Jean Richards (Neighbours)

'' Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that was first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 1986, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Reg Watson. The 2nd season of ''Neighbours'' began airing from 20 January 1986. The episode marked the first appearances of Zoe Davis, Madge Mitchell and Mike Young. Clive Gibbons and Nikki Dennison also arrived in January. Rosemary Daniels began appearing from February, while Nikki's mother, Laura, made her debut in March. The following month saw the first appearances of Jack Lassiter, Charlene Mitchell and Nell Mangel. Madge's brother, Tom Ramsay, arrived in May and Sue Parker debuted in June. July saw the first appearances from Jane Harris and Sam Cole. Sam's mother, Susan, arrived the following month, along with Dan Ramsay. Ruth Wilson and Edna Ramsay debuted in September. Warren Murphy was introduced in October.

Zoe Davis

Zoe Davis, played by Ally Fowler, made her first screen appearance on 20 January 1986. Fowler joined the cast shortly after producers decided to add several new cast members, in a bid to improve the serial. Mercado 2004, p.207. Zoe is described as being "fickle and unpredictable to an incredible degree", she is also blunt with a sharp wit. Oram 1988, p.122. Zoe was described by James Oram, author of ''Neighbours: Behind the scenes'', as being "fickle and unpredictable to an incredible degree", she is blunt and has a sharp wit. Josephine Monroe, who wrote ''The Neighbours Programme Guide'', noted that Zoe was both "charming and infuriating". Monroe 1994, p.133–4. Zoe was an old school friend of Daphne Lawrence ( Elaine Smith) and she came to Erinsborough for her wedding to Des Clarke (Paul Keane). She later developed a relationship with the much older Jim Robinson ( Alan Dale), which shocked the other Ramsay Street residents.

Madge Mitchell

Madge Mitchell, played by veteran actress Anne Charleston, made her first screen appearance on 20 January 1986. The character was introduced as Max Ramsay's (Francis Bell) elder sister. Max found Madge to be "formidable" and never won when she was around. Hilary Kingsley, author of ''Soap Box'', stated that Madge was "loud, but likeable, meddlesome but cuddlesome, she has an opinion on everyone, ridiculous often but usually right." Kingsley 1988, p.373. Madge went back to using her maiden name to avoid being associated with her ex-husband's debts. She is the mother of Charlene ( Kylie Minogue) and Henry (Craig McLachlan). Madge's childhood sweetheart, Harold Bishop, (Ian Smith), was later introduced to ''Neighbours'' and he and Madge were later married. Charleston quit ''Neighbours'' in 1992, but when she suffered financial difficulties, she returned in 1996. She quit the serial once again in 2001.

Mike Young

Mike Young, played by Guy Pearce, made his first screen appearance on 20 January 1986. Pearce auditioned for the role of Mike and immediately impressed casting director Jan Russ. Pearce joined the soap on 3 December 1985, three days after he finished his last HSC exam. He commented "I moved to Melbourne over the weekend and started ''Neighbours'' on the Tuesday. It was crazy. It was the whole, 'Say the words and don't bump into the furniture' thing. I had no idea what I was doing." Patrick Barkham from ''The Guardian'' called Mike "nice-but-lonely". While David Astle from ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' described Mike as "mullet-mopped" and "hunky."

Clive Gibbons

Clive Gibbons, played by Geoff Paine, made his first appearance on 21 January 1986. A representative from The Grundy Organisation discovered Paine acting in a college production at the Victoria Arts Centre and asked him to do a screen test, before offering him the role of Clive. Oram 1988, p.119 Clive was a doctor who ran a gorillagram agency. He brought a "breath of fresh air to Ramsay Street" when he moved in. Monroe 1996, p.15 Josephine Monroe, author of ''Neighbours: The First 10 Years'', described Clive as being "one of life's eccentrics" who took care of people and often lured them into his latest harebrained scheme. Clive became so popular with viewers that a pilot for his own show called ''City Hospital'' was made, although it was not picked up by any television networks.

Nikki Dennison

Nikki Dennison, played by Charlene Fenn, made her first screen appearance on 28 January 1986. A representative from the Grundy Organisation discovered Fenn at a National Theatre workshop. Oram 1988, p.120. She auditioned while studying for her HSC exams and was cast as Helen Daniels' ( Anne Haddy) niece, Nikki. Of her reaction to winning the role, Fenn told Kelly Bourne of ''TV Week'': "I was six feet off the ground when I first heard, but now I'm down to about two feet." Nikki was Fenn's first television role and she admitted to feeling "a bit apprehensive", but the cast had been friendly and helpful to her. Nikki "casually" enters the show during one of her visits to Helen and the Robinsons. Fenn explained her character's fictional backstory to Bourne, saying "Nikki originally came from a small Queensland town, but she attends a boarding school in Melbourne. Her mother is Helen Daniels' (Anne Haddy) sister, so sometimes Nikki spends weekends with the Robinsons." Bourne thought the situation seemed simple, but for Nikki it was more complicated. Fenn stated "Nikki's widowed mother works in a bar to send her to a good boarding school. But Nikki doesn't really appreciate this because she feels her mum has forced her into a position where she has to lie to be accepted by other girls." This leads to Nikki putting on airs and graces during the week, while she is a fun and normal teenager at the weekends. Fenn thought the two sides to Nikki made her a more interesting character to play. She preferred "the real Nikki", who does not have to impress anyone and can be genuine and fun. Fenn continued, "She can be quite charming when she's with the people she loves – the people who she knows love her simply for herself." Fenn was not keen on boarding school version of Nikki, as she has elements of bitchiness, snobbery, and social climbing. Fenn left ''Neighbours'' less than a year after she arrived and she commented "I never thought I was going to be employed in this for the rest of my life."

Nikki was raised by her mother, Laura Dennison ( Carole Skinner), in Queensland. Her father, Tom, died when she was young and Nikki became spoilt as Laura gave her everything she wanted. Laura found it hard to deal with Nikki when she became a teenager and decided to send her to Erinsborough to stay with her aunt Helen. Nikki becomes good friends with Charlene Mitchell ( Kylie Minogue) and she begins dating Mike Young (Guy Pearce), after he defends her from Sue Parker's (Kate Gorman) rumours. When Lucy Robinson (Kylie Flinker) wins a dinner date with Grant Kenny, Nikki tells her that her father will not let her go on the date and that Grant would not want to have dinner with a child. Nikki manages to persuade Lucy that she should go on the date instead and she gives her some money. Nikki does not tell Helen about the date and lies that she is spending the night studying with a friend. The date with Grant does not go well and he leaves after the main course. Nikki brags to Sue that she had a great night and that she kissed Grant. She also tells her that Grant is going to call her about a second date. However, Nikki's lies are exposed when a photo of herself and Grant appears in a newspaper. Mike then threatens to end their relationship. When Nikki hears that her mother has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she leaves Erinsborough to be with her. When she returns a few months later, Nikki expects to pick up her relationship with Mike, but she soon learns that he is dating Jane Harris (Annie Jones). Nikki tells Jane that she wants Mike back. However, Mike tells her that he is not interested in a relationship with her. Nikki decides to leave Erinsborough permanently to spend time with her mother in the United States.

Rosemary Daniels

Rosemary Daniels, played by Joy Chambers, made her first screen appearance on 20 February 1986. Rosemary is the only character who has always been in the show, although only on a recurring basis. A writer for the official ''Neighbours'' website described Rosemary as being "ruthless", while a Holy Soap reporter called a "tough businesswoman". A notable storyline for the character, saw her become engaged to Gerard Singer ( Bryan Marshall) and then learn that he was having an affair with her mother Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy). Chambers returned to ''Neighbours'' from 6 July 2010 as part of the show's 25th anniversary.

Laura Dennison

Laura Dennison, played by Carole Skinner, made her first screen appearance on 21 March 1986. Laura is Helen Daniels' ( Anne Haddy) sister. A picture of Laura sat on Helen's sideboard for years after her last appearance. Monroe 1994, p.188. Laura is also Nikki Dennison's (Charlene Fenn) mother. After she was widowed, Laura began working in a bar to help pay for Nikki's boarding school fees.

Laura's sister, Helen, invites her to Erinsborough for a holiday. Nikki refuses to spend any time with her mother and calls her an embarrassment when Laura flirts with Max Ramsay (Francis Bell). Laura is delighted when Max invites her to dinner and the evening goes well, until Max's son and sister return home. Laura goes back to Helen's and talks to Nikki about her attitude. Nikki chooses to leave her school and move in with Helen. Laura tells her sister that she is going back to her home town and just before she leaves, Nikki realises that she loves her mother and they reunite. They then spend the day repairing their relationship. Laura tells Max that she hopes they will remain friends before leaving. Helen goes to visit Laura and discovers that she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Nikki then returns home to care for her mother.

A few months later, Laura and Nikki return. Laura finds Nikki's over-protectiveness of her a little overwhelming and she arranges for Nikki to take part in an exchange programme in America, but Nikki refuses to go. Laura spills tea on herself and Helen begins to think that her sister cannot be left on her own. When Helen's friend, Grace Barnett (Marijke Mann), comes to Erinsborough, Laura realises that Helen is not aware that Grace had a one-night stand with her late husband, Bill. Laura convinces Grace to leave town, but when Helen matches her handwriting to a note left with some flowers on Bill's grave, Laura is forced to tell Helen the truth about Grace and Bill. Helen asks Laura to move out, but she soon realises that throwing her sister out is wrong and apologises. Laura takes up jogging and begins working some shifts at The Waterhole. Nikki asks her mother to slow down and Clive Gibbons (Geoff Paine) arranges for a counsellor to talk to her. Nikki later arranges for Laura to go to the United States and she joins her after her exams.

Jack Lassiter

Jack Lassiter, played by Alan Hopgood, made his first screen appearance on 9 April 1986. Hopgood was well known for his role as Wally in ''Prisoner'', by the time he was cast in ''Neighbours''. Jack was introduced as the owner of Lassiter's Hotel and the local pub, The Waterhole, which have been central to storylines throughout the show's history. He departed on 27 June 1986.

On 8 August 2013, it was announced that Hopgood had reprised his role for a month long guest appearance. Hopgood was reunited with co-star Stefan Dennis and he commented "I thoroughly enjoyed returning to the set. In some ways things hadn't changed and others it was very different which made it interesting. It didn't take long at all the settle back in, everyone made me feel very welcome. It was terrific working with Stefan again who is so professional and I also enjoyed working with the new cast." Hopgood regrew his character's moustache for his return. The actor told Lawrence Money from ''WAtoday'' that Jack "is wealthy, slightly eccentric and was married off but, several divorces later, he's back and wanting to do something charitable with this money." Jack came back to Erinsborough to "reconcile with his past actions" by giving away some of his fortune. Jack returned on 27 August.

Former gold prospector Jack Lassiter moved to Erinsborough with his wife, Addie, and bought the local hotel, naming it Lassiter's. He also created The Waterhole pub. Jack lived in a caravan by the lake, when Addie died, Jack retreated into himself. Paul Robinson (Dennis) becomes desperate to buy Lassiter's and pays Andrea Townsend (Gina Gaigalas) to try and convince Jack to sell to him. Jack realises what Paul has done and gets his own back by telling Paul that he will sell, only to change his mind a week later. Jack grows close to Andrea, but her son, Bradley (Bradley Kilpatrick), does not like the relationship. When he acts up, Jack smacks Bradley and Andrea throws him out. He later apologises and explains to Bradley that he will not come between him and his mother. Jack tells Andrea about his feelings for her and proposes. Andrea accepts, but confesses to Jack that while she cares for him, she does not love him. Jack does not mind, saying that he will settle for being liked. Jack tells Andrea that he wants to move to the outback, but realising that Andrea is unhappy with the plan, he tells her that they will be going to Paris after the wedding and then they will travel around Europe. While Jack does not feel ready to sell his hotel, he asks Paul to manage it for six months. Jack later contacts the Daniels Corporation from Europe and tells Paul and Rosemary Daniels (Joy Chambers) that he is ready to sell them the hotel.

Jack returns to Erinsborough twenty-seven years later. He goes to Charlie's bar and reminisces about how it used to be called The Waterhole. He then proceeds to Lassiter's Hotel, where he asks Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) for his favourite room. Terese gets him the room and then learns that Jack is the man who started the Lassiter's empire. Jack reacquaints himself with Paul again and recognises that he is lonely. Jack acquaints himself with Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), the principal of the local high school, and helps her to get the radio station up and running again. Jack also helps Josh Willis (Harley Bonner) to organise a series of treasure hunts for the local community, using his money for the prizes. Jack continues to worry about Paul and his lack of friends and family. Jack collapses from a heart attack and Georgia Brooks ( Saskia Hampele) saves his life. When Jack returns to Lassiter's, Paul learns that he cannot pay his bill. Jack informs Paul that he has given away all his money as he has an inoperable brain aneurysm. Jack gives Paul the location of the last treasure hunt prize, so he can pay his bill, but Paul pays the bill himself. Jack leaves Erinsborough and dies a few weeks later.

Charlene Mitchell

Charlene Mitchell, played by Kylie Minogue, made her first screen appearance on 17 April 1986. Minogue was originally signed to appear in ''Neighbours'' for one week, but this was then extended to 13 weeks and later through to mid-1988. Oram 1988, p.68 Minogue thought viewers liked her character as she was portrayed as an average Australian teenager, experiencing a difficult relationship with her mother. Charlene was "a bit of a rebel", outspoken and tomboyish.
The character's style often consisted of khaki overalls, baggy sweatshirts and her hair set in a perm. Both Charlene and Minogue became popular with viewers in Australia and Britain. The character had a highly publicised relationship with Scott Robinson ( Jason Donovan).

Nell Mangel

Nell Mangel, played by Vivean Gray, made her first screen appearance on 29 April 1986. The character was originally supposed to appear in ''Neighbours'' for three weeks. However, the character proved popular with viewers and she became a permanent member of the cast. The character was rarely addressed by her Christian name and was referred to as Mrs Mangel. Dave Hogan and Neil Wallis described Mrs Mangel as being "frosty and disliked by the residents of Ramsay Street." Wallis; Hogan 1989, p.71. The character was well known for being an interfering busy body and she developed a rivalry with neighbour, Madge Mitchell (Anne Charleston). A reporter from ''The Scotsman'' though Gray made more of an impact in her time on ''Neighbours'' than some actors make in their entire careers. They added that Mrs Mangel was "one of the most detestable villains ever to set foot in Ramsay Street."

Tom Ramsay

Tom Ramsay, played by Gary Files, made his first appearance on 12 May 1986. After Francis Bell left his role as Max Ramsay, Files was signed up to play Max's younger brother, Tom, who covered the rest of Max's storylines. Files had one day's notice before he started filming his scenes. There was no time to rewrite the scripts and Tom just moved in with his sister and her children. Files stated: "All we did was cross out Max in the scripts and put in Tom. In places I had to ad lib as I went along." Tom was described as being "a carbon copy" of Max by Josephine Monroe, author of ''The Neighbours Programme Guide''. She quipped that he took over Max's house, business and "evidently also his wardrobe of overalls and dungarees". The author also called him a "blustering fool". A critic for the ''Reading Evening Post'' called Tom "a bit of a rough diamond". Tom departed on 1 February 1991. A writer for the BBC
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