For many fans, this season is seen as the start of the demise for the series as the focus changed and popular regular characters such as Barbara Hamilton and Irene Fisher were hastily written out of the series. In Cornelia Frances's 2003 autobiography, she states that it was not her decision to leave the series, but that of a producer, Posie Jacobs, who suddenly axed her. Other characters that failed to make it to the end of the season included Leigh Palmer, Tim Palmer, Donna Palmer, Spider Webb, Brett Keegan, Adam Tate, Samantha Morrell, James Hamilton and Mary Reynolds. Consequently, there was an influx of less well-received characters such as Janice Reid, May Walters, Craig Maxwell, Doug Fletcher, Glenn Young, Debbie Halliday, Ginny Doyle and the return of Susan Todd, played now by Oriana Panozzo.