Rewatching The Early Years

[adam436]

On 12/11/2025 at 09:17, cymbaline said:

I sometimes wonder what people would think about Tom if he hadn't been killed off so early. 

You make a good point - I defintely prefer Tom and VanPip over Michael and DebPip but perhaps that is because they had a shorter run. I was a huge Tom fan, the only time I truly didn't like the character was post-stroke, but they got back on track pretty quickly. That period also had the really poor writing of everyone thinking Pippa was having an affair with Zac though. 

  

On 12/11/2025 at 09:17, cymbaline said:

He could be pretty unlikeable sometimes and very hard on Pippa.

I feel like that was a sign of the times in which the man was "head of the household". We saw it to a lesser extent with Alf and Ailsa too. Both Pippa and Ailsa were quite assertive though, "overruling" them when they truly believed in something, such as the Dodge example mentioned. In a same era of Neighbours, it was a similar dynamic with Jim Robinson. The original Pippa was also much the same, launching into a rant at the drop of a hat, which came across as unreasonable at times. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

I relate more with DebPip as she was more iconic IMHO.

In London a few months ago i saw Debra Lawrance on a billboard for Harry Potter and thought is it Pippa from H&A? And yes it was. She was doing Harry potter in 2025. 

[cymbaline]

On 13/11/2025 at 14:39, CaptainHulk said:

Writers championed him over Michael in later years.

Tom was the first dad and that counts for a lot when people look back at old Home and Away. If you see articles written about early Home and Away, it's almost inevitable that they'll use the cast photo from 1988 with everyone gathered around the two round tables with pink tablecloths. Even though Michael was around for much longer, the pattern of actors coming and going was well-established by then. The producers axing him may tell a story all of its own. Pippa is a different story. I think Debra Lawrance is more associated with the role, probably by being around for longer. 

It's telling that when Sally nearly died and was visited by the ghost of a past foster dad, they went for Tom. While you could argue that Michael was the one who had to parent her through the teenage years and had a more complicated relationship with her, it makes sense that ghost Tom was there for her. 

[CaptainHulk]

On 15/11/2025 at 13:43, cymbaline said:

Tom was the first dad and that counts for a lot when people look back at old Home and Away. If you see articles written about early Home and Away, it's almost inevitable that they'll use the cast photo from 1988 with everyone gathered around the two round tables with pink tablecloths. Even though Michael was around for much longer, the pattern of actors coming and going was well-established by then. The producers axing him may tell a story all of its own. Pippa is a different story. I think Debra Lawrance is more associated with the role, probably by being around for longer. 

It's telling that when Sally nearly died and was visited by the ghost of a past foster dad, they went for Tom. While you could argue that Michael was the one who had to parent her through the teenage years and had a more complicated relationship with her, it makes sense that ghost Tom was there for her. 

Tbf, Michael did get mentioned during Sal's (2nd) near death when Tom appeared as a vision, by the man himself (he was supposed on the "other side" with Ailsa, Bobby andFlynn)

[cymbaline]

That's true, but otherwise he was quickly forgotten. Once Pippa moved away, did he ever get mentioned again? 

[CaptainHulk]

55 minutes ago, cymbaline said:

That's true, but otherwise he was quickly forgotten. Once Pippa moved away, did he ever get mentioned again? 

Mostly by Sal and Sam and the Stewarts.