Recast characters

[Daisyap]

I don't think I've ever liked a new version better than an old one. The new Flynn was so completely different to the old one, he wasn't the same character at all and I didn't like him anymore. Me and my sister always said things like "The old Flynn wouldn't have left a swab in Leah!"

[Homeandaway_fan1]

As I am a Bec Cartwright fan, I think she was the best Hayley, Ella Scott Lynch was Hayley but a different Hayley, for me Bec was Hayley, and I liked her Hayley the best.

[tmg]

I always think that the role of Pippa belongs to Debra Lawrence!!!!

I was a little disappointed at the recast of Hayley, I think it would have been better to wrap up the storyline and for Bec to have left. I think it was a waste of Ella's talents to be cast in a role for a few months then written out. They could have used Ella for another role as she was a great actress!!! For a while I was half hoping that she would pop up on our screens in All Saints or something like that.

[celtgirl]

Having watched the show from the first episode, I found it really hard to get used to Debra Lawrence when she took over as Pippa, but she eventually grew on me. She was just so different to Vanessa Downing. It was really the Dale storyline and how Debra acted in that role that made me really like her. Like Flynn and Hayley, I think it's really hard to accept a recast at first when the new actor looks so different to the original actor (the worst recast had to be Ailsa though-never accepted that recast). They also recasted Selina for a time which I never got used to either. I was delighted when Tempany Deckhart returned. In some cases a re-cast is a good idea, but in general I don't really like when they do that.

[Dan F]

They recast Selina temporarily as Tempany had to have time off due to having Glandular Fever - it was one of those times when it was far too late to write her out of storylines and so Louise Crawford stepped in at the last minute.

The same happened with the characters of Ailsa and Mitch

[JoJo85]

omg i'll never forget the new ailsa! she was so awful! almost wanted to chuck stuff at my tv when she was on! and she didnt look anything like her either! Love Debra Lawrence as Pippa as I cant really remember the old one, tho I do remember the old Irene. New Selina took some getting used to then the old one came back! It took me ages to get used to Hayley but she definitely belongs to Bec now.

[h&a-girl]

I can't say I really mind, if it means we're not going to lose a fantastic storyline then it has to be done.

In fact I think we've got some great examples of how recasting can really work, i've watched the pilot of Home and Away and really didn't like original Pippa but I maybe that's because i'm just so used to Debra, when I saw a clip of original Irene I could barely stand to watch she just didn't have the sense of character which Lynne has. As for Flynn i'm going to be a bit shallow and say that original Flynn was nicer to look at but Joel's Flynn I much preferred because the chemistry and relationship between Flynn and Sally was far more believable.

All in all it can be done well but obviously can be a bit strange, I guess it depends on the viewer and their connection with character, certainly if the writers brought back Amanda but played by someone other that Holly Brisley I would be outraged and wouldn't be able to watch. I think with children it is fine and part of the process, not every child actor will be like Kate Ritchie and grow up on screen and so it's just something that has to be done.

[simmins]

I'm a bit iffy with recasting. But i think with the recent decision to replace Kym Valentine with mcleod daughters actress, Michala Banas was a good choice.

Unlike this recasting of the two Hayleys!

[wooo_im_cool]

lol id say

going from a blonde to a ginga

wtf?

[DinerLandlord]

It helps if the actors look somewhat similar, the Selina recast wasn't that bad because they looked kind of alike, and it was only for a short period while Tempany recovered from her illness. I think recasting in emergency situations is fine, but if an actor leaves the show at the end of their contract, they should just write the character out, not bother with a recast. Although, now that I think about it, Leah's been so dreadful this year since Dan died, maybe they should have just recast the character after Tim Campbell left.