The Ramsay family is a fictional family from the Australian soap opera ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

''. The family were one of three central families created by

Reg Watson Reginald James Watson (27 August 1926 – 8 October 2019) was an Australian television producer and screenwriter. He was executive producer on ''Crossroads (British TV series), Crossroads'' and created Australian media exports serials such as ' ...

and introduced in the first episode of ''Neighbours'' in March 1985. Watson wanted the Ramsays to be humorous and rougher than the

Robinson family The Robinson family are a fictional family from the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours''. The family were created by Reg Watson and introduced in the first episode of the serial, broadcast on 18 March 1985. The family initially consist ...

Ramsay Street Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the r ...

, a

cul-de-sac A dead end, also known as a cul-de-sac (, from French for 'bag-bottom'), no through road or no exit road, is a street with only one inlet or outlet. The term "dead end" is understood in all varieties of English, but the official terminology ...

which is the central setting of the series, is named after the family. In 2001, the last Ramsay, Madge (

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 ...

), departed the series. Eight years later, a new generation of the Ramsay family was introduced.

Creation and development

The Ramsay family were one of three central families introduced to viewers when ''Neighbours'' began in 1985, created by the show's creator and executive producer

. Unlike the Robinsons, Watson wanted "humour and likeable roughness" with the Ramsay family. Josephine Monroe, author of ''The Neighbours Programme Guide'', wrote "The Ramsays are the royal family of ''Neighbours'' and their claim on Erinsborough goes back generations." Monroe 1994, p.82–4. The family originally consisted of

Max Ramsay Max Ramsay, a fictional character in the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'', is played by Francis Bell. Reg Watson created Max as one of the serial's twelve original characters. New Zealand actor Bell had wanted to appear in a major ...

(

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 ...

), his wife

Maria Ramsay The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' in 1985, by order of first appearance. They were all introduced by the show's creator and executive producer Reg Watson. The 1st season of ''Ne ...

(

Dasha Blahova 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 ...

), and their two sons

Shane Ramsay 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 ...

( Peter O'Brien) and

Danny Ramsay Danny Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by David Clencie. He made his first appearance during the serial's debut episode broadcast on 18 March 1985. Danny was the first character to ...

(David Clencie). The family lived at No. 24 Ramsay Street, one of the original three houses on ''Neighbours''. The family were friendly with the Robinsons, but tension briefly developed between the two families when Jim Robinson (

Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequentl ...

) began dating Maria's sister Anna Rossi (

Roslyn Gentle Roslyn Gentle billed as Ros Gentle and Roz Gentle, is an Australian actress, best known for her role in the television series ''Prisoner'' as librarian/prostitute Laura Gardiner/Brandy Carter – an inmate who suffers from multiple personalit ...

). Maria was the first member of the family to leave the show, with Danny and Max following shortly after. The producers then decided to introduce some new Ramsays in the form of Max's sister

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 ...

(

) and their brother

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 Australians, Australian-Canadians, 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 ...

), who took over Max's planned storylines. Shane's departure made way for Madge's children

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 Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

) and 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 ...

), who arrived in 1986 and 1987 respectively. Charlene's romance with

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 Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 mi ...

) had become popular with ''Neighbours'' viewers, who dubbed them "TV's Romeo and Juliet" because they were from feuding families. Their wedding in " Episode 523" famously united the Ramsay and Robinson families. In 2001, Madge, the last remaining Ramsay on the street, died, after Charleston quit the show. In February 2009, it was announced that a new generation of the Ramsay family would be introduced to the show. At the time, the Ramsays had not appeared in ''Neighbours'' for almost a decade. Executive producer

Susan Bower Susan Bower is an Australian television producer and television writer best known for her work on the soap opera ''Neighbours''. Bower is also the founder of the production company ''Bower Bird Productions''. Career Bower is a former nurse who ...

said the introduction of the new Ramsay family members was based on the American drama series ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...

''. Paul Robinson's (

Stefan Dennis Stefan Dennis (born 30 October 1958) is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed ...

) daughter

Elle Robinson Lucinda "Elle" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Pippa Black. The character made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 September 2005. She was introduced ...

(

Pippa Black Pippa Black (born 16 October 1982) is an Australian actress. From 2005 to 2009, Black played Elle Robinson in the soap opera '' Neighbours''. Black played Tonya in the NBC series '' Outsourced'' from 2010 to 2011. Career Black appeared in the ...

) discovered that Max had a secret daughter with Paul's mother Anne. The affair was kept a secret due to the feud between their families, and Anne moved away with her daughter Jill Ramsay (Peri Cummings). As a result, Elle tracked down Jill and met her three children;

Kate Ramsay Kate Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ashleigh Brewer. The actress successfully auditioned for the role and relocated to Melbourne for filming. She made her first screen appearance during t ...

(

Ashleigh Brewer Ashleigh Mary Brewer (born 9 December 1990) is an Australian actress. She had a recurring role in ''The Sleepover Club'', before she joined the cast of '' H2O: Just Add Water''. Brewer played the role of Kate Ramsay in the long-running Australi ...

Harry Ramsay Harry Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Will Moore. The character made his first screen appearance on 18 May 2009. Harry departed on 11 June 2010 after accepting a Basketball scholarship in Sy ...

(Will Moore) and

Sophie Ramsay Sophie Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Kaiya Jones. The actress was cast in the role following a competitive audition process. Jones began filming her first scenes in February 2009. She mad ...

(

Kaiya Jones Kaiya Jones (born 19 March 1996) is a Scottish-born Australian actress best known for playing the role of Sophie Ramsay in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. She previously played Jess Cooper in the third series of ''The Saddle Club''. Jo ...

). When Jill was killed in a hit and run accident, Kate, Harry and Sophie move to Ramsay Street and eventually become close with their uncle Paul. They lived at No. 24, like the original Ramsays, until it was sold off and Kate and Sophie moved in with Paul. Since then, all three have departed the soap. Charlene and Scott's son, Daniel Robinson (

Tim Phillipps Tim Phillipps is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his roles in the soap opera '' Neighbours'', drama series '' Bed of Roses'' and the movie '' Animal Kingdom''. He has also appeared in the American television series ''Once Upon a Time' ...

) was introduced on 29 April 2014. Two years later, his sister,

Madison Robinson Madison “Madi” Browne (born 5 January 1988) is an Australian netball player who has been one of the most successful Australian Netball players to play in the British Netball Superleague for Leeds Rhinos Netball. Early life Madison Browne pl ...

(Sarah Ellen), was introduced, and he was written out with his wife,

Imogen Willis Imogen Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Ariel Kaplan. The actress was cast in the role after a quick process, in which she auditioned once and attended a screen test. She began filming he ...

(

Ariel Kaplan Ariel Erin Kaplan (born 4 May 1994) is a South African-born Australian actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her roles as Lisa Atwood in the third season of children's series ''The Saddle Club'' and Imogen Willis in the Australian soap oper ...

). In 2019, producers introduced

Gemma Ramsay Gemma Ramsay (also Willis) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Beth Buchanan. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 June 1990. The actress was not sure about a long-term com ...

's (

Beth Buchanan Beth Christine Buchanan (born 10 March 1972) is an Australian actress and Social Worker. She is best known for the television roles in sitcom ''Hey Dad!'', Gemma Ramsay in ''Neighbours'', and Susan Croydon in ''Blue Heelers''. She was also a l ...

) daughter

Roxy Willis Roxy Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Zima Anderson. Anderson secured the role two years after relocating to Melbourne in the hope that she might win a part on the show. She felt t ...

(Zima Anderson), which leads to a short return for Gemma.

Family members

* Jack Ramsay; married an unknown woman ** Maud Ramsay; daughter of Jack **

Dan 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 ...

; son of Jack; married Edna Wilkins ***

; son of Dan and Edna; married Maria Rossi **** Jill Ramsay; daughter of Max and Anne Robinson *****

; daughter of Jill and Patrick Mooney *****

; son of Jill and Patrick *****

; daughter of Jill and Patrick ****

; son of Max and Maria ****

; son of Maria and

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

; adopted by Max ***

; son of Dan and Edna; married Doreen Leicester **** Moira Ramsay; daughter of Tom and Doreen; married to Mr. Harrigan ***** Holly Harrigan; daughter of Moira and Mr Harrigan ****

; daughter of Tom and Doreen; married

Adam Willis Adam Willis may refer to: * Adam Willis (footballer) (born 1976), English former footballer *Adam Willis (Neighbours) Adam Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Ian Williams. He made his first ...

*****

; daughter of Gemma and Adam; married

Kyle Canning Kyle Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Chris Milligan. The actor successfully auditioned for the six-week recurring role of Kyle and he made his first on screen appearance on 26 November 200 ...

***

Madge Ramsay 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 the ...

; daughter of Dan and Edna; married Fred Mitchell; married

Harold Bishop Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ian Smith. The actor was offered the role by the show's creator and executive producer Reg Watson. Smith made his first screen appearance as H ...

**** Henry Ramsay; son of Madge and Fred; married to

Bronwyn Davies Bronwyn Davies is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Rachel Friend. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 July 1988. Bronwyn is the sister of Sharon Davies. Bronwyn f ...

****

; daughter of Madge and Fred; married

***** Daniel Robinson; son of Charlene and Scott; married

*****

; daughter of Charlene and Scott

Reception

In her book, ''Neighbours: The First 10 Years'', Josephine Monroe observed that the Ramsays were "a good foil to the better bred Robinsons". ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

's'' Robin Oliver branded the family "raucous". Andrew Mercado, author of ''Super Aussie Soaps'', believed the family were once "the backbone of the show". In her book ''Soap opera'', Dorothy Hobson describes the family as "more working class than other characters" and stated: "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."

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsay Family Neighbours families Television characters introduced in 1985 Ramsay family

Creation and development

Family members

Reception

See also

References

Bibliography