adam436 Posted June 3, 2018 Report Posted June 3, 2018 Were the producers backed into a corner when it came to recasting Pippa, since it had only been a few months since Tom had died, or do you think there were alternatives? Was Bobby old enough (since within a year she'd be fostering Sam), to assume responsibility for Steven, Sally and Sophie? Could it have worked if Debra Lawrence was cast in a different role and basically slotted into Summer Bay House? If anyone was watching Neighbours in 1988, I'd imagine a similar scenario to Hilary suddenly arriving to replace Edith and assuming responsibility for Edith's nieces? Could Alf and Ailsa have stepped up to the leading roles and taken over the Caravan Park and the foster children in the same way Travis and Rebecca did when Pippa #2 left? Given Judy would be around for another 10 years after Pippa #1 left, and Ray more than 30 years after her, this would have been a good idea in hindsight. Do you think the producers would have killed off Roger Oakley if they knew Vanessa Downing wasn't far behind him? Or would they have had him take a fancy job somewhere and Pippa following him soon after. The in-between time between their exits could have been used to transition into the new foster parents. I've read in a few places that Vanessa quit because she missed working with Roger (not sure how much truth there is in that though!), so clearly the producers didn't expect to lose them both so quickly.
j.laur5 Posted June 3, 2018 Report Posted June 3, 2018 You know if Kate Richie had decided to leave in 1990 at the same time Vanessa quit then I think they may have written out Pippa by having Sally and Pippa move back to Sydney. Maybe Debra Lawrence could have played a new character being the wife of Michael Ross and could have moved into Summer Bay House as a new family with Karen and Blake being their children instead being ofAilsa and Alf's foster kids. The Ross family gets into fostering. Sophie and Steve could move in with Ben and Carly at the farm and Sophie could move in with Alf & Ailsa after Steve and Carly and Ben all left.
CaptainHulk Posted June 3, 2018 Report Posted June 3, 2018 I still say Pippa's recast on the part of the producers was a risky gamble that paid off even if it took a while for people to accept her. Writing Michael in kind of helped things even though he did have a few slappable moments (who didn't in the 90s lol)
Spinach Posted June 3, 2018 Report Posted June 3, 2018 I suppose they could've written Pippa out as needing a break. She was getting a bit stressed out towards the end of the Vanessa Downing stint with so much to do. If they'd kept her around for a few more weeks for the increasing money worries, the ceiling collapsing etc. (was that ever resolved, by the way?), and having Emma spill the beans about Donald's crush, it could have prompted a breakdown - especially if she was still coming to terms with Tom's death. Then maybe she could have left for a "break" without destroying the character - and left the door open for a return... I guess Carly and Ben might have taken over the caravan park and house with Alf and Ailsa helping them? I'm sure there would've been lots of story opportunities there with Steven and Sophie adapting to them as their new "parents" and I'm sure Carly wouldn't have found it especially easy becoming the "mother". But really, I think a recast was the best option in terms of realism.
Trudy Heine Posted June 8, 2018 Report Posted June 8, 2018 What if Debra Lawrence played Debra Stewart, aka the one sister of Alf's we didn't get to see?
adam436 Posted June 9, 2018 Author Report Posted June 9, 2018 19 hours ago, Trudy Heine said: What if Debra Lawrence played Debra Stewart, aka the one sister of Alf's we didn't get to see? Or maybe they could have recast Barbara or brought back Barbara Stephens? Perhaps Pippa could have become reacquainted with her through some sort of group of bereaved or grieving relatives and become instant BFFs. Then when Pippa leaves Summer Bay for whatever reason, Barbara, still having a large hole in her life after losing Alan, offers to be "mother" to Steven, Sophie and Sally. Then cue a marriage to Michael (perhaps, having already having a history so it's not so rushed) and then the story continues
CaptainHulk Posted June 13, 2018 Report Posted June 13, 2018 On 08/06/2018 at 08:45, Trudy Heine said: What if Debra Lawrence played Debra Stewart, aka the one sister of Alf's we didn't get to see? We did get to see her, Just as a child in Alf's flashback during that Mr Oddly flashback during the "Lost the Plot" era of 2009-10
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