Editing Continuity (fiction) (section)

===Aging discrepancies===
The practice of accelerating the age of a television character (usually a child or teenager) in conflict with the timeline of a series and/or the real-world progression of time is popularly known as [[Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome]], or SORAS.<ref name="Rising Stars">{{cite web |url=http://tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3215940&fSectionId=434&fSetId=204 |title=Soaps' rising stars |first=Kim |last=Clayton-Millar |date=April 24, 2006 |work=Tonight |publisher=Independent News & Media |access-date=December 17, 2009 }}</ref> Children unseen on screen for a time might reappear portrayed by an actor several years older than the original.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bird |first1=S. Elizabeth |title=The Audience in Everyday Life: Living in a Media World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JtkAqUHwtrIC&q=%22soap+opera+sudden+aging+syndrome%22&pg=PA135 |access-date=December 12, 2009 |year=2003 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=0-415-94259-4 |page=135 }}</ref> Usually coinciding with a recast, this rapid aging is typically done to open up the character to a wider range of storylines, and to attract younger viewers.<ref name="Rising Stars"/> A recent example of this occurring is in the BBC's ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' series, in which Mordred is initially played by a young child in Season 4, yet suddenly grows up into his late teens in time for the start of Season 5, with the rest of the characters aging by only three years.

The reverse can also happen. On the television program ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'', the character of 10-year-old [[Walt Lloyd]] was played by 12-year-old actor [[Malcolm David Kelley]]. The first few seasons took place over the course of just a few months, but by that point, Lloyd looked much older than 10. In his remaining few appearances, special effects were used to make him look younger, or the scene took place years later.