadwell Collins, and then they both carried it again over Christmas when DTC was finding his feet. They both need to come back! I'm glad DTC managed to work on Janine whilst he was EP, I bet he was gutted when Charlie was leaving as he was coming into charge so at least he gave her and David one of my favorite Xmases in Walford in a long time!

It's absolutely tragic we lost Charlie! The actress even said so herself! DTC would of worked wonders with her! Her departure has left a huge hole in the show IMO! Just like Pats departure loosing Janine was like loosing Stacey back in 2010!

The cast is very strong now, any soap should be able to withstand the exit of any of the characters