List of Neighbours characters introduced in 1990
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera created by Reg Watson. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 1990, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Don Battye. The sixth season of Neighbours began airing from 11 January 1990. January saw the arrival of the Alessi twins [|Caroline] and [|Christina Alessi] played by Gayle & Gillian Blakeney. Barman Kelvin Stubbs also began appearing that month. In February, Josh Anderson and Ryan McLachlan, played by Jeremy Angerson and Richard Norton, respectively, made their first appearances. That same month British actor Derek Nimmo guested as Lord Ledgerwood. Maggie Dence arrived as new principal [|Dorothy Burke] in March. Bob La Castra joined the serial as [|Eddie Buckingham] in April, and Stephen Hall also joined the cast that month as [|Boof]. Beth Buchanan began playing [|Gemma Ramsay], the niece of established character Madge Bishop in June. The following months, three more members of the new Willis family arrived, [|Doug], [|Pam] and [|Adam], played by Terence Donovan, Sue Jones and Ian Williams, respectively. Alison Whyte guested as environmentalist Amber Martin in September and Richard Huggett arrived as [|Glen Donnelly].
Caroline Alessi
Caroline Alessi, played by Gillian Blakeney, made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 1990. Writers devised relationship stories for Caroline alongside the characters Adam Willis and Jim Robinson. A notable storyline for the character was kissing her sister Christina's husband Paul Robinson.Christina Alessi
Christina Alessi, played by Gayle Blakeney, made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 1990. Christina is the twin sister of Caroline Alessi. Christina later marries long-standing character A notable storyline for the character occurred when she ran off with her son Andrew Robinson without informing Paul.Kelvin Stubbs
Kelvin Stubbs, played by Michael Fletcher made his first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 22 January 1990. Fletcher is a British actor and had appeared in Neighbours four times prior in small "walk on" roles as delivery men. Kelvin is portrayed as a "bashful" and "clumsy" character and Fletcher believed that Kelvin has "bad luck". Producers asked Fletcher if he was clumsy like Kelvin and he insisted he was not. Fletcher told that Stuart Gilles from Manchester Evening News that he had an ironic first day filming because he had a series of clumsy accidents.Writers paired Kelvin romantically with Melanie Pearson. Fletcher recalled that writers transformed the character's appearance and persona, which leads to romance with Melanie. Fletcher told Gilles that Kelvin "always fancied" Melanie but believed she would not want a "bashful type" as a romantic partner. Melanie later pursues romance with Kelvin when he changes his appearance. Fletcher revealed that Kelvin becomes "less clumsy" and "transformed into someone "very different" but not "entirely macho". He revealed that he was required to wear glasses to make him more attractive to Melanie, despite not wearing glasses off-screen. Writers opted for a passionate relationship for the duo, with more intimate scenes being written than were broadcast. Fletcher revealed that he and Cowden changed some intimate scenes they believed were "over the top" because they were always kissing. He described their relationship as problematic because "they keep falling in and out of love". Fletcher described the end of Melanie and Kelvin's relationship as "surprising" and recalled crying when he first read the scripts.
Kelvin is a waiter at Lassiter's. He is revealed as a secret admirer of Melanie and she accuses him of stalking her. She decides to help him gain confidence and they begin to date. Melanie gives Kelvin too much confidence and he asks Christina Alessi out to dinner and goes on a date with [|Andrea]. Melanie is upset to realise Kelvin has been cheating on her. He made his final appearance as Kelvin on 3 April 1990.
Josh Anderson
Joshua "Josh" Anderson, played by Jeremy Angerson, made his first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 February 1990. He arrives in Erinsborough because his father relocates to the area to run a news agents. Producers hired Angerson because they were increasing the size of the male cast following the departure of popular characters. Josh is characterised as friendly, academically bright and good at chemistry. The character helped to form the show's teenage character group of his era alongside Todd Landers, Melissa Jarrett and Cody Willis.Ryan McLachlan
Ryan McLachlan, played by Richard Norton, made his first screen appearance on 15 February 1990. Norton told Chrissie Camp of TV Week that he "couldn't believe his luck" when he received the role of Ryan. He moved to Melbourne aged 19 to begin filming. Ryan is the older brother of Tiffany McLachlan and very protective towards his younger sister. Ryan and Tiffany come to Ramsay Street to stay with their aunt, Dorothy Burke. Norton stayed with Neighbours for one year and left to join the cast of rival soap opera Home and Away. Writers devised an exit storyline which saw him leave Erinsborough to join the army.Lord Ledgerwood
Lord Ledgerwood, played by Derek Nimmo, made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 February 1990. The character and Nimmo's casting were announced on 6 December 1989. James Cockington from The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the British actor had joined the cast in a guest role. He filmed on location in Lyme Park, Cheshire in the United Kingdom alongside Anne Charleston and Ian Smith who play Madge Bishop and Harold Bishop respectively. Cockington said the scenes were due to air in February which were billed as two special episodes. Nimmo was interested in appearing in Neighbours when he was approached because he thought it would be a free holiday. But they informed him that filming would take place in his own country. Nimmo told Cockington that he believed the episodes would be well received by Australian viewers because of his character. He branded Lord Ledgerwood a "archetypal silly Pom" which in his opinion Australians like. The character has been described as an "eccentric peer". Rosemary Daniels also featured in his storyline.Madge and Harold walk around Lyme Park in England where they see Rosemary. She thinks she will need to fly back to the US and asks Madge and Harold to find Lord Ledgerwood and secure her business deal. They visit his estate but he refuses to see them. Rosemary arrives having not left after all. Lord Ledgerwood agrees to see Rosemary and he shows everyone around. The character's final appearance was screened on 27 February 1990.
Dorothy Burke
Dorothy Burke, played by Maggie Dence, made her first on-screen appearance on 7 March 1990. The actress was appearing in a theatre production when she was approached by a representative from Grundy to join the show. Dorothy's storylines were written to include a mixture of comedy and drama. Dorothy lived on Ramsay Street alongside her niece Tiffany and nephew Ryan McLachlan. In 1993, Dorothy meets Tom Merrick, a school inspector who comes to evaluate Erinsborough High and they fall in love. This leads to her departure alongside Tom.Eddie Buckingham
Edward "Eddie" Buckingham, played by Bob La Castra, made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 April 1990. La Castra created the character for himself after he was told that casting him the soap would be difficult because of his ethnic background. He auditioned for Neighbours via video tape. La Castra was written out of Neighbours in October 1990 along with a series of characters, so the producers could make a return to focusing on family-oriented drama. Eddie departed on 28 September 1990.Boof
Gary "Boof" Head, played by Stephen Hall, made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 April 1990. Caron Eastgate from TV Week reported that Boof would be responsible for the breakdown of Todd Landers and Melissa Jarrett's relationship. Melissa's mother would ban her from seeing Tood after Boof convinces him to break-in a local car crushing office. The two characters burgle the office and take spare parts to repair their bikes with. Hall had guested on the serial the previous year as Angus Owens.Boof is introduced during a bike race alongside established characters Todd, Melissa, Ryan McLachlan, Josh Anderson and Cody Willis. He purposely knocks Cody off her bike and she injures her knee. He then teases Ryan about Cody. The race upsets local pensioner [|Lester Cooper] who tells them off and orders them away from his land. Boof begins to threaten Lester and pushes him over. Ryan stands up to Boof for bullying a pensioner. Kerry Bishop becomes annoyed at Boof for vandalising the park and shouts at him.
Boof gets his friends to hang around Ryan's work. They begin to smash plates and threaten to beat Ryan up. Boof begins spending time with Todd and gets him to break in the local car crushing office. They are caught, arrested and given a court date. Boof is later sent to juvenile detention and Todd is free to leave after being given a given a good behaviour bond. Boof later threatens Todd with a piece of wood but Josh comes to help him. When Boof does not back down, Josh beats him up. Boof later hassles Melissa and Cody but runs off when Josh appears.
Two years later, Boof returns to Erinsborough and begins bullying Toby Mangel into stealing for him after Toby witnesses him stealing the money for World Vision from the Coffee shop. Boof threatens to hurt Toby's dog Bouncer and kidnaps him as leverage, holding him hostage in a metal shed at a scrapyard. He also begins hassling Rick Alessi, who is initially blamed for a spate of thefts in the street and bullies him into stealing too, but Rick and his brother, Marco come up with a plan to foil Boof. After Marco secretly rescues Bouncer from the scrapyard, Rick and Toby bring Cameron Hudson's motorbike to Boof. When Boof goes to the shed to retrieve Bouncer, Marco pushes him inside with another dog, Fang. Marco agrees to let Boof out if he agrees to sign a confession. Boof initially refuses but when relents when Marco is prepared to let Fang off the leash and signs. Boof is then arrested and sent back to prison.
Several months later, Boof reappears as a member of "The Peace Patrol", a Neighbourhood watch group. He appears to foil a robbery but it is later discovered that he and another group member, Clay, staged the whole thing in order to get publicity in the paper from Cameron, who is a journalist.