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Interactive > The 50 Greatest Neighbours

You voted in your hundreds, we tore our hair out totalling it up, but it’s finally here – the list of The 50 Greatest Neighbours, as voted for by you. We know this should really be presented as a 42-hour clip show on Channel 4, but as Jimmy Carr was busy filming The World’s Greatest Shopping Lists, you’ll just have to make do with a series of articles. Drumroll please as the rundown from 50 – 41 begins...

50

Clive Gibbons (217 points) Introduced after Neighbours moved to Network 10, Clive made an instant impact – but when you arrive dressed as a gorilla, that’s not hard! Despite a run-in with Max Ramsay on his first day, comedian Clive soon became a hit, providing some of the show’s funniest moments. However, there was more to Clive than met the eye; he was actually a doctor nursing a secret heartache. When Clive returned to medicine he became a trusted physician and friendly ear to young and old alike, and it was this across the board appeal that made him a hit with viewers too. Sadly, despite being liked by all, Clive never found true love, his aborted engagement to Susan Cole eventually leading to his exit. Viewers never forgot Clive though, and Network 10 even planned a spin-off series for the character (which disappointingly never materialised). Biography | Interview

49

Philip Martin (223 points) In his brief first appearance in 1985, Philip was a married man cheating on his alcoholic wife. Who’d have thought that seven years and a change of actor could make such a difference? When Phil returned in 1992 he was an altogether nicer character, becoming the show’s ‘Mr Dad’ after his father-in-law Jim’s death. It’s easy to see why viewers were fond of Phillip; he had plenty to put up with over the years. Second wife Julie henpecked him senseless, and son Michael was devising murderous schemes while Robert Robinson was still in kindy! But it was when he faced widowhood for the second time that viewers’ hearts really went out to Mr Martin. Phil would later find love again with Ruth Wilkinson, who mercifully was neither a nag nor a lush, before the character was controversially axed in 1999.

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Cody Willis (238 points) The sort of girl your gran would call ‘a right little madam’, Cody started off as the minx trying to lure Todd Landers away Melissa. Often involved in comedy storylines, Cody came to the forefront as her family moved into Ramsay Street, but left for America on an exchange programme when actress Amelia Frid quit in 1991. Two years later she returned a changed girl – literally, with Peta Brady taking over the role. But Cody’s personality had changed too; more grown-up and thoughtful, she’d developed into a very bright young woman. While these changes could have been disastrous, the new look Cody was a massive hit with viewers, partly because she was so different from typically shallow soap teens. Her death from a stray bullet in a siege in 1996 remains one of the most shocking moments in Neighbours history. Biography

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Annalise Hartman (238 points) A 17 year-old girl throwing herself at a man three times her age? Annalise had gold-digger written all over her when she first sashayed onto Ramsay Street in 1993. We thought she’d be gone within weeks – yet over the next three years, Annalise became one of the most popular characters Neighbours had seen since its eighties peak. Although her looks meant she would frequently feature in romantic storylines, Annalise could do comedy too, such as her sudden discovery of poetic ‘talents’. Who could forget her anthology ‘Road to Arrival’, which dealt with weighty issues such as the life cycle of a teabag? This combination, plus serious storylines such as her battle with melanoma, made Annalise much more than window dressing. Her surprise return in 2005 at the centre of the show’s 20th anniversary celebrations cemented Annalise’s position as a fan favourite. Biography

46

Max Hoyland (247 points) As Neighbours had already had one very famous Max, Mr Hoyland had a lot to live up to when he arrived in 2002. The son of local vicar Rosie, plain-speaking Max couldn’t have been more different from his mother, and at first it was hard to see how he’d fit into Ramsay Street. But over time viewers warmed to Max as he rebuilt his relationship with his kids, while his romance with Steph Scully showed the softie underneath that gruff exterior. Now married to Steph, the birth of their son Charlie was one of the show’s most emotional moments of recent years. But perhaps the biggest compliment to the character is that when ‘Max from Neighbours’ is mentioned, people no longer automatically think of a certain Mr Ramsay… Biography | Interview

45

Dorothy Burke (256 points) With her severe bun, thick glasses and trademark boater hats, Dorothy looked like your typical school ma’am. But beneath the stern exterior was a bright, well-travelled woman with a wealth of life experience and a genuine capacity to love. Firm but fair Dorothy grew to be respected by her students, and formed strong friendships with Helen Daniels and Jim Robinson. It was in Helen and nephew Ryan that she confided the truth about her ‘late’ husband, who was actually behind bars. But it was her more unusual relationships that endeared Dorothy to fans. After initially feuding with Joe Mangel, they became close friends, and she also became a surprisingly modern surrogate mum to orphaned Phoebe Bright. Although her exit with new man Tom in 1993 was a blow to fans, it also meant Dorothy got the happy ending she richly deserved. Biography

44

Anne Wilkinson (266 points) In soap the words ‘teen’ and ‘troubled’ tend to go together like Punch and Judy, so kind-hearted Anne was a breath of fresh air. While her on-off relationship with Billy Kennedy grabbed the TV guide headlines, her friendships with twin brother Lance, Amy Greenwood and Toadie Rebecchi were equally watchable, creating one of the most popular teen gangs in Neighbours history. Anne was liked by the older generation as well as her peers; pensioner Lily was so grateful for her kindness, she left Anne her house. Pretty without being an intimidating beauty, Anne appealed to both male and female fans. When she waved goodbye in 2000, viewers got the reunion they’d longed for, as she and Bill finally rode off into the sunset. Biography

43

Julie Robinson/Martin (268 points) If you thought life as a single young woman was all dates, parties and fashion, you’ve never met a woman like Julie. Her main passion in life was stickybeaking, and her attempts at ‘help’ almost always made things worse. But the boot was on the other foot when Julie got involved with married Phillip Martin, who she eventually left Erinsborough with. When she returned in 1992, actress Julie Mullins had replaced Vikki Blanche, but her personality hadn’t changed one bit. If anything Julie was worse than ever, driving poor Phil to distraction, not to mention her reluctant business partner Lou. But while half of Ramsay Street couldn’t stand her, viewers loved to hate this mini Mrs Mangel. Sadly Julie Mullins left after two years, thanks to a minority of viewers who couldn’t tell fact from fiction, and Neighbours was left a weaker show for it. Biography

42

Felicity Scully (285 points) Confident and attractive, Felicity ‘Flick’ Scully was the coolest kid on the block. Girls wanted to be like her, boys wanted to be with her – and many were. Whether it was her controversial romance with older man Joel Samuels, or her crush on the postman, Flick’s romances kept Neighbours scriptwriters busy for years. But even fans were shocked by her fling with her own sister’s fiancé, Marc Lambert. It’s perhaps worth noting at this point that Flick never had a close female friend… Eventually she became engaged to Stuart Parker, but even he went by the wayside when a job offer in New York came along. Off-screen, actress Holly Valance became the show’s biggest teen sensation in years, resurrecting the trend for Neighbours stars turning to pop. Biography

41

Lyn Scully (288 points) A Catholic mum of five, Lyn hasn’t had the easiest life in her seven years on Ramsay Street. She’s been through a difficult birth in her forties, a shock divorce, a broken engagement, and has seen her eldest daughter battle cancer twice. Maybe that’s why viewers can relate to Lyn; she’s basically an ordinary woman trying to make the best of life, working hard to raise her son and doing her best to support her family. She might not always get it right, and at times her ‘help’ is more like downright interference, but no one can say she doesn’t try. In more recent months, Lyn’s undergone a transformation from hardworking hairdresser to power-dressing PA, but this new direction only seems to have enhanced her popularity with viewers. Biography

Thanks to Billy, Callum, Lucy, Ryan and Steve