List of Neighbours characters introduced in 2000
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Reg Watson and first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the soap in 2000, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Stanley Walsh. The 16th season of Neighbours began airing from 17 January 2000. Blair Venn began appearing as [|Brendan Bell] in the same month. [|Dee Bliss] made her first appearance in February, while Sheena Wilson and [|Gino Esposito] were introduced in August. September saw Allana Truman make her debut. Siblings [|Emily] and Leo Hancock arrived in October. [|Darcy Tyler] and Larry Woodhouse started appearing from November.
Brendan Bell
Brendan Bell, played by Blair Venn, made his first screen appearance on 19 January 2000. Brendan was married to Teresa Bell and he was often violent towards her. Vendy revealed that Brendan physically and mentally abused Tess and she became desperate to get away from him. When the Kennedy family ask Tess to move in with them, she made the decision to leave Brendan. Of Tess and Brendan's marriage, Vendy said "Teresa is a very strong woman, but she has lost a lot of her confidence during the abusive marriage. She is only 24 years old and she looks up to Brendan because he is 11 years her senior and is a successful lawyer. Sadly, he only sees her as a trophy." Brendan came to see Tess and tried to talk his way back into her affections. Vendy stated that despite Brendan's past behaviour, Tess wanted her marriage to work and her stubbornness kept her going back. Tess believed Brendan when he said that he would change and her friends became concerned when she allowed Brendan back into her life. Tess was unaware that Brendan was "playing a double game." Despite being sincere around his wife, she was unaware that he had turned on a few people and displayed a split personality. One night, "a highly jealous" Brendan got into his car and sped through the rain to try to find Tess, he then crashed into Libby Kennedy and Stephanie Scully.Brendan is a lawyer married to high school teacher, Teresa. Brendan is older than Tess and he often abuses her. Brendan learns his Tess is leaving him when he finds her packing up her belongings. Brendan becomes angry, but does not show his emotions, so it makes Tess' accusations against him look bad. Brendan continues to put on a front and when he meets Susan Kennedy at the Coffee Shop, he tells her Tess has been emotionally unstable ever since her mother died. Brendan informs Tess that he is going to attend anger management classes and he later tells her that he has changed. Tess is wary, but Brendan becomes a part of her new life and she starts relying on him more and more. Tess is impressed when Brendan backs away from a fight at the local pub and starts to believe that he has changed. Brendan cooks dinner for Tess one night and his car fails to start, so he spends the night on the sofa.
After a week away on business, Brendan returns and he and Tess go on a couple of dates. When Paul McClain narrowly misses hitting Brendan with his bike, Brendan becomes enraged by the incident. Susan sees him and tells Tess, but she refuses to listen. Brendan asks Tess to get back together with him and move home. He also reveals that he has to go away on business again, so he gives her five weeks to answer him. On his return, Brendan learns that Tess is still living in Ramsay Street. When he finds out she has gone dancing with Daniel Fitzgerald, Brendan flies into a jealous rage and rushes to confront her. On his way, Brendan hits Libby Kennedy and Steph Scully with his car. Brendan is taken to the hospital and charged by the police with causing the accident. Brendan begs Tess for forgiveness. Shortly afterwards, an undetected internal injury causes Brendan to have a fatal heart attack.
Dee Bliss
Dione "Dee" Bliss, played by Madeleine West, made her first screen appearance on 3 February 2000. West was studying law at university when she decided to get an agent and try acting. She received the role of Dee shortly afterwards. West deferred her law degree studies after she won the role. When Dee became popular with viewers, the serial's producers made her a regular cast member and offered West a new contract. Jim Schembri of The Age said Dee was "Ramsay Street's reigning blonde beauty." In 2001, West was nominated for the Most Popular New Female Talent Logie Award for her portrayal of Dee.Sheena Wilson
Sheena Wilson, played by Zoe Stark, made her first screen appearance on 10 August 2000. Sheena was a friend of Dee Bliss, who became a love interest for Toadfish Rebecchi. Sheena and Toadie later suffered problems with their relationship when Toadie revealed to Sheena that her mother, Rhonda, had attempted to seduce him. Another notable storyline for Sheena saw her accuse Martin Cook of victimisation, when he refused her a place in one of his workshops.Sheena is a nurse at Erinsborough Hospital, who becomes good friends with Dee Bliss. Sheena helps out when Lou Carpenter suffers a back injury and when Lyn Scully gives birth to her son. Dee tries to set Sheena up with both Lance Wilkinson and Toadfish Rebecchi. Sheena later agrees to go on a date with Toadie, who convinces himself that she accepted for a bet. However, Sheena tells Toadie that she is genuinely interested in him and they begin spending more time together. Toadie agrees to help Sheena's mother, Rhonda, out with some work around her house. Rhonda begins flirting with Toadie and he becomes uncomfortable around her, but does not tell Sheena. When Rhonda continues to flirt with Toadie, he eventually informs Sheena about her mother's behaviour towards him. The couple decide that they cannot trust each other enough and break up. The following year, Sheena applies for a place in one of Martin Cook's lectures. Martin sexually harasses Sheena and when she accuses him of victimisation, she is left alienated at work. Sheena leaves Martin's workshop and goes on holiday. Her accusations against Martin are proven when Dee also becomes his target.
A couple of years later, Sheena is on duty when Boyd Hoyland ends up in a coma, after having a brain tumour removed. Sheena tells Boyd's family that they should prepare for the worst. Sheena attends her high school reunion at the Scarlet Bar and becomes annoyed when she learns that Sindi Watts, works there. Sheena tries to tell the owner to sack Sindi, who overhears. Sindi's boyfriend, Stuart Parker, confronts Sheena and her friends about bullying Sindi. However, Sheena explains that it is not true and he should watch his back around Sindi. The following day, Stuart comes to speak with Sheena and she tells him that Sindi used to steal other girls' boyfriends at school. She also tells him to talk to Kelly Weaver, but refuses to elaborate any further. Sheena is transferred to the psychiatric ward and helps to treat Max Hoyland. Max starts to believe that everyone is out to get him and when his family come to take him home, Sheena informs them that Max is being kept in. When Boyd and Stephanie Scully return to take him home, Sheena helps them out with some release forms and they go to collect Max. Sheens explains that Max has just had his medication and may be asleep, but when they get to his room they find he has gone.
Gino Esposito
Gino Esposito, played by Claude Stevens, made his first screen appearance on 11 August 2000. The character was later recast with the role going to Shane McNamara. Gino was a hairdresser who ran the local hair salon. He was gay and in a relationship with Aaron Barkley. Of Gino, script producer, Luke Devenish, said "He is a stereotype, and we don't have a problem with that as he is not a negative stereotype, he is a comic charter and it is for a laugh – in the Mr Humphries kind of tradition". When Gino briefly moved in with Harold Bishop, the writers decided to tweak the "standard love triangle" with Lou Carpenter becoming jealous of the duo.Allana Truman
Allana Truman, played by Josephine Clark, made her first screen appearance on 29 September 2000. Clark had a three-month guest contract, she previously appeared in the serial as Jamie-Lee Duggan in 1997. Allana was described as being "an eccentric girl" by a writer for the BBC's Neighbours website. She became a love interest for Lance Wilkinson and the writer noted that both Lance and Allana shared a passion for science fiction.Allana meets Lance Wilkinson at a science fiction convention and they are attracted to each other. In order to date her, Allana asks Lance to complete seven labours. Lance's first task is to find the final episode of a television show from the local library and convert it into video. He then has to find Allana's favourite retired actor and have a photo taken with him. Lance finds the actor in a nursing home and he manages to con his way in to meet him and get the photo. For the third labour, Allana asks Lance to make a sci-fi film and he has to rope in some of his friends and neighbours to help. Allana burns a strange symbol into the grass in Ramsay Street and gets Lance to decipher it. For the fifth labour, Lance has to convince Libby Kennedy that UFOs are real and get her to publish a newspaper article about it. Allana asks Lance to present the article to her at her house, while he wears a ceremonial outfit. For the seventh and final labour, Allana asks Lance to bring her a piece of a crashed satellite, which proves difficult. Lance decides to create his own piece of the satellite, which impresses Allana. She and Lance finally become a couple and they have sex together for the first time.
Allana's strange behaviour causes Lance to question how well he knows her and she eventually admits that she lives with her mother. Allana's sister, [|Clementine], also reveals that Allana changed her name from Dorothy. The sister's mother, Jeannie, tries to stop Allana's relationship with Lance, as she fears that she will lose her daughter's company. Jeannie is possessive of Allana and explains that she needs her around as she is sick. Allana begs her mother not to make her choose between her and Lance, but she ends up breaking up with Lance. She soon realises that she has made a mistake and begs Lance for his help in escaping Jeannie. They make plans to go travelling in the United States and visit a sci-fi convention while they are there. Lance sells his ute, but he and Allana still struggle to raise the money they need. Lance enters a radio quiz and proves popular with the listeners. The producers try to keep Lance on the show by revealing that they will feed him the answers for the next round. When Allana finds out and threatens to leave him, Lance exposes the scam live on air. Allana and Lance leave Erinsborough and they later start up their own sci-fi convention.