Does anyone know why Tom and Michael were killed off?

[j.laur5]

3 hours ago, adam436 said:

I'm currently re-watching early 1990 episodes and Vanessa Downing is currently on a fairly lengthy break (Pippa has gone to care for her sick parents) and I must say her absence has not left much of a hole either 

I think Tom and Pippa were integral characters in 1988, but by 1989, the show had become more of an ensemble. Don, Ailsa and Alf became more prominent characters and Bobby, Steven and Carly, I guess being that extra year older, seemed to take centre stage. In fact, I'd say Bobby, and to a lesser extent Steven and Carly, were probably more central characters than Tom and Pippa #1 towards the end of 1989/early 1990. 

I always felt Vanessa's Pippa gave Pippa more life then Debra's Pippa and also we had a lot of characters in 1989 and quite a few guest characters as well.

[Sally Keating]

Yes Vanessa's Pippa was more "peppy" than Debra's, who was more sort of down-trodden.

But in terms of writing and storylines I agree with Adam that both Tom and Pippa were slightly boring characters around 89/90. Like I said further up I think Tom's death did wonders for Pippa - in both Vanessa and Debra's portrayal. Being the grieving widow at least gave her an angle and made her interesting. I think when Debra took over the role at that point she was very good at eliciting sympathy from the viewer.

[cymbaline]

Maybe that's what was in their minds when they axed Michael? That having Pippa on her own again would make things interesting. They had given that a bit of a trial run when Pippa and Michael temporarily split up towards the end of 1994.

Which leads onto a question of my own. I've read (possibly somewhere on this forum - can't remember) that Dennis Coard asked for Michael to be killed off once he was told he was going to be written out. Is that true?

[j.laur5]

I think a better time for Michael and Pippa to have left would have been in 2000 and a good exit would be with former foster kids coming to their farewell party  instead of Sally's wedding. 

[marriedaniac]

On 07/07/2019 at 08:12, cymbaline said:

Which leads onto a question of my own. I've read (possibly somewhere on this forum - can't remember) that Dennis Coard asked for Michael to be killed off once he was told he was going to be written out. Is that true?

I don't know the answer, but it would make sense - Michael went out a hero (saving that punk Sam). I am still annoyed he was killed off, but I can accept it if a big death is what they were going for. But so soon after Shane's? We were still recovering!

I recently saw all the opening credits sequences again - Pippa/Debra looks both pensive and pissed off in that solo shot of her right after they killed off her husband.

[CaptainHulk]

On 01/07/2019 at 22:07, Old H&A Fan said:

I received a lot of questions over the years about my usage of quote marks around the name of "Pippa", and the other ways I referenced her prior to Episode 586.

Well, this is the reason why. The one that appeared prior to Episode 586 didn't look or sound like the one that appeared in all episodes thereafter.

You, like me, and a bunch of others watched it backwards lol. So You're forgiven for that, as said before I did a double take when I got the H&A memorable moments video (which I still have after 25yrs) when saw Vanessa in the role (She appears in the first two eps on the tape, Both of Frankie's weddings)

[adam436]

Do you think Pippa would have married Michael had Vanessa stayed in the role? Or would they have created a love interest who was more fun and more like VanPip? 

And would she have moved on so soon? I feel like the Pippa switch meant that there was more "distance", for lack of a better word, from Tom, which made it easier for her to move on so quickly and the viewers to accept it... if that makes at all sense

[j.laur5]

4 hours ago, adam436 said:

Do you think Pippa would have married Michael had Vanessa stayed in the role? Or would they have created a love interest who was more fun and more like VanPip? 

And would she have moved on so soon? I feel like the Pippa switch meant that there was more "distance", for lack of a better word, from Tom, which made it easier for her to move on so quickly and the viewers to accept it... if that makes at all sense

Yes, because I think the reason why they stopped writing Pippa was because is because they just changed way they wrote her and I am sure Debra Lawrence would played same lively Pippa if she got role in 1988. 

 

[cymbaline]

I think they would have left Pippa on her own for longer if Vanessa had stayed. But she would have remarried within a year or two. The Michael question is an interesting one. I think there was a fun character in there but they went down the misery route with him. 

I can't see VanPip with Michael but equally, I can't visualise DebPip with Tom. 

[adam436]

23 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

Yes, because I think the reason why they stopped writing Pippa was because is because they just changed way they wrote her and I am sure Debra Lawrence would played same lively Pippa if she got role in 1988. 

You can't really say that? That's like saying Joel McIlroy would have played Flynn the same way as Martin Dingle-Wall had he been cast in 2001? They are completely different actors and have their own style, just like Debra and Vanessa, and bring their own take to the role based on what's on paper.