When the soap began, the Sullivan children were quite young, and over the years, viewers were given the opportunity to see them grow. John Sullivan went from an idealistic conscientious objector to a brave war hero, while Tom and Terry spent time as prisoners of war in Changai. Little Kitty blossomed into a young woman, becoming a nurse and then wife and mother. The Sullivans gained another child when they adopted Geoff Johnson, the brother of a soldier killed while serving with Tom and Norm. Geoff was an orphan in a childrens home, and his dying brother's last wish was that he should be properly looked after. But it was Dave and Grace Sullivan who formed the bedrock of the show. Paul Cronin and Lorraine Bayley were perfectly cast as the solid, dependable father and mother. Hard to believe then, that the role of Dave almost went to another Aussie soap veteran - Terrence Donovan. The show's popularity was threatened when, after a few years, Lorraine Bayley decided to bow out. In her last storyline, Grace travelled to London to be with her eldest son, who was suffering from amnesia after returning from an important secret mission. Bayley filmed her "London" scenes in one go, and they were then spun out over a number of months, to delay Grace's departure from the show. Andrew McFarlane, who had already left his role of John by this time, was brought back to film Grace's last storyline. continues >> |
