Fans throughout the country are preparing for the return of the venerable Australian soap opera Neighbours, and we can’t wait.
Initial cancellation of the beloved show, which has been on television since 1985, came from Channel 5 last year.
However, it was announced that the Australian soap opera would be returning, much to the surprise of its viewers, on the new video-streaming service Amazon Freevee.
Two years have passed since viewers last saw the inhabitants of Erinsborough and the notorious Ramsay Street.
A lot of characters have come and gone over the years, including Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, and pop icon Kylie Minogue.
However, many of the show’s devoted audience members will still be able to recall the original cast members from the 1985 series launch.
Although characters have come and gone over the years, many viewers still recall the very first ones from the mid-1980s, when the show debuted in Australia.
In light of the soap opera’s upcoming return to television, Daily Star is highlighting some of the older cast members who were less well-known.
Francis Bell portrays Max Ramsay.
Before his contract was apparently not renewed, Francis played patriarch Max for one year and featured in 190 episodes.
Max was the spouse of Maria, the father of Shane and Danny, and a resident of Ramsay Street, which bears the same name as the character’s paternal grandfather.
However, he passed away in 1994 at the age of 50 after falling from an apartment building in Auckland, New Zealand.
Graham Dunster, Francis’ agent, disclosed that Francis had been hospitalised for depression before his sad death.
David Clencie’s portrayal of Danny Ramsay
When Danny made his appearance on the inaugural episode of the soap opera, he became the first character to ever speak on Neighbours.
Danny was portrayed by David Clencie and was Shane’s younger brother. However, a year after making his debut, David quit the show.
Following the conclusion of his time as his neighbours, David started a profession in real estate, even assisting Stefan Dennis in selling his home.
His personal life, however, has not been without scandal. In 2014, he was detained for beating his partner twice in one day while intoxicated.
Danny, who has struggled with an alcohol addiction, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to three months.
Dasha Bláhová plays Maria Ramsay.
Dasha, an Australian actress of Czech descent, was in Neighbours for only six months as Mama Maria before leaving the drama series.
After her marriage crumbled, her character on the show fell in love with Richard Morrison (Peter Flett).
After that, they relocated to Hong Kong, but the following year, she and Max reconciled and vanished without a trace.
In 1998, Dasha travelled back to her native country and began acting in films there once more.
In the role of Shane Ramsay, Peter O’Brien
The character of Shane, who was portrayed for only two years by actor Peter O’Brien, is the eldest child of Max and Maria.
He experienced a variety of dramatic storylines when he was on the show, such as being accused of manslaughter and being involved in numerous car accidents.
Pete received a Logie Award for his work on the programme, one in 1987 for Most Popular Actor, despite his brief tenure.
Peter then went on to star in a number of US and UK television programmes like Queer As Folk and even the teen drama Gossip Girl.
However, after learning that Neighbours was being cancelled in 2022, Peter returned to play Shane.
The figure hadn’t been seen prior to that time since 1987, when he went to tour throughout Australia.
In the role of Julie Robinson, Vikki Blanche
The original actor to play Julie Robinson on the soap opera was Vikki Blanche, but Julie Mullins took over the part after her for seven months.
Ten years later, Julie, who was still playing the part, lost her life during a horrific murder mystery weekend.
After her time on Neighbours, Blanche appeared in the 1990s films The Flying Doctors, Col’n Carpenter, and Phoenix.
portrayed by Stefan Dennis as Paul Robinson
The only original cast member who has remained on the show during its entire run on television is Stefan Dennis.
Before leaving the show in 1992, he made his acting debut in 1985 as Paul Robinson.
He borrowed a page from Kylie Minogue, another Neighbours star, and had a brief music career, scoring a UK top 20 single with Don’t It Make You Feel Good, which peaked at number 16.
However, Stefan returned to Neighbours in 2004 and has continued to appear on television ever since, as well as being a part of some of the most significant plotlines.
Viewers have been riveted by stories involving money laundering, a limb amputation, and being held hostage, which has made Stefan one of the soap opera’s biggest stars.
While they both appeared on Neighbours in the 1990s, Stefan and Natalie Imbruglia were previously linked off the programme.
After some time, he wed wife Gail, who has made several appearances on the show. The couple has three children: Darci, Cameron, and Declan.
Alan Dale portrays Jim Robinson.
For an incredible 860 episodes, Alan Dale portrayed Jim Robinson in the soap opera.
Fans were horrified when Jim died of a heart attack on-screen in 1993, but Alan is said to have left the show over the pay he and the other cast members were receiving.
After leaving Neighbours, Alan had great success in America despite having trouble finding acting gigs.
In the last 20 years, he has appeared in some of the most popular shows, such as Ugly Betty, Lost, and 24, as well as popular movies like Star Trek: Nemesis, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Star Trek: Nemesis.
Since he is known for always dying in his roles, Alan returned to Neighbours in 2018 in the appropriate guise of a ghost, 25 years after his last appearance.
portrayed by Darius Perkins as Scott Robinson
Scott is Paul and Julie’s sibling and the youngest child of Jim and Anne.
Scott was first portrayed by Darius in 1985, but when Neighbours switched to Network Ten, a new actor was cast in the part.
The following episode, which included Scott and Charlene’s wedding, received the biggest ratings for Neighbours ever. Jason Donovan was then cast in the part.
Following his departure from Neighbours, Darius played Gary Samuels on the Australian serial opera Home and Away, a rival.
In the art department of the TV show Crashburn, he also tried his hand at working behind the scenes.
He made a brief comeback to Neighbours in 2014, appearing as Marty Kranic for just over a year.
Sadly, Darius, who was 54, lost his battle with cancer in 2019 and passed away.
Paul Keane’s portrayal of Des Clarke
Paul Keane’s portrayal as bank manager Des lasted five years on television before the part was written out.
Paul struggled with a drug problem for ten years as a result of his newfound celebrity from the Australian soap opera.
Soon after his time on Neighbours, he also completely stopped acting, and it was also believed that Paul ended up working at a pub.
But for the show’s final July episode in 2022, Paul returned to the role of Des.