List of Neighbours characters introduced in 1991
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 1991, by order of first appearance. The 7th season of Neighbours began airing on 21 January 1991. All characters were introduced by executive producer Don Battye. [|Michael Daniels] was introduced in June. Rachel Blakely and Genevieve Lemon made their debuts in August as Gaby Willis and Brenda Riley respectively. Andrew Williams joined the cast as Brenda's nephew, [|Guy Carpenter] in September, as did Simone Robertson as [|Phoebe Bright]. Faye Hudson played by Lorraine Bayly, and the year's first baby [|Andrew Robinson], son of established characters Paul and Christina Robinson, were introduced in November.
Michael Daniels
Michael Daniels, played by Brian Blain, made his first appearance on 12 June 1991. The character was introduced as a cousin of Helen Daniels' late husband, Bill. He also became a love interest for Helen, something that Haddy was delighted with. She thought it was "about time" that her character was happy, adding "There's a need for love at all ages." In her book The Neighbours Programme Guide, Josephine Monroe said Michael "seemed to be perfect – charming, sensitive and funny". Helen and Michael eventually marry in an Edwardian-style ceremony. The scenes were filmed at a church in the Dandenong Ranges. It marked the fourth time Blain had played a groom in a screen wedding. While reviewing the wedding episode, Peter Holmes of The Sydney Morning Herald took a dislike to Michael, commenting "You'll excuse the indulgence, but I reckon the bloke's a bit of a cad." Holmes noted there were some instances which raised suspicion about Michael's intentions and thought the marriage was headed for "certain disaster." Monroe wrote that the character had "a heartbreaking secret – he was already married."Michael meets Helen Daniels while she is waiting for an X-ray at the hospital following a fall. As they talk, they realise they share the same surname and are related – Michael's cousin Bill was Helen's late husband. They enjoy each other's company and begin dating. Michael plans to propose to Helen while they are at The Waterhole with an engagement ring in a champagne glass. However, when Michael returns from the toilet, he finds the glass gone and he panics. Michael recovers the ring and proposes to Helen, who accepts. Jim Robinson insists on paying for the wedding, but Michael will not hear of it. Jim also makes some suggestions, but Michael and Helen tell him they only want a small gathering with family and friends, who live locally. Ahead of the wedding, Michael confides in Jim that he is getting cold feet. Jim urges Michael to think carefully before calling the wedding off. Michael relents and Jim keeps quiet about his doubts. The day of the wedding arrives and Michael arranges for the guests to arrive in vintage cars at the church. The ceremony goes off without a hitch and Helen and Michael are married. At the reception, the bride and groom figures fall off the cake and Melanie Pearson sees this as bad omen. When Jim takes a call from Michael's cousin, Alf, he learns that Michael is married. Jim goes to Perth to talk with Michael's friend Charles Milner about Louise Daniels, whom Michael said was his sister. When Jim presses for information about Michael and Louise being divorced, Charles is silent and Jim realises Michael is a bigamist. When Michael and Helen return from their honeymoon, Jim urges Michael to tell Helen the truth and he reluctantly does. Helen asks Michael to leave. A few days later, Michael offers to take Helen to meet Louise, which she agrees to. They visit Louise at a care home and Michael explains Louise has progressive dementia, brought on by schizophrenia and her condition has been deteriorating for a number of years. Helen is sympathetic, but cannot condone his actions which have hurt her and she refuses to continue being with him. Several months later, Michael sends Helen a letter informing her that Louise has died. He asks Helen to marry him again and move to England, but she declines.
Gaby Willis
Gaby Willis, played by Rachel Blakely, made her first appearance on 12 August 1991. Blakely was invited to audition for the role by a Neighbours casting director, who spotted her picture on the cover of a magazine. The character was introduced alongside her brother Brad Willis, played by Scott Michaelson. Gaby was initially said to be studying at a business school in Japan. She later becomes a boutique owner. Josephine Monroe, author of Neighbours: The First 10 Years thought that Gaby's "cascading dark hair" and model looks meant there was never a shortage of men after her. An Inside Soap writer stated Gaby and Glen Donnelly had Ramsay Street's biggest on-off romance since Scott and Charlene. Gaby later gives birth to a son Zac. Blakely reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary episode in July 2005.Brenda Riley
Brenda Riley, played by Genevieve Lemon, made her first appearance on 21 August 1991. The character was introduced amid a large revamp of the show, which had seen a decline in ratings and several characters written out. Brenda's arrival preceded that of her nephew Guy Carpenter, who was introduced shortly after. Brenda becomes the "new face behind the counter" when she takes over the Coffee Shop, as Harold Bishop and Madge Bishop leave for an extended holiday. In February 1992, David Brown of TV Week reported that after only six months in the role, Lemon would be "moving out of Ramsay Street" to begin filming a part in The Piano. Vanessa Keys of The Daily Telegraph described Brenda as "a hard-bitten woman". A writer for BBC Online said Brenda's most notable moment was "Putting Pam in a frenzy"Brenda is the younger sister of Lou Carpenter. When Lou tells her his former partner Madge Bishop and her husband Harold Bishop are leasing the Coffee Shop while they tour Australia, Brenda heads to Erinsborough and secures an interview. Madge and Brenda get along well, but Harold finds her coarse jokes off-putting. Madge convinces him Brenda is the best person for the job and they also rent out Number 24 Ramsay Street to her. Madge is sure she recognises Brenda from somewhere and she admits she is Lou's sister, which upsets Harold, who previously competed with Lou for Madge's affections. Harold is keen to terminate the agreement, but softens when Brenda is able to get him a $5000 discount on a campervan for the Bishops' trip and agrees to let her stay.
When Brenda looks after Harold's grandchildren Toby and Sky Mangel, Toby lies and tells her that he is allowed to stay up later than normal on weekends, much to Madge's ire. However, when the children are tired out the next day, Brenda explains that she wanted to them teach them a lesson that getting their own way is not always a good thing. Madge apologises to Brenda before she and Harold leave on their trip. Brenda's nephew Guy Carpenter arrives looking for a place to stay and the neighbours are surprised when they see Brenda moving Guy's belongings in, and they think she is dating a younger man. Brenda then explains that Guy is Lou's son and did not want Harold knowing in case he became upset again. When Harold disappears after being swept off of a rock and is presumed dead, Madge goes to visit her family to get over the loss and Brenda takes over the Coffee shop indefinitely. She immediately becomes a popular fixture. However, her gossiping gets her in trouble when she unwittingly tells Felicity Brent about Dorothy Burke's marital problems, which Felicity uses in the local elections to discredit Dorothy, leaving her furious when she loses her seat and a feud develops.
Brenda reciprocates when Doug Willis, a married man known for flirting, catches her eye. Brenda becomes convinced he is attracted to her and that his marriage to Pam Willis is failing. Brenda and Doug begin spending together and she tries to seduce him after learning her former husband, Roy, is remarrying. Brenda becomes emotional and asks Doug to stay with her that night but the plan backfires when Doug sends over Pam to talk to her. Things come to a head when Brenda kisses Doug which is witnessed by his daughter, Gaby Willis. Pam confronts Doug and he is forced to tell Brenda that the flirting was a bit of fun. Brenda is humiliated and avoids her neighbours until Pam tells her that she has nothing against her and explains about Doug's behaviour.
When Brenda discovers Guy is taking steroids to help him in the upcoming Cross-Country race, she tries to make him see sense, but Guy refuses to listen, so Brenda threatens to take steroids herself as long as Guy continues to do so. Guy, fearful, relents and quits taking them. Brenda's problems worsen when it seems that her homemade tuna quiche is the cause of Josh Anderson's sickness and she tries to recover any previously sold quiches. Brenda panics when she sees a motionless Bouncer on the floor, but he is only playing dead. Brenda is relieved to find that the quiche is not the cause of Josh's sickness but a virus going around.
Brenda and Dorothy's feud is reignited, after Dorothy tells her off for employing Toby for after school shifts. Brenda schemes by placing a personal advert in the paper's lonely hearts column under Dorothy's name. However, the plan is undone when Lucy Robinson tells Dorothy, who then arranges for a colleague to pose as a suitor. Brenda and Dorothy later become friends after they win a radio quiz. Doug tries to set Brenda up with his workmate Nev Cusack at a dinner party, but he is more interested in Doug's sister Faye Hudson. Roy arrives much to Brenda's surprise and wants to get back with her after splitting with his wife, Simone, and plans to set up business in Malaysia and wants Brenda to come with him. Simone encourages Brenda to take a second chance with Roy. Feeling uncertain, Brenda tells Roy to go on without her. After a boring date with Adrian Pitt, Brenda realises Roy is her one true love and leaves Erinsborough.