Do you think they'd have ever axed Pippa?

[hapitoby]

On 30/04/2023 at 11:19, cymbaline said:

I'd forgotten about Irene nearly getting the chop. Thank heavens that never happened because I think she has been a terrific character.

If H&A was to have gone in some of the directions mentioned above, I don't think they'd have been great for Pippa. I couldn't see her with Alf, though it's fun to speculate on how that would've gone! I couldn't help but notice Debra Lawrance's reaction to a question about Ray Meagher when she was on the Talking Prisoner podcast. From what she didn't say, I got the impression there was no love lost between her and Ray. If she was feeling at all shaky about staying on Home and Away, that would've pushed her out the door.

As for bringing in Ian permanently, they'd have had a big decision to make about casting. Patrick Dickson is mainly a theatre guy who had (has?) his own production company for years. Would he have jacked that in for the hectic filming schedule on Home and Away? Would they have recast Ian? Or sent him on his way and conjured up a new man. Would Pippa have become the new Leah in that regard?

In 2023 I can't see any role at all for Pippa. Admittedly she has been gone for a long time but I can't see what they'd do with her. There are no teenagers any more, there is no school. What would she do? Work in Salt? Manage that godawful band? Come out of retirement and work as a nurse in the hospital?

Very interesting to speculate. She may just work in the diner.

 

If she stayed in the Bay, I'd imagine she'd be paired with Rhys Sutherland. I think a lot of what happened until the Sutherlands arrival would be more or less the same - the Nash's moving in, Sally moving out etc. Pippa may be a bit lost or just in and out of the bay or got a new house. I imagine they may have not created Shelley Sutherland or she and Rhys may split up early/ be already split up before the Sutherlands arrive. I guess it'll be similar to when Rhys gets with Beth with Pippa becoming a surrogate. It would be interesting to see how things go. I imagine they'd still have Shelley leave when she does but may not introduce Beth Hunter. Rhys was written out so it's likely if he stayed with Pippa, he would have been kept around until.the actor decided to leave. I remember an interview where they originally planned to have Beth fall pregnant.  Maybe they would with Pippa (not sure her age at this point)

I wonder if they would have kept Leah or Irene around as they may feel Pippa would take on both those roles in 2010 era.

[adam436]

14 hours ago, hapitoby said:

I remember an interview where they originally planned to have Beth fall pregnant. 

I never knew that? Do you remember where that was? Did something change behind the scenes in 2004? They'd married off Rhys and Beth, with what I assume was a long-term plan to keep Rhys and have the Hunters replace the departing Sutherland family members, then Rhys was written out a few months later and presumably the pregnancy was dropped at that point too. 

You have to wonder why they didn't write out Beth and most of the remaining Hunters at that point too. Matilda and Henry were not popular in her first year, Kit was already dropped from the regular cast and Scott wasn't living in the family home.

Edited May 2, 2023 by adam436

[Dan F]

2 hours ago, adam436 said:

I never knew that? Do you remember where that was?

Our Coral interview again

[adam436]

Do we think Pippa was as "sacred" once Debra Lawrence took over the role? Debra is definitely more iconic to the average H&A viewer (I personally prefer Vanessa, but generally speaking she's longer-running and more recognisable to the average viewer), but when we talk about long-running original characters, I really only consider Alf, Ailsa, Don and Sally. 

It's hard to imagine Pippa being axed, because she was very much the show's linchpin in those early days, but would there have been a huge controversy had she been axed in 1996 along with Michael or in 1998 instead of Debra leaving of her own accord or in 2000 when the Sutherlands took over the caravan park? I feel like it definitely would have been moreso had we had the same actress playing the part from day one, but given we know Lynne McGranger was almost axed after 10 years as Irene, who's to say that Debra might have stayed too long as Pippa. 

[cymbaline]

That's an interesting question and maybe one that's guided by our ages and when we started watching  It's hard to see them getting rid of Vanessa, but equally I don't know what they'd do with Pippa now. Maybe it's a chicken and egg thing. There are no teens to live with Pippa because there's no Pippa around. She belongs to a gentler time and Irene is better suited to the edgier Home and Away. But as we know, Irene mightn't have been around for any of this if Pippa hadn't left.  

[nenehcherry2]

Highly unlikely. As someone else has said, Pippa was a linchpin. The foundation of the show (at least in her day) was built on fostering, so definitely a Chicken and egg one; the teens were interdependent with the presence of guardians. And Alf/Ailsa and Irene, at least prior to Pip's departure, were seen as mere "Pippa backups" in that sense. Not to mention her being so well loved by most fans at the time. 

The only exception would have been any concerns about Debra's presence on set. Often the best loved characters in a soap or long running drama are lost or recast because of actor misconducts / employee relations issues. If Debra had ever misbehaved then I doubt they'd have recasted Pip for a second time or bought Vanessa back. But highly doubtful that Debra would ever have been mixed up in any such shenanigans! Unless you count the time that she smacked Judy Nunn one in the face of course!

Edited May 9, 2023 by nenehcherry2

[Bobby Forever Missed]

1 hour ago, nenehcherry2 said:

Unless you count the time that she smacked Judy Nunn one in the face of course!

Wait what?

[nenehcherry2]

Yes, their backstage feud made Bette Midler and Joan Davis look like Noddy and Big Ears.

Edited May 9, 2023 by nenehcherry2

[j.laur5]

I wonder if Pippa might eventually have got back into nursing. 
 

I enjoyed Donald and Pippa's banter as I think Pippa had never forgotten the way Donald was towards them when she first moved to the Bay . 
 

Personally I think Pippa always had a fiery side to her whether Vanessa or Debra was playing her.  I loved how Pippa told both Morag and Celia to shut up at separate times in 1989 as both Morag and Celia were very insufferable characters at times . 
 

I do think the reason why Pippa seemed more mellowed in her return visits was because she was basically just acting like Debra Lawrence and wasn’t dealing with dramas and very much how Irene at times acts just like Lynne Mcgranger when she in background more. 
 

 

[Jamie!]

On 09/05/2023 at 17:45, nenehcherry2 said:

Highly unlikely. As someone else has said, Pippa was a linchpin. The foundation of the show (at least in her day) was built on fostering, so definitely a Chicken and egg one; the teens were interdependent with the presence of guardians. And Alf/Ailsa and Irene, at least prior to Pip's departure, were seen as mere "Pippa backups" in that sense. Not to mention her being so well loved by most fans at the time. 

The only exception would have been any concerns about Debra's presence on set. Often the best loved characters in a soap or long running drama are lost or recast because of actor misconducts / employee relations issues. If Debra had ever misbehaved then I doubt they'd have recasted Pip for a second time or bought Vanessa back. But highly doubtful that Debra would ever have been mixed up in any such shenanigans! Unless you count the time that she smacked Judy Nunn one in the face of course!

Is this true? Where have you read about this?