Pippa's Recast

[Gari]

Hey all!

I've always wanted to see how exactly the episodes surrounding Pippa's recast were handled. I know there wasn't a break for the character in between actresses, with Vanessa Downing playing her in episode 585 and Debra Lawrence playing her in episode 586, but does anyone remember what happened to the character in those two episodes? Were there any in jokes (e.g. Alf's "nice hair" quip to Flynn when he was recast)? Any obvious pointers to the audience that this was meant to be the same character? Any scenes for the re-cap that had to be re-shot with the new actress??

Annoyingly, these episodes were skipped by Living when they repeated the series a few years ago in the UK, and I can't find any clips or info (more than very short episode summaries) online and - as one of the most famous recasts ever on a Soap - I've always wanted to know a bit more about it.

Thanks!

Gari

[nenehcherry2]

Hey all!

I've always wanted to see how exactly the episodes surrounding Pippa's recast were handled. I know there wasn't a break for the character in between actresses, with Vanessa Downing playing her in episode 585 and Debra Lawrence playing her in episode 586, but does anyone remember what happened to the character in those two episodes? Were there any in jokes (e.g. Alf's "nice hair" quip to Flynn when he was recast)? Any obvious pointers to the audience that this was meant to be the same character? Any scenes for the re-cap that had to be re-shot with the new actress??

Annoyingly, these episodes were skipped by Living when they repeated the series a few years ago in the UK, and I can't find any clips or info (more than very short episode summaries) online and - as one of the most famous recasts ever on a Soap - I've always wanted to know a bit more about it.

Thanks!

Gari

Not true; Living stopped at Episode 707 and Prime in Australia at 623.

They were handled very well. VD's final scene was the penultimate of 585. She told Donald fairly but firmly (in true VD dry style) that she didn't reciprocate his romantic interest but wished to remain good friends. Whether or not this was further used in the recap I do not know. In the first proper scene of 586, DL was ironing in the kitchen whilst Emma, Paul and Steven were hanging out on the lounge. There were no in-jokes whatsoever but early DL episodes still had a lot of VD style dialogue and also her wardrobe (for example the way that she marched Emma into the diner kitchen in 593); it took DL quite some time to truly make the role her own, even if her mannerisms were significantly different from those of VD. She could come out with some razor sharp lines which really did not suit the gentleness of DL's portrayal well into about 1993. A good example is the scene in the caravan where she confronts an alcoholic Irene.

It took H&A a while to remember that VD had ever existed. In a scene from late 1991 where Pippa is looking through old family photos, VD's face has noticeably been scrambled from that one taken at the end of the pilot. Similarly, Bobby's funeral flashbacks showed quite an insignificant flashback with DL and Bobby from early 1991; imho, VD had far greater chemistry with Bob than DL did and Bobby had more to do with Pippa in the VD era. A flashback to maybe VD saying that she wishes she really were Bobby's mother would have been more appropriate.

[Si-Co]

I agree it was disappointing that VD scenes were not used in flashbacks - we did see VD briefly as Pippa in a more recent flashback featuring a young Sally.

Slightly off-topic, but I've always liked how Neighbours had no problem showing still images of previous Lucy Robinsons on the special closing credits when Jim and Helen left - crediting viewers with enough intelligence to know they were seeing shots of Lucy.

[beau_t]

I agree it was disappointing that VD scenes were not used in flashbacks - we did see VD briefly as Pippa in a more recent flashback featuring a young Sally.

Home and Away used quite a lot of Vanessa Downing flashbacks in later years. I just posted about this in another "Pippa" thread a few days ago.

[beau_t]

Watch the Light Surrounding You video from when Sally got stabbed

Clips of Sally with Pippa#1...

then the words

"Don't be afraid of something new"

...as Sally hugs Pippa#2

LOL