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Erinsborough is a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Australia, where the soap opera Neighbours is set, focusing on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work there. Neighbours primarily centers on the residents of Ramsay Street and other Erinsborough locations, most prominently those situated within the Lassiters complex. Erinsborough is a loose anagram of Neighbours.
Lucy Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Melissa Bell. The character has previously been portrayed by Kylie Flinker and Sasha Close. She was created by producer Reg Watson as one of the serial's original characters. Lucy was a prominent figure during the early 1990s of Neighbours, with Bell playing her on and off for five years. Portrayed originally as being clever, a recast was implemented to fit the character's transformation and she became the stereotype of a ditzy blonde female. She has been involved in storylines including battling a brain tumour, coping with blindness, incest, modelling and addictions to drugs, alcohol and spending. She has also been positively and negatively received by critics for her "busty blonde" image while played by Bell. After making a brief return on 6 May 2013, Lucy made subsequent return visits until 2016. She was reintroduced as part of the serial's 35th anniversary in 2020, before returning briefly in late 2021 as part of the reintroduction of her half-brother, Glen Donnelly, and twice in 2022, appearing in the show's finale episode. Bell returned on 18 September 2023 following the show's renewal, but departed again on 21 September 2023. Bell returned again on 13 February 2024 for three episode centered around David Tanaka's death and left again on 15 February 2024.
Lou Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Tom Oliver. He made his first screen appearance on 30 March 1988. Oliver appeared for a brief time, having been initially contracted for six months, before leaving and returning in January 1992 as a regular cast member. In 1996, Lou was written out of Neighbours, a move that shocked Oliver as his character had become popular with fans. Neighbours viewers created petitions calling for his return and the strength of their reaction caused the producers to reconsider their decision and reinstate Oliver. Lou became one of the longest-serving continuous characters in the serial's history, having played the role for 24 years.
Gaby Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Rachel Blakely. The show's casting director spotted Blakely on the cover of a magazine and asked her to audition for the role of Gaby. Blakely received the part and she was introduced to the show during a period of roller-coaster ratings. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 August 1991. Gaby was introduced as the eldest daughter of Doug and Pam Willis. She comes to Erinsborough after taking a business course in Japan. Gaby is characterised as beautiful, intelligent and the apple of her father's eye. She also has a temper, leading Blakely to call her fiery.
Pam Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sue Jones. Pam was introduced by executive producer Don Battye as the matriarch of the newly introduced Willis family. Jones initially turned down an offer to appear in the show, before changing her mind. She was cast as Pam after a screen test. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 August 1990.
Lauren Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kate Kendall. The role was originally played by Sarah Vandenbergh, and she made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 February 1993. Lauren was introduced as the "vivacious" daughter of Lou Carpenter. Vandenbergh described her as being happy, headstrong and into horses. She also thought that just by looking at the character you knew she was a girl next door type. Lauren's major storylines during her first stint in the show saw her have an affair with Brad Willis, join a religious cult and begin a casual relationship with Wayne Duncan. Vandenbergh decided to leave the serial when she was told that Lauren would not feature prominently in storylines anymore. She departed on 2 March 1994.
Glen Donnelly is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Richard Huggett. The actor joined the cast shortly after leaving E Street, and he relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, where the show is filmed. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 December 1990. Glen was introduced as the secret son of series regular Jim Robinson. He came to Erinsborough to meet his father and to ask for money to pay for his mother's funeral.
Benito Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by George Spartels. Benito was introduced along with his wife and two sons, following the announcement of several cast departures. Spartels was glad to bring something different to the show as part of the first family with Italian heritage. He thought the introduction of the Alessis showed viewers "a broader picture" of Australia, after the show was criticised for not accurately representing suburban life. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 28 July 1992.
Wayne Duncan is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jonathon Sammy-Lee. He made his first screen appearance as Wayne during the episode broadcast on 4 February 1993. Wayne becomes a chemistry teacher at Erinsborough High with an unorthodox approach. He is arrogant, intelligent and articulate – all traits that make him confident in arguments. A country man and strong believer in violence when protecting property – Wayne's attitude and gun possession polarized the way other characters viewed him. He has a destructive romance with Gaby Willis. The pair enjoy sparring throughout their relationship but eventually realise they need to separate.
Annalise Hartman is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kimberley Davies. She made her debut during the episode broadcast on 15 January 1993 and departed on 31 January 1996. Davies reprised the role in July 2005. Annalise has often been portrayed as having a conniving persona. Her notable storylines have included a cancer scare, surviving a plane crash and being jilted at the altar on her wedding day. The character has been noted for her many relationships, which also saw her dubbed by media sources as a "man-magnet" and a "blonde bombshell."
Beth Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Natalie Imbruglia. She made her debut screen appearance in the episode broadcast on 6 January 1992. Beth is characterised as a nice person who lets people take advantage of her kind personality. Beth works as a builder's apprentice in the construction industry and this meant she was supposed to have a "tough" persona. Writers never developed these traits and Imbruglia felt that they had let the character down. Instead, Imbruglia described Beth as "too nice" and just "goes all ga ga and cries." In her backstory, Beth is a product of a broken home and was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend. The character was also portrayed as a virgin, which played an important part in forming her early stories. Beth's main relationship was her long-standing partnership with Brad Willis. Beth jilted him on their wedding day when she discovers Brad has been having an affair with Lauren Carpenter. Imbruglia believed the story was unrealistic but provided good drama.
Cody Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, originally played by Amelia Frid. She made her first on-screen appearance on 24 November 1989. The character departed in 1991, but returned in 1993 with Peta Brady in the role. Cody was last seen on-screen on 29 March 1996, following her death.
The Willis family are a fictional family from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. They were introduced by Don Battye in 1989, but left screens in 1996, before being reintroduced in 2013. The first family member to be seen on-screen was Brad Willis, who appeared in a guest capacity from October 1989, and then his sister Cody from November. The family became a more permanent fixture with the arrival of patriarch Doug Willis and his wife Pam, who moved onto Ramsay Street the following year. Cody was the last family member to regularly appear in the show until her on-screen death in 1996, which brought Pam back briefly to bury her daughter.
Adam Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Williams. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 August 1990. Williams was cast in the role in early 1990, but did not start filming until June because he had work commitments to another television project. News outlets claimed producers cast Williams to replace former fan-favourite cast members, a claim the actor found insulting.
Brad Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 31 October 1989. The character was initially played by Benjamin Mitchell, before Scott Michaelson took over the role two years later. Brad was re-introduced alongside his sister, Gaby, during a period of roller coaster ratings for the show. Michaelson revealed that as soon as he learnt he had won the role of Brad, he went surfing five days in a row, as he knew he was going to be busy over the upcoming months. Michaelson signed a new twelve-month contract with Neighbours in October 1992 and a year later, he announced he would be leaving the soap. Michaelson filmed his final scenes in November and departed on 15 December 1993.
Douglas "Doug" Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Terence Donovan. Doug was introduced by executive producer Don Battye as the patriarch of the newly introduced Willis family. Donovan explained that being part of "a loving family" was one of the main reasons he accepted the role. He said he was happy to stay around for as long as the producers wanted him. Donovan made his first screen appearance as Doug during the episode broadcast on 18 July 1990.
Matt Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Josef Brown. The actor was cast shortly after he completed a guest stint on rival soap opera Home and Away. Brown relocated to Melbourne for filming and he shot his first scenes as Matt in October 2012. The character was created and introduced to Neighbours as the husband of Lauren Carpenter, who was reintroduced after nineteen years as part of a major overhaul of the show's cast. Matt made his first screen appearance alongside his family during the episode broadcast on 7 February 2013. Brown departed Neighbours on 25 March 2015, following Matt's death. Brown reprised the role for one episode on 9 August 2016.
References
- 1 2 3 Camp, Chrissie (11 May 1991). "The Great Ramsay St Shake-up!". TV Week . No. 45. pp. 6–7.
- 1 2 3 O'Connor, Coral (8 August 1992). "The new Neighbours" . Daily Mirror . Retrieved 29 January 2022– via British Newspaper Archive.
- 1 2 Browne, Rachel (8 April 1995). "Melrose Place's new neighbour". The Sun-Herald . Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Andrew defects". Inside Soap . No. 1. October 1992. p. 25.
- ↑ Herbison, Jason (9–22 March 1996). "School's out!". Inside Soap . No. 44. p. 42.
- 1 2 3 Monroe 1994, p.42.
- 1 2 Brandes, Ian (2 February 1992). "Neighbores out" . Sunday Mirror . Retrieved 29 January 2022– via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ Monroe 1996, p.33.
- 1 2 3 4 "Character: Guy Carpenter". BBC Online. Archived from the original on 14 February 2005. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
- 1 2 di Giovanni, Elisabeth (2 November 1991). "Andrew's just a great Guy". TV Week . p. 75.
- 1 2 "Heartache for Glen and Gaby". Inside Soap . No. 5. January 1993. p. 15.
- ↑ Pavone, Trish (9–23 September 1992). "What it's like to screen kiss!". BIG!. No. 37. EMAP. pp. 6–8.
- ↑ Rigby, Sam (28 November 2014). "Neighbours: Nine more stars returning for 30th anniversary". Digital Spy . Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (16 March 2015). "Neighbours 30th anniversary: Our guide to Ramsay Street's returnees". Digital Spy . Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- ↑ "Character: Guy Carpenter". BBC Online . Archived from the original on 26 December 2003. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ↑ Anthony, Lisa (7–20 October 1992). "Aussie Gossip". BIG!. No. 41. p. 54.
- ↑ Cramb, Alex (November 1992). "Move over Dirty Harry!". Inside Soap (3): 36.
- ↑ "Look's who's back!". Inside Soap . No. 52. 3–9 January 2015. p. 33.
- ↑ "Neighbours' 30 most memorable moments" . Herald Sun . 7 March 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2024– via Gale.
- Monroe, Josephine (1994). The Neighbours Programme Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-86369-831-6.
- Monroe, Josephine (1996). Neighbours: The First 10 Years . Penguin Group. ISBN 978-0-7181-4212-4.