Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. The character was loosely based on the UK’s Jon, and to a lesser extent his younger brother, Jim White. Smith was offered the role by the show's creator and executive producer Reg Watson. Smith made his first screen appearance as Harold during the episode broadcast on 30 January 1987. He departed in September 1991, but returned five years later in October 1996. Harold remained on screen for over twelve years, making him one of the longest-running characters in the show's history.
Libby Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1994. Valentine auditioned for the role when she was 15, and upon being cast as Libby, she relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, where the show is filmed. Libby was introduced along with her parents and brothers during a period of low ratings for the show. Valentine departed on 2 October 2003, before returning for six months the following year and a single episode on 27 July 2005. She returned on a permanent basis on 12 November 2007.
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost turned down the role of Nina as she felt the character did not suit her style of music. The role was rewritten for her and she joined the cast. A year later, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to leave the show for treatment. Once her health improved, she made a return to Neighbours in 2004 to tie up Nina's storylines. In 2005, Neighbours celebrated its 20th anniversary with an episode that featured many ex-cast members, in which Goodrem reprised her role as Nina once more. She returned again in March 2015 for the show's 30th anniversary, and for the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.
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.
Joe Mangel is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Mark Little. He debuted on-screen in the episode airing on 8 August 1988. Joe left in 1991 when Little departed the serial. In 2005 Little agreed to reprise the role as part of Neighbours' twentieth anniversary celebrations and remained for four months. Joe's storylines included his bad relationship with his mother, being widowed, life as a single parent and a custody battle to keep his child. Joe is deemed a stereotype Australian man and a likable rogue character. Little returned to Neighbours in 2022 to celebrate the show's final episode.
Sky Mangel is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 February 1989. The character was originally played by Miranda Fryer until 1991. When Sky was reintroduced on 13 August 2003, Stephanie McIntosh took over the role. She departed on 3 August 2007. McIntosh reprised her role as part of the show's 30th anniversary celebrations on 20 March 2015. She returned for a longer stint as part of the 35th anniversary on 13 March 2020, and made an unannounced cameo appearance in the final episode on 28 July 2022, though her appearance was only broadcast in the Australian cut of the episode. McIntosh reprised the role again on 3 July 2024 before departing again on 4 July 2024.
David Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kevin Harrington. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 May 1988, arriving for his father Harold's wedding to Madge Ramsay. David, along with his wife Lilijana and daughter Serena, returned in October 2003. In May 2005, it was announced that the family had been axed and David departed on 25 October 2005.
Darcy Tyler is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Mark Raffety. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 15 November 2000. The following year, Raffety became a series regular. He departed in June 2003, but made returns in 2004 and 2005.
Serena Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Lara Sacher. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2003. Serena's storylines included kissing her cousin's boyfriend, being taken advantage of by a photographer and starting an incestuous relationship with her half-brother. Shortly after the character's on-screen parents were axed, it was announced in May 2005 that Sacher would also be leaving. Serena made her last appearance on 26 October 2005.
Scott "Stingray" Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Nicholas. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 March 2004. Stingray was introduced as Toadfish Rebecchi's cousin. The role earned Nicholas a Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent.
Dylan Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Damien Bodie. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 February 2005. Dylan is introduced as part of the extended Timmins family, created around the established character Stingray Timmins. Dylan is characterised as a "bad boy" and often gets into trouble with his criminal behaviour. He is also very loyal and protects his family no matter the consequence. Dylan is portrayed as having a difficult relationship with his mother Janelle Timmins, who blames him for any problems in the family. His introduction into the series explored their mother/son dynamic as Dylan feels unloved by Janelle. Writers also created a "father figure" for Dylan, Paul Robinson and he becomes Paul's protégé carrying out jobs for him.
Hilary Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Anne Scott-Pendlebury. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode broadcast on 25 June 1987. Hilary departed the show on 28 February 1990, following Scott-Pendlebury's decision to quit in 1989. Scott-Pendlebury reprised her role in 2005 for the serial's 20th anniversary episode, and again in February 2015 ahead of the 30th anniversary. Writers established that Hilary is back living in Erinsborough, so she could continue to make sporadic appearances until 2018, and returned again in 2023.
Sindi Watts is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Marisa Warrington. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 July 2002. Sindi was initially a recurring character, before she was promoted to the regular cast. Her storylines often focused on her romantic relationships, including her affair with Rocco Cammeniti and marriage to Stuart Parker. She also attempted to break up Toadfish Rebecchi and Dee Bliss, and briefly became a lapdancer to raise much needed money.
Stuart Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Blair McDonough. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 December 2001. Stuart lived with Toadfish Rebecchi and Connor O'Neill at number 30, during which time the house became known as "The House of Trouser". Stuart's storylines included becoming a policeman, temporarily losing his eyesight, joining a cult, which almost cost him his friendships, and marrying Sindi Watts. Stuart departed on 5 April 2006 after McDonough quit to pursue other projects. The actor reprised the role for three episodes from 13 February until 15 February 2018. Stu made an unannounced cameo appearance in the final episode on 28 July 2022.
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."
"The plane crash" is a storyline from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours that began on 24 October 2005 when an aeroplane, carrying several characters, crashed in Bass Strait after a bomb was detonated during the journey. The storyline aired as part of the show's 20th anniversary and would be the catalyst for several major storylines that aired the following year. "The plane crash" also saw the departures of three established characters: David, Liljana and Serena Bishop. The actors' departures had been announced in May 2005, but it was not confirmed they would depart during "The plane crash" until their last scenes aired.
