If Vanessa Downing returned as Pippa

[Red Ranger 1]

I think after eight years as a regular and a further eleven(to her last return)as a recurring guest star, Debra is Pippa and bringing back "the other one" just wouldn't work.It's not entirely unprecedented in HA-they brought back the original Barbara for the 4000th episode despite her being recast in the '90s-but then I'm not sure many people remembered either actress in that case.

[beau_t]

I think after eight years as a regular and a further eleven(to her last return)as a recurring guest star, Debra is Pippa and bringing back "the other one" just wouldn't work.It's not entirely unprecedented in HA-they brought back the original Barbara for the 4000th episode despite her being recast in the '90s-but then I'm not sure many people remembered either actress in that case.

I don't think for a second they'd bring Vanessa back as Pippa. My arguement (if you were replying to me) was against "ilovehomeandaway25" saying that Vanessa wouldn't want to return, i.e if she were hypothetically given the chance to.

[cadyctslover]

Vanessa Downing would be a great comeback, however due to the circumstances of her departure from the show (quitting because of Roger Oakley {Tom} being axed from the show) she wouldn't return and the producers would, undoubtedly, not hire her back.

Is that what happened? I didn't realise Roger Oakley had been axed, why did that happen? Where I'm up to in the 1990 episodes Tom has just returned after a long break following his stroke, and now Pippa is off on what looks to be an extended break. I assumed that they were exhausted and planned to take time off.

[Red Ranger 1]

I think after eight years as a regular and a further eleven(to her last return)as a recurring guest star, Debra is Pippa and bringing back "the other one" just wouldn't work.It's not entirely unprecedented in HA-they brought back the original Barbara for the 4000th episode despite her being recast in the '90s-but then I'm not sure many people remembered either actress in that case.

I don't think for a second they'd bring Vanessa back as Pippa. My arguement (if you were replying to me) was against "ilovehomeandaway25" saying that Vanessa wouldn't want to return, i.e if she were hypothetically given the chance to.

I wasn't replying directly to you, I was just commenting on the subject in general.

I always thought the "Vanessa quit because she was annoyed about Roger" thing was true but I agree, it's been over twenty years and there's a good chance she'll have calmed down by now.

[Lulu1978]

I like both Pippa's.I watched H&A from the start so Vanessa was the first Pippa I saw.I remember back in 1990,it took some time to adjust to Debra as Pippa.I remember thinking how different she looked from the original and her personality changed as well.I ended up liking Debra in the role too.Both actressed did a great job as Pippa in their own way.I think Debra would more likely be asked back if the show decided they wanted Pippa back because more people are familiar with her in the role.So many of the current viewers would not know Vanessa as Pippa.I don't think the show would recast the role again,not even back to the original.I think if Vanessa had returned to the role in 1998 when Debra decided to leave,there would have been a better chance of it working back then because there were more people back then who were watching the show who actually remembered the original Pippa.So many of today's H&A were not even born when Vanessa left the role so Debra is the only Pippa to them.It wouldn't bother me who played Pippa if she ever returned,but to so many Debra is the only Pippa.

[Jeremai]

Lulu, I agree that it would have worked if Vanessa had replaced Debra in 1998. Funnily enough in the first edition of Summer Bay News back in April 1997 I wrote "If Debra Lawrence ever leaves they could get the old Pippa back to replace her!" (It was part of a top ten list of characters I wanted to return... No.s 3, 7, and 8 were fulfilled http://www.backtothebay.net/sbn/1.shtml).

I can't see Vanessa returning or doing any acting these days since she's now working as a solicitor:

http://www.craddock.com.au/StaffMember/Vanessa+Downing.aspx

[Skylover]

I think she still does acting as her most recent role was mentioned in a newspaper only a few weeks ago. It can be found here. Thanks for the link, it's interesting to know she's also working as a lawyer.

[beau_t]

Lulu, I agree that it would have worked if Vanessa had replaced Debra in 1998. Funnily enough in the first edition of Summer Bay News back in April 1997 I wrote "If Debra Lawrence ever leaves they could get the old Pippa back to replace her!" (It was part of a top ten list of characters I wanted to return... No.s 3, 7, and 8 were fulfilled http://www.backtothebay.net/sbn/1.shtml).

I can't see Vanessa returning or doing any acting these days since she's now working as a solicitor:

http://www.craddock.com.au/StaffMember/Vanessa+Downing.aspx

Last thing I saw her in was Packed to the Rafters a couple of years ago and I'm sure she was in a play recently.

ETA: Edward Skylover bet me to it

[Jeremai]

Thanks guys, I'm happy to have been proved wrong and learn that she's still acting! Should have checked IMDB first. I'll have to look up that episode of Packed to the Rafters.

[Blaxland 89]

I must be the only one but I don't think the two Pippa were so extremely different. At least not at first. Yes they had different coloured hair but I think the personality wasnt so diff. Debra also had her feisty moments like Vanessa. Maybe Debra was getting more Mumsy but the character too, was also getting older.

I found the Hayley recast the most different of them all.