Neighbours is a long-running Australian television soap opera, running daily episodes of 25 minutes not including comercials. Originally aired on the Seven Network in Australia in 1985, it was shifted to the Ten Network early in its run and has remained popular with its core teenage audience ever since. However, rival Australian soap Home and Away still consistently rates better in its home country and has done for over a decade now. The show was created by Reg Watson and is produced by his production company, Grundy Productions.
The series follows the daily lives of several families who live in the fictional Ramsay Street, Erinsborough - although in fact it is restricted to the small cul-de-sac of six houses at the end of the street - and includes the usual soap staples of births, deaths, and marriages. The show features a regular turnover of attractive young actors mixed in with the more stable cast of older people. Though it is not commonly mentioned so as to not alienate viewers in other Australian cities, Erinsborough (a pseudo-anagram of 'neighbours') is undoubtedly supposed to be a suburb of Melbourne. The show is filmed in Melbourne, and for street scenes uses Pin Oak Court in Vermont South, a suburb in eastern Melbourne. Erinsborough is often contrasted with the neighbouring, and equally fictitious, suburb of Eden Hills. Other locations often mentioned (and sometimes seen) in the show include West Waratah and Waratah Heights.
Many successful Australian actors and singers had some of their earliest work on Neighbours, including Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe (brief extra appearance), Natalie Imbruglia, Jason Donovan, Holly Valance, Mark Little, Delta Goodrem.
Actor Alan Dale who had previously starred in The Young Doctors, played the central character of Jim Robinson for the show's first seven years and is now a recognisable star in US series such as 24 and The OC. One of the most enduring characters currently on the show is Harold Bishop, played by actor Ian Smith who has also written many of the scripts for the show.
Neighbours Internationally
The show is also popular in the United Kingdom. It quickly gained a cult following there in the late 1980s when BBC One began screening it at lunchtime, and it was soon given an early evening repeat slot by then controller Michael Grade (on the advice of his daughter), where it regularly scored well in the ratings. The episodes in the UK are generally shown about six weeks after their airing in Australia, but can vary up to as much as ten weeks behind, as the BBC often removes the show from its schedule during major sports tournaments such as Wimbledon and bank holidays in order to take into account the fact that the show usually takes a four week break over the Christmas/New Year in Australia.
The show has also been sold to networks in many other countries. Episodes from 1999 were aired for a six-week trial basis on the American channel Oxygen in March of 2004. At first, it was shown in the afternoon opposite higher-rated American soaps such as The Young and the Restless and All My Children, which caused the show's anemic ratings from the first airing; the people who would be most interested in the show were watching other, more established serials. After a couple of weeks, the show moved to a late-night time slot and eventually left the air entirely. It was the sixth Australian soap opera to be aired in the United States (The Sullivans, Prisoner, Home and Away, Paradise Beach and Pacific Drive are the other five).
Storylines
In the beginning, the show mainly focused on two families, the Robinson's and the Ramsay's (After whom Ramsay Street is named) who were as the name of the show suggests, neighbours. The show initially gained noteriety for its depiction of the teenage romance of Scott Robinson and Charlene Ramsay. Their Romeo and Juliet style romance culminated in a wedding was keenly anticipated by viewers and is still fondly regarded today as being one of the high points of the series.
Both the Ramsays and the Robinsons have been written out of the series with the sole exception of the Bishop family who are related to the Ramsays through the marriage of Harold Bishop to the late Madge Ramsay. Today the show revolves around the Kennedy, Scully, Hoyland and Bishop families, along with several other residents who live in Ramsay Street.
In the late 1990s, Neighbours gained the reputation as being a somewhat conservative soap with topics such as sex generally not being included in the storylines due to its early evening timeslot in Australia and the United Kingdom (Earlier storylines involving controversial topics such as incest and teenage sex were often censored by the BBC in the UK, which may account for the reluctance on the part of producers to depict controversial issues). In the past two years this has started to change, with the show now regularly featuring its teenage characters discussing issues such as sex and contraception in a manner which has not been seen on the show since the mid 1990s. Most recently, the show has depicted a lesbian storyline involving Sky Mangel and Lana Crawford. The break up of long time married couple Karl and Susan Kennedy has also been a great source of interest to viewers, especially since it has led to a long running storyline in which Izzy Hoyland has duped Karl into believing that he is the father of her unborn child.
Current characters
These are the current main characters, who each appear in two or three episodes every week, apart from fairly rare breaks for the actors' other real life commitments. (The actors all get a month off at the same time for their main holidays). Most main characters feature for at least two years, but only a fairly small minority last for more than five years.
- Bishop family
- Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) (1987-1991, 1996, 1997 onwards) - coffee-shop owner, devout christian, Salvation Army member, tuba player, slightly naïve, often comic relief, widower of the late Madge Bishop. Recently suffered a stroke, but has now recovered. However, the stroke has brought out some elements of his personality which had been previously hidden from his loved ones and the audience.
- David Bishop (Kevin Harrington) (1988, 2003 onwards) - Harold's son. A dull individual, often too proud to ask for help. Recently lost much of the family's wealth on a poor business decision. He has a long running fued with Max Hoyland.
- Liljana Bishop (nee Ristic) (Marcella Russo) (2003 onwards) - David's ethnic Serbian wife, who reads coffee beans. She recently got a liver transplant from her illegitimate long-lost son (adopted out at birth) and Serena's ex-boyfriend, Luka Dokich, Svetlanka's godson.
- Serena Bishop (Lara Sacher) (2003 onwards) - teenage daughter of David and Liljana. Was taken advantage of by an older photographer named Chris Cousins, who wanted to get nude pictures of her to put in the internet. Went out with Stingray Timmins for a while, then started dating Luka Dokich, only to find out he was her half-brother.
- Sky Mangel (Miranda Fryer) (Stephanie McIntosh) (1988-1991, 2003 onwards) - Harold's rebellious teenage granddaughter, daughter of Joe Mangel (absent) and Kerry Bishop (deceased), on-off girlfriend of Boyd Hoyland, to whom she lost her virginity. Became best friends with Lana Crawford after they initially hated each other, and Sky helped Lana come out of the closet.
- Scully family
- Lyn Scully (nee O'Rourke) (Janet Andrewartha) (1999 onwards) - mildly neurotic hairdresser, works for Gino. Recently split up with her long-time husband, Joe. Mother of Steph, Jack, Flick, Michelle and Oscar. When Oscar was born, she got post-natal depression and even left Oscar alone in the car once. Has slight problems with shoplifting.
- Oscar Scully (Ingo Dammer-Smith) (2003 onwards) - infant son of Lyn and Joe Scully.
- Harvey the Dog (2000 onwards)
- Hoyland family
- Max Hoyland (Stephen Lovatt) (2002 onwards) - father of two, married to Steph (not mother of Summer and Boyd). His first wife died several years ago, leaving him to raise Summer and Boyd by himself. Co-owner of the pub "Lou's Place" (with Lou Carpenter).
- Stephanie Hoyland (nee Scully) (Carla Bonner) (1999 onwards) - 20-something mechanic and biker chick, overcame cancer and is married to Max Hoyland. Daughter of Lyn. She is currently undergoing IVF treatment with Max.
- Summer Hoyland (Marisa Siketa) (2002 onwards) - precocious daughter of Max. Used to date a kid named Declan for a while, until her friend Lisa stole him off her. She then started going out with a rich kid named Caleb.
- Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh) (2002 onwards) - teenage son of Max, skater and on/off boyfriend of Sky Mangel, to whom he lost his virginity in 2004. Had dispite with a guy named Travis Dean about space to put up posters, which resulted in Travis threatening Boyd's family. The teenage representative on Neighbours' current male pin up list.
- Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaithe) (2003 onwards) - sister of Max, business partner of Harold Bishop in the coffee shop. She moved in with Karl Kennedy after he broke up with Susan and is currently claiming (falsely) that Karl is the father of her unborn baby. Has also had affairs with Jack Scully and Gus Cleary, who is the biological father of her unborn child.
- Other
- Louis "Lou" Carpenter (Tom Oliver) (1988, 1991 onwards) - businessman, sometime mayor, widower, co-owner of the pub "Lou's Place" (with Max Hoyland) and the garage "Carpenter's Mechanics". Has a long-standing chalk-and-cheese friendship with Harold Bishop. He recently went to jail but was later released after an appeal hearing conducted by lawyer Toadfish Rebecchi. Played by one-time Number 96 actor Tom Oliver.
- Jarrod "Toadfish" (or "Toadie") Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) (1995 onwards) - sometime tearaway, now a respectable lawyer. Was married to Dee Bliss (for about twenty minutes, before she went missing after their car careened off a cliff after the ceremony, presumed drowned), ex-boyfriend of Sindi Watts
- Stuart Parker (Blair McDonough) (2001 onwards) - friend of Toadfish. Former mechanic. Lost everything when fleeced by a cult, now a police officer, now in secret relationship with Sindi Watts. One of Neighbours current pin ups.
- Connor O'Neill (Patrick Harvey) (2002 onwards) - Young, slightly naïve, Irish immigrant. Romantically linked with Michelle Scully, but had an affair with Lori Lee while Michelle was abroad. Has one daughter, Maddy, with Lori Lee, of whom he rarely sees.
- Scott "Stingray" Timmins (Ben Nicholas) (2004 onwards) - teenage cousin of Toadfish, diagnosed with ADHD. Ex-boyfriend of Serena Bishop. Has 5 brothers and 4 sisters.
- Sindi Watts (Marisa Warrington) (2002, 2003, 2004 onwards) - on/off love interest of Toadfish, with numerous short-lived jobs. She's interested in star signs. Used to date crime boss Rocco Cammineti, and then cheated on him with Toadie. Now in secret relationship with Stuart Parker.
- Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) (1994 onwards) - doctor and frustrated would-be rock star. His 30 year marriage to Susan hit the rocks after he became friendly with Izzy Hoyland, eventually leaving Susan for her. The middle aged representative on Neighbours current male pin-up list.
- Susan Smith (previously Kennedy) (Jackie Woodburne) (1994 onwards) - Ex wife of Karl, mother to Libby, grandmother to Ben, English teacher and previously headteacher.
- Dahl the Galah (1994 onwards)
- Casserole "Cassie" the Sheep (1995 onwards)
- Bob the dog (1997 onwards) - originally belonged to Sarah Beaumont. When she asked for him to join her in her new home abroad, they duped her by sending a lookalike in his place.
Guest characters on Neighbours are played by actors who do not have a long term contract to appear (almost) every week. These can range from single episode appearances, to two or three month stints of weekly appearances, to intermittent appearances over several years. Unlike main characters, they do not appear in the opening titles. The list shows some guest characters who appeared in many episodes in 2004 and 2005.
- Svetlanka Ristic (Deidre Rubenstein) (2004) - Liljana's mother . Very evil lady, who hates David with a passion, currently in a relationship with Harold Bishop. When Liljana became pregnant with Luka, she adopted him out and told Liljana that he had died.
- Luka Dokich (Keelan O'Hehir) (2004) - Svetlanka's godson, who is actually Liljana's illegitimate son who Svetlanka adopted out at birth. Burnt down his old school after a disagreement with the teacher.
- Lana Crawford (Bridget Neval) (2004, 2005) - Sindi's cousin, often described as Neighbours first openly gay character. After initially not getting along with Sky, they soon became best friends, and Sky helped her come out of the closet and be comfortable with being a lesbian.
- Valda Sheergold (Joan Sydney) (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) - Over-the-top busybody and comic relief. Introduced as Lyn's aunt but later revealed to be her true mother, recently married Lyn's biological father Charlie Cassidy.
- Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) (1985-1993, 2004, 2005) - Sneaky businessman, son of Jim Robinson. Was married to Terri Inglis (who murdered someone and then shot Paul), Gail Lewis (who he married for a business deal before true love blossomed) and finally Christina Allesi. Had eventually fled to Brazil on fraud charges. Returned to Ramsay Street in 2004 (on Australian screens - early 2005 for those watching in the UK).
- Charlie Cassidy (2003, 2004) - Lyn Scully's biological father. When he was young he got Valda pregnant and she gave birth to Lyn, but Henry O'Rourke, the husband of Valda's sister Connie, forced Charlie to give the baby to Henry. Henry and Connie raised Lyn as their own until Lyn found out in 2003. She then tracked down Charlie, and soon forged a strong relationship with him. He then married Valda on the same day as Steph and Max's wedding. Has a sister, Doreen, and a son, Micheal (not Valda's son).
- Doreen Cassidy (2004, 2005) - Charlie's sister and Lyn and Micheal's aunt. She is a hippy.
- Micheal Cassidy (2004, 2005) - Charlie's son and Lyn's half brother.
- Carmella Cammenneti (Natalie Blair) (2003, 2004, 2005) - Over protected daughter of Rocco and Lucia Cammenneti, she is currently going out with Connor. Her father originally disapproved of her relationship with Connor, and even had Connor locked in his car boot, but now that he is in jail Carmella can do what she wants. She is also the editor of a magazine, and Sindi's boss.
Past characters
- Robinson Family:
- Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy) (1985-1997) - Jim Robinson's mother in law. Scott, Lucy, Paul and Julie's grandmother. She was one of the longest serving characters on Neighbours.
- Rosemary Daniels - Helen's adopted daughter.
- Charlene Robinson (nee Mitchell) (Kylie Minogue) (1986-1988) - Madge's daughter and Henry's sister. Was married to Scott Robinson.
- Scott Robinson (Darius Perkins) (Jason Donovan) (1985-1989) - Son of Jim Robinson, grandson of Helen Daniels, brother of Julie, Paul and Lucy, husband of Charlene Robinson.
- Lucy Robinson (Kylie Flinker) (Sascha Close) (Melissa Bell) (1985-1992, 1993, 1995)
- Jim Robinson (Alan Dale) (1985-1993)
- Gail Robinson (nee Lewis) (Fiona Corke) (1987-1989) - Paul's second wife, who he married for a business deal. They had triplets together.
- Beverly Robinson (1987-1990)
- Christina Robinson (nee Allesi) (1990-1992) - Paul's third wife, and Caroline's twin sister.
- Ramsay family:
- Madge Bishop (also Ramsey and Mitchell) (Anne Charleston) (1986-1992, 1996, 1997-2001) - Former Wife of Harold Bishop and Fred Mitchell. Mother of Charlene and Henry. She died from pancreatic cancer.
- Max Ramsay (Francis Bell) (1985-1986)
- Maria Ramsay (1985)
- Shane Ramsay (Peter O'Brian) (1985-1987)
- Danny Ramsay (1985-1986)
- Henry Ramsay(Craig McLachlan) (1986-1989)
- Mangel family:
- Nell Worthington (nee Mangel) (Vivien Grey) (1986-1988)
- Jane Harris (Annie Jones) (1986-1989) - Was the nerd at school until she had a make over and became one of the hottest girls on the street. Dated Mike Young for a while, and then had a short lived relationship with Des Clark
- Joe Mangel (Mark Little) (1988-1991) - Father of Toby Mangel and step-father of Sky Mangel. Married Kerry Bishop, who was killed by duck hunters, and then married Melanie Pearson.
- Kerry Bishop (1989-1990) - Harold Bishop's daughter and Sky Mangel's Mother. She was shot and killed after protesting against duck shooting.
- Willis family:
- Beth Willis (nee Brennan) (Natalie Imbruglia) (1991-1993, 1994) - Wife of Brad Willis and best friend of Annalise Hartman
- Brad Willis (Benjamin Mitchell) (Scott Michaelson) (1991-1993) - Husband of Beth Brennan and son of Doug and Pam Willis. Cheated on Beth with Lauren Carpenter.
- Doug Willis (Terence Donovan (actor)) (1990-1994)
- Gaby Willis (Rachel Blakely) (1991-1994)
- Pam Willis (Sue Jones) (1990-1994, 1996)
- Cody Willis (Amelia Frid) (Peta Brady) (1990-1991, 1993-1996) - Daughter of Pam and Doug. Went out with Todd Landers for a while, then went to America on exchange in 1991. Came back in 1993 played by a different actress (Peta Brady), and was shot by drug dealers in 1996.
- Martin/Wilkinson Family:
- Julie Martin (nee Robinson) (Vicki Blanche) (Julie Mullins) (1985, 1992-1994) - Extremely bitchy wife of Philip Martin, daughter of Jim Robinson, stepmother of Debbie and Michael Martin and mother of Hannah Martin. In an ironic twist, she died when she fell off a large tower during a murder mystery weekend.
- Phil Martin (Christopher Milne) (Ian Rawling) (1985, 1992-1999) - Father to Michael, Debbie and Hannah Martin, stepfather to Lance and Anne Wilkinson. Moved to Darwin with his wife Ruth and daughter Hannah.
- Hannah Martin (Rebecca Ritters) (1992-1999)
- Debbie Martin (Mandy Storvik) (Marnie Reece-Wilmore) (1985, 1992-1994, 1996-1997)
- Michael Martin (1992-1998) - Oldest son of Philip Martin. Longtime enemy of Darren Stark.
- Ruth Martin (nee Wilkinson, previously Hails) (1996-1999) - Mother to Lance and Anne, third wife to Philip Martin
- Lance Wilkinson (previously Hails) (Andrew Bibby) (1995-2001) - Big science fiction nerd who was friends with Toadie. Went to America with his girlfriend Alana.
- Anne Wilkinson (Brooke Satchwell) (1996-2000) - Daughter of Ruth and girlfriend of Billy Kennedy
- Carpenter/Kratz/Stark family:
- Cheryl Stark (1993-1996) - Girlfriend of Lou Carpenter and mother of Brett, Danni, Darren (not Lou's children) and Louise (who she had with Lou). Was hit by a car and then killed by the medication Karl gave her.
- Shannon Louise "Lolly" Carpenter (1994-2001) - Daughter of Cheryl Stark and Lou Carpenter, however it was revealed that her biological parent was John Allen, Lou fought a custody battle and lost, so she went to live with John in the country.
- Lauren Carpenter (1993-1994) - Lou's daughter from his first marriage
- Brett Stark (Brett Blewitt) (1993-1996)
- Danni Stark (Eliza Szonert) (1993-1996)
- Darren Stark (Scott Major) (Todd MacDonald) (1993, 1996-1998, 2004) - Former criminal, who spent time in juvie for armed robbery. Fell in love with Libby, but then cheated on her. Recently came back to try and get back together with her, and now lives with her in Sheperton.
- Marlene Kratz (1994-1997) - Cheryl Stark's mother, went on a three month cruise and never came back
- Sam Kratz (1994-1996) - Marlene's grandson, Cheryl's nephew. He used to date Cody Willis and only got over her death, after he was visited by her ghost.
- Clarke family:
- Des Clarke (1985-1990) - Husband of Daphne Clarke, who was killed in a car accident. Was put into a mental institution, leaving his son Jamie to fend for himself.
- Daphne Clarke (1985-1988) - Wife of Des Clarke, died after being involved in a car accident.
- Jamie Clarke (1987-1990, 2003) - Son of Des and Daphne Clarke, recently returned to claim his inheritance
- Eileen Clarke (1985-1988) - Des Clarke's mother
- Rebecchi/Reeves family:
- Kevin 'Stonefish' Rebecchi Jr. (1994, 1995-1996, 2003)
- Big Kev Rebecchi - Shane, Stonefish and Toadie's father
- Angie Rebecchi (1995-1996, 2002, 2003, 2004) - Shane, Stonefish and Toadie's mother
- Shane Rebbechi (1995)
- Wayne "Tadpole" (or "Tad") Reeves (Jonothan Dutton) (1998-2002) - Toadie's cousin, lived with Harold and Madge. Later became a DJ and moved to the United States.
- Dione 'Dee' Rebecchi (nee Bliss) (Madeliene West) (2000-2003) - Wife of Toadie. Died in a car accident on the day of their wedding.
- Lambert family:
- Marc Lambert (2002) - Was engaged to Steph Scully, but left her at the alter and ran away with her sister Flick.
- Chloe Lambert (2002) - Head of the Lassiters hotel chain, mother of Marc and Jordan Lambert and former love interest of Darcy Tyler.
- Jordan Lambert (2002) - Daughter of Chloe and sister of Marc. Was so enraged by her mother's affair with the much younger Darcy Tyler that she had Darcy beaten up.
- Gottlieb family
- Stephen Gottlieb (1992-1993)
- Phoebe Gottlieb (nee Bright) (1991-1993)
- Mark Gottlieb (1993-1995)
- Serendipity "Ren" Gottlieb (1994-1995)
- Allesi family:
- Caroline Allesi (1990-1992) - Christina's twin sister
- Benito Allesi (1992-1993)
- Cathy Allesi (1992-1993)
- Rick Allesi (1992-1995)
- Marco Allesi (1992)
- Lee family
- Lori Lee (Michelle Ang) (2002-2003, 2004)
- Maddy Lee (2004, 2005) - Daughter of Lori Lee and Connor O'Neill
- Kennedy family:
- Catherine Kennedy (nee O'Brien) (Radha Mitchell) (1996-1997) - The wife of Malcolm Kennedy, currently living in England. She was one of few regular characters during the 1990's never to appear on the opening titles
- Malcolm "Mal" Kennedy (1994-1997, 2002, 2004) - Older brother of Libby. Absent but sometimes referred to. Currently living in England with his wife Catherine.
- William "Bill" Kennedy (1994-2000) - Younger brother of Libby. Absent but sometimes referred to. Currently living in Queensland with his girlfriend Anne Wilkinson.
- Elizabeth "Libby" Kennedy (Kym Valentine) (1994-2003, 2004) - journalist and Media teacher, daughter of Karl and Susan, widow of the late Drew Kirk, mother of Ben Kirk. Went to live in Sherperton with her old flame, Darren Stark.
- Ben Kennedy Kirk (Noah Sutherland) (Sean Berends) (2001-2003, 2004) - infant son of Libby with the late Drew Kirk.
- Drew Kirk (Dan Paris) (1998-2002) - Libby's husband, Ben's father, was killed after being thrown from a horse
- Carmel Tyler (2002) - Darcy's mother and Susan's sister.
- Darcy Tyler (2001-2003, 2004) - Susan's nephew and former business partner of Karl. He was sent to prison after stealing from Susan. He is currently in a coma after falling down some stairs, on his day release from jail.
- Hancock family:
- Evan Hancock (2001-2002) - Maths teacher and over protective father of Matt, Leo and Emily. Is married to Maggie.
- Leo Hancock (Josh Jay) (2001-2002)
- Maggie Hancock (2001-2002) - Evan's second wife, and the mother of Leo and Emily. Had a short lived affair with Toadie, before they had to leave Erinsborough.
- Emily Hancock (2001-2002)
- Matt Hancock (2001-2002) - Son of Evan Hancock and Evan's first wife. Had a car crash suring an illegal drag race, and the family had to sell their house to pay for the trial, and left Erinsborough.
- Scully family:
- Joe Scully (Shane Connor) (1999-2004) - Lyn's husband, currently living and working in Bendigo, on his ill Father's farm. (His absence is due to the sacking of actor Shane Connor, and although it is not expected to return to the show, Joe is continually talked about, with an expectation on the show that the character will return.)
- Michelle Scully (Kate Keltie) (1999-2003, 2004) - Younger sister of Steph, studying abroad.
- Felicity ("Flick") Scully (Holly Valance) (1999-2002) - Younger sister of Steph, working abroad.
- Jack Scully (Jay Bunyun) (2001, 2002-2004, 2005) - 20-something son of Lyn Scully. Formerly a professional footballer in England. One of Neighbours current pin ups. Used to go out with Lori Lee, and then cheated on her with Nina Tucker. He then cheated on Nina with Edwina Valdez. Has had difficulty establishing a new career, committing some major lapses while working in the family building business, and some drug problems. Went to America to be with Nina.
- Others:
- Melanie Pearson (1987, 1988, 1989-1991)
- Annalise Hartman (Kimberly Davies) (1993-1996)
- Taj Coppin (2002-2004) - Teenager who used to date Nina, until she cheated on him. Had an affair with his teacher, Libby Kennedy, and then was offered a job by a movie producer.
- Clive Gibbons (1986-1987, 1989) - Eccentric doctor
- Dorothy Burke (1990-1993) - Former principal of Erinsborough High School.
- Nina Tucker (Delta Goodrem) (2002-2003, 2004, 2005)
- Trixie Carpenter (nee Tucker) (Wendy Stapleton) (2003, 2004) - Nina's mother and Lou's wife, who left him after the play they had produced went broke.
- Paul McClain (1997-2001) - Foster son of Harold and Madge. Was signed on to a football team in Adelaide.
- Rosie Hoyland (2002-2003) - Max and Izzy's mother, Boyd and Summer's grandmother, she is a priest and is currently living in Papua New Guinea
- Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles) (1996-1999) - Sister of Catherine Kennedy, she was receptionist to Dr Karl Kennedy and subsequently had an affair with him behind his then wife, Susan's back.
- Mike Healey (1998-1999)
- Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson) (1998-2002)
- Guest Characters
- Tahnee Coppin - Sister of Taj Coppin. Was a troublemaker who tried to steal Connor away from Michelle and claim credit for Nina's song.
- Edwina Valdez (2003) - Seduced Jack while he was going out with Nina, and then had a short-lived relationship with Taj Coppin.
- Chris Lowe, Pet Shop Boys keyboardist (cameo)
- Mr. Ikamoto
- Jonathan Verne (2003) - Conman who was the head of the cult/scam "Life Mechanics". Scammed Stuart Parker and many others out of lots of money.
- Gus Cleary (Ben Barrack) (2004) - Old friend of Max Hoyland who Max had to fire from the oil rig. Tried to stalk the Hoylands and drive Max out of their life. He also had an affair with Max's sister and is the biological father of Izzy's unborn child. Is currently in a mental institution.
- Doula Tsobanopoulos
- Penny Watts (2002) - Sindi Watts' sister. Had an affair with Darcy Tyler when she was his patient at the Doctor's surgery.
- Jack Lassiter
- Rupert Sprod - A football player that Libby used to go out with.
- Rocco Caminetti (2003, 2004) - underworld crime boss, possibly linked to either the Mafia or the Yakuza. A "business associate" of Lou Carpenter. Put Connor in the boot of his car and drove around for a while when Connor had an affair with Rocco's daughter. Did the same thing with Toadie after he found out Sindi had an affair with him, but then crashed the car and put Toadie in a coma. Is currently in jail.
- Dennis "Tom" Scully (Andrew Larkins) (2004) - Joe Scully's brother and former love interest of Susan Kennedy. Used to be a priest, but left the priesthood for Susan.
- Frank Darcy - Artist friend of Helen Daniels whom she often used to visit at his home in the 'Bungle-Bungles'(sic).
- Reuben White (James Condon) (1995) - Was briefly married to Helen Daniels, before he died.
- Craig "Pinhead" Pinders - friend of Toadie and the Wilkinson twins during their high school days. Pinhead apparently joined his father's delivery business; the Pinders' van is still occasionally used as set dressing in outdoor scenes though the character has not been seen in years.
- Maddy Harfurd - friend of Toadie and the Wilkinson twins during their high school days.
- Cara - -friend of Toadie and the Wilkinson twins during their high school days.
- Tuong Pham - a friend of Toadie's when he was studying at university. Later made a brief reappearance when he bought the "Oz-e-chef" business from Madge Bishop.
- Tim Collins (Ben Anderson)- Lawyer. Toadfish's former rival, now business partner. Marc and Jordan Lambert's cousin. He recently legally represented Susan, in Karl and Susan's divorce proceedings.
- Gino d'Esposito (Shane McNamara) - flamboyant hairdresser, Lyn's employer.
- Sgt Joanna Douglas (Matilda White)- Erinsborough's beat policewoman, was often seen investigating one of the suburb's many minor crimes or breaking bad news after an accident.
- Pets
- Bouncer the Dog (1987-1993) - The most famous of all the Ramsay street pets who had several owners during his time on the show, including Lucy Robinson and Toby Mangel.
- Roxy the Fox (2002) - A fox that Boyd and Michelle found near the church.
- Audrey the Dog (2002-2004) - Owned by Libby Kennedy, named after Audrey Hepburn. Ran away a while ago only to be found when Mal Kennedy accidently ran her over. She survived, and now lives with Libby and Darren.
Noteworthy Episodes
Please note: All dates are the original Australian airdates.
- 1985 - The first episode involving Des Clarke's bachelor party
- 1986 - Clive Gibbons doing an emergency tracheotomy on Lucy Robinson after she was stung by a wasp
- 1987 - Charlene and Scott's wedding with cameo appearance by Angry Anderson
- 1988 - Daphne waking from her coma and uttering the immortal line "I love you too, Clarkey" to her husband Des, before dying of her injuries.
- 1989 - Madge Bishop and Harold Bishop winning the Lottery
- 1990 - Kerry Bishop getting shot by a duck hunter
- 1991 - Harold Bishop disappearing off a cliff into the ocean
- 1992 - Todd Landers having a fatal accident on his motorcycle as he tried to stop his pregnant girlfriend from having an abortion
- 1993 - Jim Robinson's Heart Attack
- 1993 - The Waterhole explosion
- 1994 - Julie Martin falling off a tower and dying during the Murder Mystery Weekend
- 1994 - Mark Gottlieb jilting Annalise Hartman at the altar and telling her that he has decided to become a priest
- 1995 - Mark Gottlieb discovering Lucy Robinson working as a go-go dancer
- 1995 - Susan confessing to Brett Stark, whilst in Africa, that she performed Euthanasia on her mother.
- 1996 - Helen discovering Harold Bishop alive when he had been presumed dead for five years
- 1997 - Helen Daniels dying in her sleep after 12 years on the show
- 1998 - Susan slapping Karl after finding out about his affair with Sarah Beaumont
- 1999 - The Scully house catching fire at the Millenium eve party, with Lolly Carpenter trapped inside
- 2000 - Steph Scully and Libby Kennedy having a serious accident on Steph's motorcycle
- 2002 - Drew Kirk's death, after being thrown from a horse
- 2003 - Dee Rebecchi dissappearing off a cliff after her wedding
- 2004 - Susan yelling and screaming at Karl after she found out he got Izzy pregnant, and the rest of the street witnessing it
- 2004 - The Lassiter's explosion and Paul Robinson's return to the show during the chaos of the explosion
External links
Neighbours is also the title of a 1952 Academy Award-winning short film by the National Film Board of Canada using the technique known as pixelation.
fr:Les Voisins
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