Pippa Fletcher/Ross - Vanessa Downing & Debra Lawrance

[beau_t]

I think Aussiesoapfan has a point about Debra's Pippa missing Michael, when we saw the Sally's non-wedding episodes from 2000, Jack made a comment about how he tried to hold on to Michael that night and Pippa's reaction was almost like 'I wish you had' before actually saying "I know you did".

This goes back to Jack's original leaving episode in 1996 during an almost identical scene where Jack tells Pippa that he did try to save Michael. Pippa starts crying and changes the subject, unable to give Jack the absolution he needs. Although she does hug Jack, he clearly notices her avoidance and it hurts him.

Pippa admitted in Michael's funeral episode that while she doesn't blame Jack, she also can't help wondering why Jack didn't hold on to Michael a bit longer. So in the non-wedding episodes it makes sense for her to have that look on her face when Jack brings it up, but the important thing is that on this occasion she does finally absolve him of Michael's death and Jack finally gets the closure he's needed. I like this little scene because it ties up a bit of unfinished business between Jack and Pippa that was left open-ended 4 years previously.

Edited September 6, 2013 by beau_t

[c120701]

I don't think I've seen Jack's departure, or can't remember it, so that makes a lot of sense now.

[beau_t]

I don't think I've seen Jack's departure, or can't remember it, so that makes a lot of sense now.

If you go to youtube and type in Home and Away Jack Wilson's Last Episode it should come up.

[j.laur5]

I know that it was understandable in 1990 that Pippa should be recast as Tom had only died a few months before, and there's no way she'd leave the bay with the kids so soon afterwards.

But I reckon if they did the storyline right they could have brought in Debra as a new character, maybe a friend of Pippa's from the city who was already close to the family, who comes to visit and could see Pippa was not coping with living in Summer Bay anymore. Then the friend played by Debra tells Pippa to take a break from Summer Bay and promise to take care of things whilst she's gone, with Pippa leaving and later sending word that she's not returning.

Because I think Vanessa deserved to keep her character and Debra deserved to play a fresh new character.

Then Vanessa could have made guest returns like Debra, and could be part of the Fletcher reunion in 2000, as it did not feel the same with Pippa played by Debra.

[aussiesoapfan]

For anyone who's interested here's a picture I found of Vanessa downing with fellow actresses .from August 10th 2015. It's from the Stage Whispers Au website. Ensemble Theatre 2016 Season Launch.

Also here's Debra Lawrance and I presume the cast of 'Please Like Me' at the AACTA Awards in January 2015. (Sorry I couldn't find any pictures more recent than that.)

Not that much different in hair colour these days - Unlike when the recast happened. - Blonde to dark with no in joke on screen about hair colour changing! They both look glamorous though.

On the subject of the recast who remembers the dodgy photoshops of the family photos. Debra Lawrance was morphed in to Vanessa Downings hair and body on Pippa and Tom's wedding photo. Vanessa's face was blurred out on the original Fletcher family photo. However in more recent years we saw Sally taking down a picture of Carly's wedding. Vanessa Downing was in those episodes. But on the picture it was definitely Debra Lawrance because Pippa was wearing  a different coloured dress to what Vanessa wore in the episodes. It didn't look too  photoshopped. So I wonder as Debra probably started filming around then if they actually had Debra in a photo.

Here's what I mean:

1) Pippa in green dress in episode.

2) Pippa in brown dress on photograph. (I'm sure this photo has been seen in the background in early years episodes.)

But I think we've also seen Sally hanging pictures of Vanessa's Pippa in later years.

Edited September 27, 2015 by aussiesoapfan

[dncllpyk]

Debra Lawrence was in House Husbands last night as the judge in Justin's custody court case. Hopefully Pippa will make a return to the Bay some time

[sindikatas]

For anyone who's interested here's a picture I found of Vanessa downing with fellow actresses .from August 10th 2015. It's from the Stage Whispers Au website. Ensemble Theatre 2016 Season Launch.

Also here's Debra Lawrance and I presume the cast of 'Please Like Me' at the AACTA Awards in January 2015. (Sorry I couldn't find any pictures more recent than that.)

Not that much different in hair colour these days - Unlike when the recast happened. - Blonde to dark with no in joke on screen about hair colour changing! They both look glamorous though.

On the subject of the recast who remembers the dodgy photoshops of the family photos. Debra Lawrance was morphed in to Vanessa Downings hair and body on Pippa and Tom's wedding photo. Vanessa's face was blurred out on the original Fletcher family photo. However in more recent years we saw Sally taking down a picture of Carly's wedding. Vanessa Downing was in those episodes. But on the picture it was definitely Debra Lawrance because Pippa was wearing  a different coloured dress to what Vanessa wore in the episodes. It didn't look too  photoshopped. So I wonder as Debra probably started filming around then if they actually had Debra in a photo.

Here's what I mean:

1) Pippa in green dress in episode.

2) Pippa in brown dress on photograph. (I'm sure this photo has been seen in the background in early years episodes.)

But I think we've also seen Sally hanging pictures of Vanessa's Pippa in later years.

For anyone who's interested here's a picture I found of Vanessa downing with fellow actresses .from August 10th 2015. It's from the Stage Whispers Au website. Ensemble Theatre 2016 Season Launch.

Also here's Debra Lawrance and I presume the cast of 'Please Like Me' at the AACTA Awards in January 2015. (Sorry I couldn't find any pictures more recent than that.)

Not that much different in hair colour these days - They both look very glamorous!  Unlike when the recast happened. - Blonde to dark with no in joke on screen about hair colour changing!

On the subject of the recast who remembers the dodgy photoshops of the family photos. Debra Lawrance was morphed in to Vanessa Downings hair and body on Pippa and Tom's wedding photo. Vanessa's face was blurred out on the original Fletcher family photo. However in more recent years we saw Sally taking down a picture of Carly's wedding. Vanessa Downing was in those episodes. But on the picture it was definitely Debra Lawrance because Pippa was wearing  a different coloured dress to what Vanessa wore in the episodes. It didn't look too  photoshopped. So I wonder as Debra probably started filming around then if they actually had Debra in a photo.

I've been watching 1994 episodes recently and I saw Debra's Pippa's photo in brown dress during Carly and Ben's wedding so it definately wasn't photoshoped.

[aussiesoapfan]

Yes that's what I thought. Debra probably started filming her first scenes whilst Vanessa was filming her last scenes. So I assume they put Debra in a wedding picture (even though she wasn't in the actual  wedding episodes) because of the recast. 

Also recently in TV Week, there was a section on bad boys. In Frank Morgan's snippet they put he was fostered by: Pippa (DEBRA LAWRANCE) and MICHAEL ( DENNIS COARD). They should have put Pippa (VANESSA DOWNING) and TOM ( ROGER OAKLEY)! They missed Vanessa Downing and Roger Oakley out of the shows history. Oh well.

[beau_t]

After 2004 when Sally moved back into Summer Bay House, they stopped hiding Vanessa Downing from the show's history and put the original photos up without the face-editing.

[sindikatas]

After 2004 when Sally moved back into Summer Bay House, they stopped hiding Vanessa Downing from the show's history and put the original photos up without the face-editing.

Or probably even earlier. In 2000 when Pippa was leaving SBH a voice-over of Vanessa's Pippa is heard. Similarly very recently they showed a face of Hayley#1 which also means that her face wasn't forgotten.

Edited October 26, 2015 by sindikatas