If Pippa had stayed?

[Skylover]

I would have preferred a fresh portrayal if they were going to re-cast again,. rather than going back to the original, despite how much I loved Vanessa in the role. I wonder why they didn't do that. Pippa pretty much was Summer Bay,  the Fletchers formed the basis for the whole concept of the show.

[beau_t]

On 18/05/2016 at 1:55 AM, adam436 said:

It would also explain Brodie joining them, as Pippa would have wanted to keep fostering, whereas with the Suthrlands, she never really seem to fit in there.

Yeah the Brodie thing never made any sense. I get that it was supposed to be a nod to the original concept of the house (and show) which was nice, but it didn't work. I think the Sutherlands were all too middle class and goody-goody so they wanted to add a rough street kid (like Bobby...) into the mix. Except Brodie was more of a wet cabbage and wasn't remotely exciting or deep. Also, the idea that Brodie turned up at the drop-in centre and for some reason Shelley would want to take her home, even though she never felt this way about any of the other kids who turned up, just seemed weird and forced.

[beau_t]

On 18/05/2016 at 0:11 PM, Edward Skylover said:

This would have been interesting. Who could have played her though?

There was talk at the time of the original actress (the one before Vanessa who left during the filming of the pilot) was being considered. I don't know how credible this is though, considering she let them down I don't know if they'd want her back.

Clarissa House would have been a good option.

The actress who played Ellen Porter (the nanny Donald hired to look after Byron) would have been good at Pippa. She had a caring, sympathetic quality. Although her voice was maybe a bit posh for Pippa.

[joany208121]

wet cabbage 

[adam436]

Anne Tenney (who, incidentally is married to current H&A star Shane Withington) would have made a good Pippa too. She played a similar role in Always Greener and I really liked her on that

[Blaxland 89]

On 21 May 2016 at 3:37 PM, beau_t said:

There was talk at the time of the original actress (the one before Vanessa who left during the filming of the pilot) was being considered. I don't know how credible this is though, considering she let them down I don't know if they'd want her back.

Clarissa House would have been a good option.

The actress who played Ellen Porter (the nanny Donald hired to look after Byron) would have been good at Pippa. She had a caring, sympathetic quality. Although her voice was maybe a bit posh for Pippa.

And she played Liam's mum not long before Pippa's departure. I wouldn't have like to see her recast again. I think it would have made the continuity even worse. At least we still had Debra Lawrence making guest appearances right up until 2009. Although that last one was so uncomfortable forced. Also if Pippa had stayed I would dread to think how the current show would write for her. Same with Donald no Ailsa. I was gutted when they left but at least the never became paler imitations of what they once were. Aside from dons 2007 appearance which I choose to pretend didn't happen. 

Talking of Ellen Porter. The scene when she breaks down to Donald about her past is one of the most lovely acted scenes in the shows history. 

[Dan F]

I've moved a bunch of posts from the Colleen thread into here (as the same discussion was going on in both places)

Russell Webb (the producer at the time) actually said that they did consider bringing in another actress, but with Debra already being the second Pippa he thought it would be too cheeky to recast again.

4 hours ago, Blaxland 89 said:

Talking of Ellen Porter. The scene when she breaks down to Donald about her past is one of the most lovely acted scenes in the shows history. 

Coincidentally I only watched that episode again last week, and I have to agree.

[j.laur5]

On ‎18‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 10:55 AM, adam436 said:

If that happened, they'd definitely have needed an older actor to play Rhys.

Why as Michael Beckley  is only six years younger then Debra Lawrence ?.

I say they would of  had  Christopher instead of Nick or Seb and dated either Jade or Kristy and I say they would of  had Christopher to be Straight.

[CaptainHulk]

^Or better yet have the Christopher reveal to happen when the time came to "Take the Plunge". H&A probably would have courted controversy but may have done it right

 

 

[adam436]

There are so many possibilities for actresses who could have played Pippa back in 1988 had the role been recast.

Anne Tenney would have been at the top of my list, as would other A Country Practice alumni Wendy Strethlow and Penny Cook. We'd also could have had Diane Craig, Denise Roberts, Noni Hazlehurst, Sue Jones, Collette Mann, Sarah Chadwick, Clarissa House (who went on to play Beth), Sonia Todd (who played Gina) and Kate Fitzpatrick.