Neighbours hunk Shane Ramsay star – 35 years after dramatically quitting soap

Neighbours is about to make its TV comeback, just a year after it was shelved by Channel 5 with an emotional, star-studded final episode.

Amazon Freevee, the new video-streaming service, brings the popular Aussie soap back next month, with storylines set two years after viewers last left infamous Erinsborough behind.

But while characters have come and gone over the years, many viewers still remember the very original ones, from when the show first launched in the mid-1980s.

Names such as Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene (Kylie Minogue), Paul (Stefan Dennis), Madge (Anne Charleston) and Harold (Ian Bishop), not to mention Henry (Craig McLachlan), Scott's friend Mike (Guy Pearce) and Plain Jane Superbrain (Annie Jones) all evoke fond memories for early fans.

Another of Ramsay Street's inhabitants at the very beginning was Max and Maria Ramsay's heartthrob son, Shane, played by Peter O'Brien. Shane, who sported an impressive mullet hairstyle, had storylines that included training to be an Olympic swimmer, and being involved in two car crashes.

He also got romantically involved with Daphne Lawrence (Elaine Smith), although she eventually ended up marrying Des (Paul Keane).

Peter O'Brien, the actor who played Shane, appeared in the soap's very first episode, broadcast in March 1985 and was one of the original cast assembled by the show's creators.

Stefan Dennis, who went on to play long-standing character Paul Robinson, originally auditioned for the part, but Peter was cast in the role instead.

In 1986 he went on to win the Most Popular New Talent award in the Australian TV Logie Awards, winning Most Popular Actor the following year.

But the writing was already on the wall for Peter, who'd decided he wanted to quit, as he hadn't expected Neighbours to last for more than two years. He appeared in his final episode in March 1987, written out with his character simply moving into a nearby caravan.

Older viewers will remember that Peter went on to star in TV series The Flying Doctors from 1988 to 1991, a drama revolving around the everyday lifesaving efforts of airborne Australian medics.

He also popped up in shows including Queer as Folk, Gossip Girl, The Bill and Casualty, where he played a new consultant called Stitch.

In January 2003, Peter married actress Miranda Otto, after they met while performing in a production of the Henrik Ibsen play, A Doll's House. Miranda gave birth to their daughter, Darcey, in 2005.

Now 63 years old, Peter was last year asked to return to the final episodes of Neighbours, reprising the role of Shane.

In the storyline, a rowdy gathering was taking place at Lassiters, and an annoyed Paul walked past, only to spot his childhood best friend, Shane.

Shane revealed he had become a millionaire, wanting to channel money into Lassiters in a dream business opportunity for Paul, that could only be too good to be true.

Viewers could well find out how things resolved themselves when Neighbours returns next month.

Source: Read Full Article