List of Neighbours characters introduced in 2004
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the show in 2004, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the shows executive producer Ric Pellizzeri. The 20th season of Neighbours began airing from 19 January 2004. Svetlanka Ristic the mother of Liljana Bishop made her debut in February, and her grandson, Luka Dokich arrived later on in September. Ben Barrack also joined the cast as Gus Cleary in February and the following month saw a new police officer arrive in the form of Allan Steiger. The first two members of the Timmins family, [|Stingray] and [|Janelle], arrived in March and November respectively. Joe Scully's brother [|Tom] made his first appearance in May. Corrupt cop, Olivia McPherson made her debut in June. Neighbours' first on-going lesbian character, [|Lana Crawford] joined in August and the following month saw Roger Neave join the cast as psychiatrist [|Jeremy Levi]. Carmella Cammeniti's mother, [|Lucia], made her debut in November.
Svetlanka Ristic
Svetlanka Ristic, played by Deidre Rubenstein, is Liljana Bishop's mother. She made her first on-screen appearance on 13 February 2004. The Sunday Mail described Svetlanka as "conniving".Svetlanka is the strict mother of Zoran and Liljana. She and her husband ran a vineyard in Perth. Svetlanka finds it difficult when Liljana and her family move across the country to Melbourne. She comes to Erinsborough to visit Liljana and believes that the family are doing well, but she soon discovers that David is having financial problems. Svetlanka also discovers that Serena was modelling for dodgy photographer Chris Cousens to help raise money. Svetlanka tries to emotionally blackmail Liljana into returning to Perth, but Liljana tells her that she and her family are settled. Svetlanka tries to buy Serena's favour with money and she later fakes heart problems. Liljana is not fooled and asks her mother to leave. Svetlanka threatens to reveal a secret of Liljana's and she later announces that Liljana had been pregnant when she met David. David stands by his wife and Svetlanka leaves. Liljana reveals to David and Serena that shortly after meeting him, she gave birth to still born baby, that Svetlanks took away before she got to see it. Serena stays in contact with her grandmother and Svetlanka returns a few months later.
Svetlanka stays at Lassiter's Hotel and she is eventually spotted by Harold Bishop. She announces that she wants to give the family $100,000 and she is pleased when it divides Liljana and David, as David wants to take it. Svetlanka grows close to Harold and they share a kiss one night after dinner. David tells Svetlanka that they will accept the money only if she leaves straight away. She decides to give them the money, but Liljana tells her that they will be returning it. Liljana invites Svetlanka to a goodbye dinner, but she Liljana starts telling everyone how she disgraced her family by becoming pregnant as a teenager. Svetlanka and Liljana make up, but Svetlanka is horrified when she sees Luka Dokich talking to Serena in the Coffee Shop. Svetlanka tries to prevent the growing relationship between Serena and Luka. Luka tells her that he has arrived to search for his biological parents and is hoping that Svetlanka can help.
Svetlanka tries to convince Luka that he is not adopted, but he does not listen to her. Luka tells her that he will leave, but he hides in a shed with only Serena knowing he is there. Svetlanka follows Serena and ends up slapping her when she sees Luka is still around. Liljana is taken to hospital with liver failure and Svetlanka confesses to Karl Kennedy that Luka is Liljana's son and he is a match. Svetlanka warns Serena to stay away from Luka and tells her that they are related. Serena reveals the truth to everyone and Harold tells Svetlanka that her family would not abandon her. However, Liljana tells her mother that she does not want to see her again and Svetlanka makes plans to return to Perth. Harold and Svetlanka find a little boy who has run away from home and Svetlanka helps him reunite with his mother. Svetlanka asks Harold to join her, but she later decides to leave alone. When news of the deaths of David, Liljana and Serena during a plane crash reaches Svetlanka, she is unable to attend the funeral as she is heavily sedated due to her grief.
Gus Cleary
Gus Cleary, played by Ben Barrack, made his first on-screen appearance on 17 February 2004. Gus was a friend of Max Hoyland and came to stay with him. He was later murdered by Paul Robinson during the Lassiter's fire.Barrack went to two auditions for Gus and four days after the second one, he was given the role. Barrack said that his character is "clearly a pretty mixed up fella", but believes that people felt some empathy for him. He said that he researched schizophrenia and thought about things that happened in Gus' life which may have led to him acting the way he did. He believed that Gus was "almost childlike in his need to be liked and accepted."
Gus comes from a privileged background and is forced to accept a job on one of his father's oil rigs when he uses up all of his chances. Gus' inability to do his job almost causes a major oil spill and Max Hoyland, his supervisor, fires him. Years later, Gus arrives in Erinsborough, where Max and his family had settled down. Gus takes a look around Max's house when it is put up for auction by its owner and steals a photo. He then meets up with Max and tells him that there are no hard feelings between them. However, on the day of the auction Gus hides in the house and places his own bids by phone, which forces Max to bid over his limit. Max helps Gus find some work at Lou's Place and Gus also starts dating Izzy Hoyland, despite the fact that she feels unsettled by Gus' possessiveness. Gus continues with his manipulation of the Hoyland family, by talking to Boyd about his girlfriend and buying Steph a model motorbike. Gus also rescues Summer after she gets stuck in a bad part of town. Gus slips sedative into Max's drink just before he drives Steph to the hospital. Max just manages to avoid an accident and puts it down to too many beers at lunch. Max injures his back and Gus spends his time at the Hoyland's looking after him.
Gus continues to give Max sedatives, but he tries to cover his tracks when Max goes to the hospital for tests, and the sedatives are found in his blood. Karl Kennedy looks into Gus' past and finds that he was sent to a mental hospital. Max asks Gus to leave, but he returns to say goodbye to Summer and Boyd fights with him. Gus breaks in and hides in the roof, only coming out to do the housework. He is discovered and Max chases him to a building site, they both fight in the rafters of a house and they fall. Gus then disappears. Gus discovers that Izzy is pregnant and he tries to speak to her, but Karl sees them and calls the police. Gus is taken away to a mental hospital and Izzy tells him that the baby is not his. Gus is then transferred to a Perth hospital. He appears months later at Izzy's wedding to Karl. He tells Izzy that she should be with him and she tells him that she lost the baby. Gus kisses her and leaves, he goes to Ramsay Street and Max tries to win his trust. Stuart Parker appears and Gus runs off. That evening, a fire destroys the Lassiter's complex and a burnt body is discovered. It is identified as Gus and tests reveal that he did not die in the fire, he received a blow to the head. In 2007 and 2014, Gus is seen in flashbacks after Paul Robinson confesses to killing Gus.
Allan Steiger
Senior Sergeant Allan Steiger, played by Joe Clements, made his first appearance on 4 March 2004. The character's role in the show increased when producers introduced his daughter Pepper Steiger to the main cast, and he became a love interest for Janelle Timmins. Janelle was known for being unlucky in love, and Feeney commented that Steiger would come in and woo her character. She thought it was about time Janelle had a good romance, but she was unsure at the time if it would be ongoing. Of the couple, she stated "I don't like to say too much. But it seems to work well. He comes in and puts a controlling hand on Janelle, but it doesn't pull her down too much." A TV Week columnist thought Steiger "may get more than he bargained for" with his new romance.Stuart Parker clashes with Allan, shortly after he joins the police force training team. Allan feels that Stuart is not taking the job seriously and he looks in his file and sees that Stuart has trouble sticking with a job. When Stuart fails an exercise, Allan tells him to buck up his ideas if he wants to join the force. Stuart snaps and knocks Allan to the ground. Allan later tells him that if he returns the next day, then they can forget that ever happened. Allan begins self-defence classes for the Erinsborough women and Lyn Scully, Susan Kennedy and Liljana Bishop sign up. Liljana enjoys Allan's attention and she wears a skimpy outfit to the classes. Allan likes Liljana and believes she is interested in him, but she turns down his offer to go to the coast. Allan is promoted to Senior Sergeant and his first investigation is the Lassiter's complex fire and the murder of Gus Cleary. Allan offers Stuart a desk job when his sight is damaged in the fire. Allan investigates numerous crimes in the area, including David Bishop's being framed for fraud. He helps Stuart and allows him to take some time off when his wife is taken to a mental hospital.
Allan sends Stuart undercover at a prison to help out Dylan and Stingray Timmins and later tries to arrest their father at his wedding to Janelle Timmins. When Paul Robinson is targeted by a stalker, Allan leads the investigation. Robert Robinson is discovered to be the stalker and Paul arranges a fake wedding with Gail Robinson, with Allan waiting in the crowd. Robert shoots Paul and is arrested. Allan's daughter, Pepper Steiger moves into Ramsay Street and Allan is surprised when she tells him that she is engaged to Frazer Yeats. Allan and Pepper rescue Janae Timmins from Rex Colt, who had locked her in his office. Pepper decides to reunite her parents and Allan is also keen to get back with his ex-wife, Christine Rodd. Christine tells Allan and Pepper that she is a lesbian and while Pepper takes the news badly, Allan goes to the Scarlet Bar to play darts. He meets Janelle and she later asks him on a date.
Janelle and Allan decide to go shoot pigs and go camping. During the trip Allan arrests Katya Kinski, which disgusts Janelle. She tries to leave, but changes her mind and she and Allan begin a relationship. Stingray dies and Dylan leaves town, which devastates Janelle. Allan helps her through her grief and she later asks him to move in with her. Pepper tells her father that she is being stalked and she reveals to him that she fell pregnant to her high school boyfriend and later suffered a miscarriage. Allan arrests Kevin Casey, but later discovers that his mother is stalking Pepper. Allan accepts a job in the Solomon Islands and tells Janelle that when he returns he will propose. Allan contracts malaria and he returns home. Allan suggests that the Timmins family move up north to allow Janelle to be closer to Dylan and Anne Baxter. Allan proposes to Janelle and they get married at their farewell party. The family then leave in a helicopter.