Australian soap Home and Away revolved around the Fletcher family for many years.
Tom and Pippa, their foster children, and their baby son were at the heart of the drama in the Aussie soap from when it began back in January 1988.
They arrived in Summer Bay along with their foster kids Frank Morgan, Carly Morris, Steven Matheson, Lynn Davenport, and Sally Keating. Later they also fostered teen tearaway Bobby Simpson.
As the kids grew up at the Summer Bay caravan park, drama was never far away.
Here’s our round-up of the top Fletcher storylines.
Carly’s rape
One of the earliest, most controversial stories in Home and Away was the rape of Carly when she went hitchhiking. Though the rape wasn’t shown on-screen, and actually the word ‘rape’ was never used, viewers caught on to what had happened.
Carly kept her assault a secret for a while, but eventually began drinking to deaden the pain. When the truth was revealed some Summer Bay locals blamed her for putting herself in danger’s way by hitchhiking.
Carly’s struggle to come to terms with what had happened was credited with making Home and Away a success.
Home and Away and the death of Tom Fletcher
Pippa and Tom were the dream parents, and the dream couple. They were devoted to their foster kids and to each other, and their baby son, Christopher.
So viewers, Pippa and the foster children were all devastated when Tom suffered a stroke and died in 1990.
Actor Roger Oakley, who played Tom, returned in 2008, when Sally saw him in a vision after she was stabbed.
Pippa and Michael
A couple of years after Tom’s tragic death, Pippa fell in love again. This time with a man called Michael Ross.
Not everyone was on board with their romance and Sally – who Pippa and Tom had adopted – was particularly against it. Michael’s son Haydn wasn’t keen either! But despite the objections, Pippa and Michael tied the knot.
In real life, the actors Debra Lawrance (who played Pippa) and Dennis Courd (AKA Michael) hit it off too – they’ve been married for 30 years and have two children together.
Baby Dale
Pippa was delighted when she found out she was pregnant again.
She gave birth to a baby boy who she and Michael named Dale. But when he was just a few weeks old, the tot passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, leaving viewers shocked and Pippa and Michael devastated.
Michael’s death
When a huge storm hit Summer Bay, Michael and Pippa’s foster son Sam went missing. Desperate to find the troubled lad, Michael set out with another foster son, Jack Wilson, to track him down.
But Sam fell into a swollen stream.
Michael jumped in to save him, but though Sam made it to safety, Michael struggled to get back to shore.
Jack hung on to him but the current was too strong – Michael was swept away and drowned.
Frank and Roo’s wedding
Frank Morgan was Home and Away’s first teen heart-throb and he was hugely popular with fans.
He had a romance with Alf Stewart‘s daughter, Roo, and the pair got serious pretty quickly.
When Roo told Frank she was pregnant, the pair planned to get married. But what Frank didn’t know was that the father of Roo’s baby was Brett Macklin.
She revealed the truth on her wedding day and jilted Frank (lucky for Frank!). But he was so devastated, that he ended up in a car accident. Dramatic stuff!
Bobby and Frank’s romance
Bobby Simpson was a troubled teenager and the long-lost daughter of Donald Fisher and Morag Bellingham.
She fell in love with her foster brother Frank and the pair got married. Though the fans loved them together, it was clear Frank’s heart was elsewhere and he left Bobby to go and live in New York with Roo.
More Fletcher storylines in Home and Away
Carly and Ben
After Carly’s rape ordeal, the fans were delighted when Ben Lucini arrived in Summer Bay and swept her off her feet.
According to rumours, the show’s bosses had planned for them to wed before Ben – played by Julian McMahon – had even appeared on screen!
The pair enjoyed a fun romance though their wedding was full of comedy mishaps. Eventually they left together as Ben, who was in the army, was moving to Perth and Carly went with him.
Steven and Selina
Selina Roberts was Irene’s unofficial adopted daughter. She had all sorts of drama during her time in Summer Bay but one of the most controversial storylines, was her developing feelings for Steven Matheson.
By then, he was a teacher at Summer Bay High so their affair was off-limits and when it was revealed Steven was forced to resign and leave the area.
Selina later got together with former criminal Jesse McGregor, but while she was training as a nurse, she met Steven again – he was now working in IT for the hospital.
They got back together and planned to marry but Selina was kidnapped on their wedding day.
What are the chances?!
Selina went travelling but when she developed malaria, Irene called Steven and he proposed again. Aww.
Sally finds Milco
Home and Away icon Sally Fletcher was only small when she arrived in Summer Bay with her foster parents (who later adopted her).
When she was little, Sally had an imaginary friend called Milco. So cute!
But years later, Sally looked after a homeless man called Miles Copeland. They became friends and eventually Sally discovered Miles was her long-lost brother and the original Milco!
Birth of Pippa
When Sally married Flynn Saunders, she knew she couldn’t have children naturally because of her battle with ovarian cancer previously.
But Leah Poulos offered to be a surrogate using Sally’s frozen eggs.
Though things didn’t always go smoothly during the pregnancy, Leah eventually gave birth to a little girl who Sally and Flynn named Pippa – after the original Home and Away Fletcher matriarch.
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Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 with first look episodes airing at 6.30pm on 5Star.
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