Shane Ramsay

Shane Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Peter O'Brien. He made his first appearance during the show's first episode, broadcast on 18 March 1985. Shane is the son of Max (Francis Bell) and Maria Ramsay (Dasha Blahova). His storylines included training to be an Olympic swimmer, being involved in two car crashes, with the second killing Jean Richards (Margot Knight) and Shane faced manslaughter charges. Writers also created a relationship story with Daphne Lawrence (Elaine Smith). O'Brien decided to leave Neighbours in 1986 and Shane departed during the episode broadcast on 3 March 1987.

Shane Ramsay
Neighbours character
Portrayed byPeter O'Brien
Duration1985–1987
First appearance18 March 1985
Last appearance3 March 1987
Created byReg Watson
Introduced byReg Watson
ClassificationFormer; regular
Profile
OccupationGardener
Chauffeur
HomeQueensland

Casting

Peter O'Brien auditioned for the role of Shane Ramsay twice in 1984 and following the cancellation of medical series Starting Out, he was cast as the older Ramsay brother.[1][2] O'Brien made his debut in Neighbours' first episode. Shane was one of Reg Watson's original Neighbours characters.[3] The role of Shane made O'Brien a household name in his home country of Australia and overseas.[4] Stefan Dennis originally auditioned for the role of Shane, but he was later cast as Paul Robinson instead.[5] In the video The Official Neighbours Special: The First Ten Years, released in 1995, O'Brien said that he was working in England at the time when he received the role of Shane and he was not expecting Neighbours to last more than two years.[6]

Development

Characterisation

Shane was described by Network Ten as a "very together guy, despite being deprived of a normal childhood because of his father's obsession with his diving training".[2] They also added that Shane had independence and an "inner strength".[2] O'Brien described the character of Shane as "a bit of a misfit".[6] In their 1989 book, The Neighbours Factfile, Neil Wallis and Dave Hogan wrote that Shane's father Max Ramsay (Francis Bell), had an obsession with him becoming a champion diver and that made Shane's childhood difficult.[7] He gained an "independent spirit" and became an "easygoing" and "genuine nice guy". Shane has a keen interest in motorbikes and this often leads him into trouble. He is a "strong silent" type of character but he still managed to "break the hearts of most of the available women who strolled down Ramsay Street."[7]

Car crash

Shane was paired with Daphne Lawrence (Elaine Smith) for another relationship story. He treated Daphne poorly and whilst drunk at Paul and Terry Inglis' (Maxine Klibingaitis) wedding reception, he boasts about how badly he treats Daphne.[8] Writers later devised a dramatic story for Shane, which sees portrays him involved in a car crash which kills Jean Richards (Margot Knight).[9] Shane drives home from Daphne and Des Clarke's (Paul Keane) wedding when he loses control of his car and crashes into a stationary vehicle.[9] O'Brien told Patrice Fidgeon from TV Week that "there's a blowout just as Shane is trying to negotiate a difficult turn coming down the hill. He loses control of his car and careers into a parked car."[9] Jean dies and Shane feels guilty because he had drank alcohol at the party. Though Shane had only drank a small amount of alcohol. Alex Carter (Kevin Summers), a local resident gave him some brandy to calm his nerves following the crash. O'Brien revealed that Shane faces manslaughter charges as a result. The police arrive and breathalyse Shane, who is arrested and later released on bail.[9] O'Brien explained that "if he loses his license Shane feels that's the end of his livelihood. But what shatters him the most is that he has killed a person."[9]

Departure

In July 1986, O'Brien spoke publicly about his intention to leave the show. He stated that he had always planned to assess his future with the show after eighteen months. He originally planned to leave in September 1986, but added a three-month extension onto his commitments to the show.[9] O'Brien did leave Neighbours later that year.[2] The Grundy Organisation tried to convince O'Brien to stay, fearing that the show would suffer from his departure, but O'Brien was determined to move on.[2]

Storylines

Shane Ramsay was born shortly after his parents Max and Maria (Dasha Blahova) moved to Ramsay Street and Shane became best friends with his next door neighbour, Paul. Shane enjoyed swimming and Max entered him into an Under-12s swimming team in the hope that Shane would make it to the Olympics one day. To Max's dismay, Shane's training regime is regularly interrupted by girls wanting to get a glimpse of him in his speedos. Shane falls for Daphne and they begin dating. Max is annoyed when Daphne moves in several doors down with Des as his lodger, as Daphne is a stripper. Shane and his younger brother Danny (David Clencie) are involved in a head-on car crash with bank robber, Gordon Miller (Red Symons), which kills Gordon's accomplice and leaves Shane with a back injury that dashes all hopes of him competing in the Olympics. Shane tries to become an air steward like Paul but his injury prevents him from doing so.

Daphne and Shane break up when Daphne realises she loves Des. Shane then dates plumber, Terry, who works for Max. When Terry mentions that Gordon is her ex-husband, he is shocked and Gordon escapes prison and menaces Terry and Max but Shane is able to alert the police and he is returned to jail. Terry later marries Paul and Shane resumes his relationship with Daphne but once again, they break up and Daphne goes on to marry Des. Shane forms a gardening service with local doctor Clive Gibbons (Geoff Paine). Shane is worried when their first client, Beth Travers (Virginia Hey) begins showering him with gifts after he has sex with her. Beth later locks Shane in her wine cellar, but eventually releases him. Mike Young (Guy Pearce) asks Shane to coach him when he joins the school diving team and Shane takes a risk by diving for the first time since the crash. Shane then enrols in a business class and change his life.

Following Max's departure to reconcile with Maria in Queensland, Shane's uncle Tom (Gary Files), aunt Madge (Anne Charleston) and her daughter Charlene (Kylie Minogue) move in. Shane is involved in another car crash, which results in the death of Tom's friend, Jean. Shane is charged with manslaughter, but the charges are later dropped when a witness comes forward. Shane's cousin Henry (Craig McLachlan) moves in after he is paroled following a three year prison sentence for robbery. Shane is hostile towards Henry, as he has prior form for theft, and begrudgingly shares his room with him. When Shane loses $100, he is quick to blame Henry, but forced to apologise when the money turns up. Shane then moves out of Number 24 and leaves to travel around Australia.

Reception

For his portrayal of Shane Ramsay, O'Brien won the 'Most Popular New Talent' award at the 1986 Logie Awards[10] The following year, O'Brien won the 'Most Popular Actor' award.[11] Virgin Media branded the character as a retro soap hunk in a special feature reported on their website, stating: "Shane Ramsay in Neighbours possibly had the best mullet ever seen in soap history. But he was kind and was like an older brother but with the advantages of not being related."[12] They also branded O'Brien as one of Neighbours most popular cast members in the history of the series for his portrayal of Shane.[13] Lorna Cooper of MSN TV listed Shane as one of soap opera's "forgotten characters" and also brands him as Neighbours' "first major hunk".[14]

Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture gave Shane a 3.5 out of 5 for his contribution to Neighbours, during a feature called "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons".[15] Deller said "The mullet-tastic Shane was the 'housewife's choice' back in the 80s, something that has served actor Peter O'Brien well over the years".[15] She added "He was in love with Daphne (and for a while the actors playing them had a romance in real-life) and was heartbroken when she ended up with Des Clarke".[15]

Telecommunications network Orange profiled past Neighbours characters, in this feature they joke about Shane's most memorable stating: "Being involved in a dramatic car crash, which shattered the talented diver’s dream of competing in the Olympics. Worse still, it meant soap fans never got to see Shane in his Speedos again. Sigh…"[16] In her book "Soap opera", Dorothy Hobson describes Shane and his family as "more working class than other characters", also stating: "They had working-class jobs but were not represented as cloth cap wearing or dowdy, they were bright and modern and representative of a vibrant and working population."[17] Andrew Mercado in his book Super Aussie Soaps brands the Ramsay family as being the backbone of the serial during the early years.[18]

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References
  1. Kennedy, Victoria (14 July 2007). "Exclusive: Peter O'Brien". The Mirror. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  2. Oram 1988, p.96.
  3. Cooper, Lorna (17 March 2010). "TV's Neighbours: where are they now? Peter O'Brien - then". MSN TV. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  4. Cooper, Lorna (17 March 2010). "TV's Neighbours: where are they now? Peter O'Brien - now". MSN TV. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  5. "Stefan Dennis (Neighbours' Paul Robinson) Interview". Last Broadcast. Archived from the original on 18 January 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  6. Peter O'Brien (1995). The Official Neighbours Special: The First Ten Years (VHS production). Network Ten.
  7. Wallis; Hogan 1989, p.64.
  8. Wallis; Hogan 1989, p.79.
  9. Fidgeon, Patrice (5 July 1986). "Peters moving out". TV Week. (Southdown Press): 6, 7.
  10. "28th Logie Award Winners". TV Week. Ninemsn. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  11. "29th Logie Award Winners". TV Week. Ninemsn. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  12. "Retro soap hunks". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  13. "Retro soap hunks". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  14. Cooper, Lorna (20 September 2010). "Neighbours' Shane Ramsay - Soap's forgotten characters". MSN. (Microsoft). Archived from the original on 23 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  15. Deller, Ruth (23 July 2009). "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons". Lowculture. Archived from the original on 29 August 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  16. "Neighbours stars: where are they now?". Orange.co.uk. (France Télécom). Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  17. Hobson 2003, p.15.
  18. Mercado 2004, p.230.
Bibliography
  • Oram, James (1988). Neighbours: Behind the Scenes. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 978-0-207-16075-2.
  • Wallis, Neil; Hogan, Dave (1989). The Neighbours Factfile. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 978-0-207-16382-1.
  • Hobson, Dorothy (2003). Soap Opera. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-7456-2655-6.
  • Mercado, Andrew (2004). Super Aussie Soaps. Pluto Press Australia. ISBN 978-1-86403-191-1.
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