John appeared in the first 14 seasons but announced in 2009 he would be stepping down. His final episode aired in 2011. "I never thought when we were filming the pilot The Killings at Badger's Drift in 1996 that I would go on to film so many episodes. It has been a joy to be involved in such a long-running series with so many good actors and great storylines. It's the end of an era for me," he said at the time. "It's always wise to leave people wanting more, rather than be booed off the stage because you bored them."