Shane Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''
Neighbours'', played by
Peter O'Brien. He made his first appearance during the show's first episode, broadcast on 18 March 1985. Shane is the son of
Max Ramsay (
Francis Bell Francis Bell may refer to:
* Arthur Bell (martyr) (1590–1643), also known as Francis Bell, Franciscan and English martyr
*Dillon Bell (Francis Dillon Bell; 1822–1898), New Zealand politician, father of the New Zealand Prime Minister
* Francis B ...
) and
Maria Ramsay (
Dasha Bláhová Dasha may be:
* Dashā, a planetary period in Indian astrology
*''dáśan-'', the Sanskrit for "ten", in the nominative and in compounds
** Dashavatara, the ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu
*An alternate transliteration of Dacha, a Russian sum ...
). His storylines included training to be an
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
swimmer and being involved in two car crashes, with the second killing
Jean Richards (
Margot Knight), leaving Shane facing manslaughter charges. Writers also created a relationship story with
Daphne Lawrence
Daphne Clarke (also Lawrence) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Elaine Smith. Daphne was created by Reg Watson as one of ''Neighbours twelve original characters. The producer had originally w ...
(
Elaine Smith). O'Brien decided to leave ''Neighbours'' in 1986 and Shane departed during the episode broadcast on 3 March 1987. O'Brien reprised the role in July 2022 for the show's final episodes.
Casting
Peter O'Brien auditioned for the role of Shane Ramsay twice in 1984 and following the cancellation of medical series ''
Starting Out
''Starting Out'' is an Australian television soap opera made for the Nine Network by the Reg Grundy Organisation in 1983.
Background
The five-night-a-week series was created by Reg Watson as the network's replacement for the long-running s ...
'', he was cast as the older Ramsay brother.
[ Oram 1988, p.96.] O'Brien made his debut in ''Neighbours''
' first episode. Shane was one of
Reg Watson's original ''Neighbours'' characters. The role of Shane made O'Brien a household name in his home country of Australia and overseas.
Stefan Dennis originally auditioned for the role of Shane, but he was later cast as
Paul Robinson instead. In the video ''The Official Neighbours Special: The First Ten Years'', released in 1995, O'Brien said that he was working in England at the time when he received the role of Shane and he was not expecting ''Neighbours'' to last more than two years.
Development
Shane was described by
Network Ten as a "very together guy, despite being deprived of a normal childhood because of his father's obsession with his diving training".
They also added that Shane had independence and an "inner strength".
O'Brien described the character of Shane as "a bit of a misfit".
In their 1989 book, ''The Neighbours Factfile'', Neil Wallis and Dave Hogan wrote that Shane's father
Max Ramsay (
Francis Bell Francis Bell may refer to:
* Arthur Bell (martyr) (1590–1643), also known as Francis Bell, Franciscan and English martyr
*Dillon Bell (Francis Dillon Bell; 1822–1898), New Zealand politician, father of the New Zealand Prime Minister
* Francis B ...
), had an obsession with him becoming a champion diver and that made Shane's childhood difficult.
[ Wallis; Hogan 1989, p.64.] He gained an "independent spirit" and became "easygoing" and a "genuine nice guy". Shane has a keen interest in motorbikes and this often leads him into trouble. He is a "strong silent" type of character but he still managed to "break the hearts of most of the available women who strolled down Ramsay Street."
[ Mary Riddell of the '']Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
'' observed "Like any self-respecting male sex symbol, Shane has designer muscles and a beach boy suntan – coupled, in his case, with the brightness of a 40 watt light bulb." O'Brien told her that he chose to play Shane "a bit dumber" than he was meant to be and more quick-tempered, as he did not want the character to be so nice. He felt that Shane was wimpy.
Shane was paired with Daphne Lawrence
Daphne Clarke (also Lawrence) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Elaine Smith. Daphne was created by Reg Watson as one of ''Neighbours twelve original characters. The producer had originally w ...
( Elaine Smith) for a romance story. During the show's first-season finale, Daphne ends the relationship as she is in love with Des Clarke (Paul Keane
Paul Keane (born 16 September 1957) is an Australian actor well known for playing original character Des Clarke in the soap opera '' Neighbours'', opposite Elaine Smith who played his wife Daphne Clarke. Other TV credits include ''Bliss'' and ' ...
). After breaking up with Des, Daphne reconciles with Shane and they become engaged, however, Daphne worries that she is rushing into marriage on the rebound and they end the engagement. A love triangle was then established between Daphne, Shane and Des. In June 1986, Stephen Cook from ''TV Week
''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news.
Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
'' reported that Daphne would accept a marriage proposal from one of the men, which would result in marriage. Smith thought Daphne was best suited to Shane and said she had a great deal of love for him. O'Brien told Cook that as far as Shane is concerned, Daphne is the only woman he has ever loved and feels that he is more suited to her than Des. Whilst drunk at Paul and Terry Inglis
Terry Inglis (also Robinson) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' played by Maxine Klibingaitis. She made her first appearance on 11 June 1985. Terry is employed by Max Ramsay (Francis Bell) as his plumber's ap ...
' (Maxine Klibingaitis
Maxine Koran Klibingaitis (born 17 May 1964) is an Australian actress.
Maxine was born in Ballarat, Victoria and was married to the Australian television director, Andrew Friedman, they have one son, Zane Friedman.
She is probably best kno ...
) wedding reception, Shane boasts about how badly he treats Daphne.
Writers later devised a dramatic story for Shane, which sees him involved in a car crash which kills Jean Richards ( Margot Knight). Shane is driving home from Daphne and Des Clarke's (Paul Keane
Paul Keane (born 16 September 1957) is an Australian actor well known for playing original character Des Clarke in the soap opera '' Neighbours'', opposite Elaine Smith who played his wife Daphne Clarke. Other TV credits include ''Bliss'' and ' ...
) wedding when he loses control of his car and crashes into a stationary vehicle.[ O'Brien told Patrice Fidgeon from '']TV Week
''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news.
Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
'' that "there's a blowout just as Shane is trying to negotiate a difficult turn coming down the hill. He loses control of his car and careers into a parked car."[ Jean dies and Shane feels guilty because he had drunk alcohol at the party. Though Shane had only drunk a small amount of alcohol. Alex Carter (]Kevin Summers
Kevin Summers (born is an Australian actor and playwright who has worked in theatre, film & television for over four decades.
Career Television
Summers' is best known for his multiple character roles in numerous soap operas and serials. His cre ...
), a local resident gives him some brandy to calm his nerves following the crash. O'Brien revealed that Shane faces manslaughter charges as a result. The police arrive and breathalyse Shane, who is arrested and later released on bail.[ O'Brien explained that "if he loses his license Shane feels that's the end of his livelihood. But what shatters him the most is that he has killed a person."][
In July 1986, O'Brien spoke publicly about his intention to leave the show. He stated that he had always planned to assess his future with the show after eighteen months. He originally planned to leave in September 1986, but added a three-month extension onto his commitments to the show.][ O'Brien did leave ''Neighbours'' later that year.] The Grundy Organisation
Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...
tried to convince O'Brien to stay, fearing that the show would suffer from his departure, but O'Brien was determined to move on. He later said that his departure was nothing to do with being typecast, but rather the amount of exposure. He explained "I've had enough of my shirts being ripped off my back. I've had to sneak out of places through the back door. If I go shopping or to the pictures, I get mobbed."
On 3 March 2022, it was announced O'Brien had agreed to reprise the role for the serial's final episodes. Shane returns during the episode broadcast on 13 July in the UK and 20 July 2022 in Australia. Joe Julians of Digital Spy reported that Shane returns to Erinsborough after becoming nostalgic. He also wants to "put some Ramsay roots back into the community again." Paul comes across Shane making noise with other guests outside Lassiters and they are "thrilled" to see each other again, before Shane reveals he has become a millionaire and wants to invest in Paul's business as joint partners. However, as Shane slowly learns about Paul's actions during the past few years, he is forced to rethink his deal.
Storylines
Shane was born shortly after his parents Max and Maria Ramsay (Dasha Bláhová Dasha may be:
* Dashā, a planetary period in Indian astrology
*''dáśan-'', the Sanskrit for "ten", in the nominative and in compounds
** Dashavatara, the ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu
*An alternate transliteration of Dacha, a Russian sum ...
) move to Ramsay Street, and Shane became best friends with his next door neighbour, Paul Robinson. Shane enjoyed swimming and Max entered him into an Under-12s swimming team in the hope that Shane would make it to the Olympics one day. To Max's dismay, Shane's training regime is regularly interrupted by girls wanting to get a glimpse of him in his speedos. Shane falls for Daphne and they begin dating. Max is annoyed when Daphne moves in several doors down with Des as his lodger, as Daphne is a stripper. Shane and his younger brother Danny Ramsay (David Clencie) are involved in a head-on car crash with bank robber, Gordon Miller ( Red Symons), which kills Gordon's accomplice and leaves Shane with a back injury that dashes all hopes of him competing in the Olympics. Shane tries to become an air steward like Paul but his injury prevents him from doing so.
Daphne and Shane break up when Daphne realises she loves Des. Shane then dates plumber, Terry, who works for Max. When Terry mentions that Gordon is her ex-husband, he is shocked and Gordon escapes prison and menaces Terry and Max but Shane is able to alert the police and he is returned to jail. Terry later marries Paul and Shane resumes his relationship with Daphne but once again, they break up and Daphne goes on to marry Des. Shane forms a gardening service with local doctor Clive Gibbons (Geoff Paine
Geoff Paine is an Australian television and theatre actor from Melbourne. After graduating from drama school Paine secured a role on the soap opera ''Neighbours'', playing the role of doctor Clive Gibbons. He remained in the role for one year be ...
). Shane is worried when their first client, Beth Travers (Virginia Hey
Virginia Hey (born 19 June 1952) is an Australian actress, known for her role as Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan in the science fiction television series ''Farscape'', playing the "Warrior Woman" in '' Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior'', and various roles in tele ...
) begins showering him with gifts after he has sex with her. Beth later locks Shane in her wine cellar, but eventually releases him. Mike Young (Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in England, and raised in Geelong, Victoria in Australia, he started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series ''Neighbours ...
) asks Shane to coach him when he joins the school diving team and Shane takes a risk by diving for the first time since the crash. Shane then enrols in a business class and changes his life.
Following Max's departure to reconcile with Maria in Queensland, Shane's uncle Tom Ramsay
''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 ...
(Gary Files
Gary Files is an Australian-Canadian actor, theatre director and radio writer who has worked in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Resident in Australia since 1976, Files is noted for the accentual versatility of his radio-based voice a ...
), aunt Madge Mitchell
Madge Bishop (also Ramsay and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Anne Charleston. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 January 1986. Madge was introduced as th ...
(Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston (born 30 December 1942) is an Australian actress, notable for her career locally and in the United Kingdom in theatre and television. Charleston started her career in theatre in the mid 1950's, and has been a staple of the small ...
) and her daughter Charlene Mitchell
Charlene Alexander Mitchell (June 8, 1930 – December 14, 2022) was an American international socialist, feminist, labor and civil rights activist. In 1968, she became the first Black woman candidate for President of the United States.
In the ...
( Kylie Minogue) move in. Shane is involved in another car crash, which results in the death of Tom's friend, Jean. Shane is charged with manslaughter, but the charges are later dropped when a witness comes forward. Shane's cousin Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan
Craig Dougall McLachlan (born 1 September 1965) is an Australian actor, musician, singer and composer. He has been involved in film, television, the music industry and music theatre for over 30 years. He is best known for appearing in the soap ...
) moves in after he is paroled following a three year prison sentence for robbery. Shane is hostile towards Henry, as he has prior form for theft, and begrudgingly shares his room with him. When Shane loses $100, he is quick to blame Henry, but forced to apologise when the money turns up. Shane then moves out of Number 24 and leaves to travel around Australia.
Shane returns to Erinsborough after 34 years and is celebrating with friends when he accidentally strikes Paul with a champagne cork. Paul invites Shane up to his penthouse, where he meets his son Leo Tanaka
Leo Tanaka is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Tim Kano. He made his first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 22 September 2016. The character was introduced alongside his ...
(Tim Kano
Tim Kano is a New Zealand actor, known for playing Leo Tanaka in the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'' from 2016 until 2022. He also stars in the 2021 horror film '' Great White''.
Early life
Kano's mother Sue is from New Zeal ...
). Shane meets up with Harold Bishop (Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 1919 – 20 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to 1 ...
) and Jane Harris Jane Harris may refer to:
* Jane Harris (producer), British television director and producer
* Jane Harris (writer) (born 1961), British writer of fiction and screenplays
* Jane Harris (''Neighbours''), a fictional character in the Australian so ...
(Annie Jones Ann Jones (or similar) may refer to:
Writers
*Ann Jones (author) (born 1937), American writer on women's issues
*Anne Jones (writer) (born 1955), Australian editor and administrator
* Anna Jones (food writer), columnist and cookbook author
* Cat ...
) in the local café. Jane and Shane reminisce about the time they got lost in the bush together. He then meets Paul's ex-wife, Terese Willis
Terese Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Rebekah Elmaloglou. The actress was cast in the role after attending an audition in late 2012. Before she began filming her first scenes in early Fe ...
(Rebekah Elmaloglou
Rebekah Sophie Elmaloglou (born 23 January 1974) is an Australian actress, known for her roles as teenage tearaway Sophie Simpson on ''Home and Away'' and Terese Willis on ''Neighbours''. She also made guest appearances in '' E Street'', ''A Co ...
), and his half-brother, Glen Donnelly
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. ...
(Richard Huggett). Shane later tells Paul that he wants to buy into Lassiters as a fair and equal partner, having made his fortune through cryptocurrency. Shane tells Jane about his plans and she says that going into business with Paul would be the worst decision he could make. Tim Collins ( Ben Anderson) gives Shane information about Paul's scandals which prompts him to reconsider going into business with him. Shane requests to buy Paul out of his share of Lassiters, which Paul initially rejects but Lucy Robinson ( Melissa Bell) attempts to secure the deal. After the deal is finalised, Shane sees a For Sale sign in front of his old house and calls Maria to tell her that he is considering buying. Shane meets Izzy Hoyland
Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 September 2003. Izzy was introduced as Ma ...
( Natalie Bassingthwaite) and they flirt, before kissing in Shane's car, but when Shane finds out she is already in a relationship, Izzy leaves. The pair later have sex in Shane's hotel room, after Izzy ends her relationship. When Paul decides to stay in Erinsborough, Shane agrees to rip up the Lassiters contract. He joins Jane and Mike Young at a party on Ramsay Street, where he remarks that he needs someone to take Number 24 off his hands. Mike later makes an offer on the house, matching the amount that Shane was going to pay. Shane tells Jane that he asked some old friends of hers to stop by; she greets Charlene and her husband Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to:
* Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician
* Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player
* Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...
( Jason Donovan). As the party continues, Shane talks with Lucy, and Izzy later comes over to be with him.
Reception
For his portrayal of Shane Ramsay, O'Brien won the 'Most Popular New Talent' award at the 1986 Logie Awards The following year, O'Brien won the 'Most Popular Actor' award. Virgin Media branded the character as a retro soap hunk in a special feature reported on their website, stating: "Shane Ramsay in Neighbours possibly had the best mullet ever seen in soap history. But he was kind and was like an older brother but with the advantages of not being related." They also branded O'Brien as one of Neighbours most popular cast members in the history of the series for his portrayal of Shane. Lorna Cooper of MSN TV
MSN TV (formerly WebTV) was a web access product consisting of a thin client device that used a television for display (instead of using a computer monitor), and the online service that supported it. The device design and service was developed ...
listed Shane as one of soap opera's "forgotten characters" and also brands him as Neighbours' "first major hunk".
Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture gave Shane a 3.5 out of 5 for his contribution to ''Neighbours'', during a feature called "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons". Deller said "The mullet-tastic Shane was the 'housewife's choice' back in the 80s, something that has served actor Peter O'Brien well over the years". She added "He was in love with Daphne (and for a while the actors playing them had a romance in real-life) and was heartbroken when she ended up with Des Clarke".
Telecommunications network ''Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
'' profiled past Neighbours characters, in this feature they joke about Shane's most memorable stating: "Being involved in a dramatic car crash, which shattered the talented diver’s dream of competing in the Olympics. Worse still, it meant soap fans never got to see Shane in his Speedos again. Sigh…" In her book "Soap opera", Dorothy Hobson describes Shane and his family as "more working class than other characters", also stating: "They had working-class jobs but were not represented as cloth cap wearing or dowdy, they were bright and modern and representative of a vibrant and working population."[ Hobson 2003, p.15.] Andrew Mercado in his book ''Super Aussie Soaps'' brands the Ramsay family as being the backbone of the serial during the early years.[ Mercado 2004, p.230.]
References
;Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsay, Shane
Neighbours characters
Fictional chauffeurs
Television characters introduced in 1985
Male characters in television
Ramsay family