| ASTONISHED | After alarming start, dishonest characters are stunned (10) |
| PLIGHTONESTROTH | Propose to shorten novel after alarming predicament |
| SPELLCHECK | After bout, stop to see if characters are OK (10) |
| FILIBUSTER | Obstruction tactic, if burliest characters are drunk (10) |
| EASTENDERS | Example of prime-time enter-tainment: these characters are densest (10) |
| EPISODEONE | The main characters are usually introduced in it |
| OUTOFSIGHT | So fit and tough characters are probably forgotten (3,2,5) |
| ITALICISED | Such characters are inclined to be idealistic, sort of |
| FORTINBRAS | Character, are metal nipples ___ ? (10) |
| THETHINMAN | 1934 Dashiell Hammett novel whose central characters are Nick and Nora Charles (3,4,3) |
| SUCCESSION | HBO series whose main characters are at the starts of this puzzle's other longest answers |
| THEDANCEOF | Two-part play written in 1900 by August Strindberg whose central characters are husband and wife Edgar and Alice (3,5,2,5) |
| DA5BLOODS | Spike Lee film whose characters are named after the Temptations |
| CLUE | Board game in which characters are named after colors |
| IDENTITY | John Cusack thriller where the main characters are to turn 30 soon |
| ASCII | Some computer characters are written in this |
| BIPEDS | Upstanding characters are as patent in the county (6) |
| NOEXIT | Play in which the three main characters are dead |
| OLEANNA | Two-person play whose characters are John and Carol |
| LEGIBLE | Good characters are, for example, caught in wicked libel (7) |
