Steve Parker
Encyclopedia
Steven "Steve" Parker is a fictional character
from the Australian Network Ten
soap opera Neighbours
, played by Steve Bastoni
. In 2007, Neighbours decided to return to focusing more on family dynamics and the characters of Steve and his family were created and introduced to help boost falling ratings in Australia. Steve made his first on-screen appearance on 23 July 2007 along with his wife and daughter. The family moved into Ramsay Street and Steve opened a veterinary practice in the Lassiters complex. His storylines included taking the blame for the death of Chris Knight, being kissed and poisoned by Nicola West
, breaking up and later reuniting with Miranda, becoming a grandfather and the death of his daughter. In March 2009, the decision was taken to write the Parker family out of the show after Bastoni and Eloise Mignon
quit. Steve departed on 24 July 2009 with his wife, following Bridget's funeral.
drama executive Dan Bennett revealed that the show would return to the focus on relationships and family dynamics. The Parker family made their first appearance on-screen in July 2007, marking the start of the show's renovation.
Former Police Rescue
star, Steve Bastoni
was cast in the role of the family's patriarch, Steve Parker. Bastoni said "My agent rang and said, 'Would you consider (the Steve Parker role in) Neighbours?'". Bastoni agreed to the role as he had struggled to find work after moving to Melbourne from Sydney with no prospects. Bastoni called the role on Neighbours "a little gift from God".
In March 2009, it was announced that the Parker family were to be written out of the show after Bastoni and Mignon decided to quit. Bastoni said in an interview that the character of Steve Parker had nowhere else to go and added, "I only planned to be on the show for a year to 18 months but I've been here two years now and have done enough".
and Ned Parker
. He was living in Sydney with his family until they made the decision to move to Erinsborough. Steve had ties to Ramsay Street
before he arrived as he grew up in Oakey with Drew Kirk
. Steve and Miranda have two children, Riley
and Bridget
, who they adopted when they were young. Steve is a vet who specialises in caring for native wildlife and he enjoyed sharing his work with Bridget.
(Eliza Taylor-Cotter
) allows them to store their things in her garage. Shortly after opening his clinic, Steve and Miranda are forced to move in Ned and Janae when their apartment floods. Steve is surprised when Riley turns up and tells him that he has dropped out of university. Ned and Janae both depart Erinsborough and the house is put up for sale by auction. Tim Collins (Ben Anderson
) tells the Parkers that he plans to buy the house to build flats on and Steve tells him that he also plans to buy the house. At the auction, Steve outbids Tim, but goes over his limit. Miranda then tells Steve that they will have to cut costs.
When Chris Knight (Luke Mitchell
) is found with head injuries, Bridget confesses to Steve that she pushed him away when he tried to attack her. Chris later dies and, to protect his daughter, Steve confesses to attacking Chris. Steve is arrested and charged with murder. During his trial, Bridget runs in and tells the court the truth. Miranda's sister Nicola West
(Imogen Bailey
) arrives and she lets slip that Miranda was in love with another man when she got married. Steve is shocked and moves out, believing that Miranda does not love him. Nicola then tries to seduce Steve and she later poisons him. Steve recovers and Nicola is sent to a psychiatric hospital. Steve and Miranda continue having marital problems and Steve is unhappy when he discovers that Miranda slept with a former boyfriend. However, the couple later reconcile.
Steve is angry when he discovers that Bridget is pregnant. However, he later comes round to the idea and promises to help her through it. Steve is also unhappy when Bridget's boyfriend, Declan Napier
(James Sorensen
) moves in with the family. Bridget gives birth to Steve's first grandchild, India, at a music festival. Steve and Miranda are able to listen to the birth via Karl Kennedy
's (Alan Fletcher) phone.
While on their way to take India to visit relatives in Oakey, Steve swerves the car to avoid an escaped horse and the car overturns. Steve is relatively unharmed and when the rescue services arrive, he helps out with the search for Bridget. Steve finds her and India and they are taken to the hospital. Bridget later dies from internal injuries, which devastates Steve and Miranda. Following her funeral, Steve and Miranda decide to move away.
Steve has received mostly positive criticism from Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
. During his first year on the show, Deller said that Steve was "trying to fill the nice guy role of Philip Martin
, but doesn't quite achieve it". In 2008, Deller said that the Parker family were improving and she singled Steve out, calling him "great". In July 2009, he was placed joint fifth with Coronation Street
's Kevin Webster
on the best soap characters list in 2009. Deller said "Both characters have been underrated 'good guys' for much of their tenure on the shows and deserve some credit for that. That's not the main reason they've made this month's chart though – it's because lots of people on the forums seem to have owned up to fancying these guys this month – and in a poor month for storylines and characterisation, being a DILF is qualification enough to get you into our top five.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, played by Steve Bastoni
Steve Bastoni
Steve Bastoni is an Italian Australian actor. He is best known for his role in Police Rescue as Constable Yannis 'Angel' Angelopoulos and as Steve Parker in Neighbours.-Television:...
. In 2007, Neighbours decided to return to focusing more on family dynamics and the characters of Steve and his family were created and introduced to help boost falling ratings in Australia. Steve made his first on-screen appearance on 23 July 2007 along with his wife and daughter. The family moved into Ramsay Street and Steve opened a veterinary practice in the Lassiters complex. His storylines included taking the blame for the death of Chris Knight, being kissed and poisoned by Nicola West
Nicola West
Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Imogen Bailey. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She departed the show on 8 October 2008...
, breaking up and later reuniting with Miranda, becoming a grandfather and the death of his daughter. In March 2009, the decision was taken to write the Parker family out of the show after Bastoni and Eloise Mignon
Eloise Mignon
Eloise Mignon is an Australian actress born in Kuwait.-Career:Mignon was educated at Melbourne Girls College, Wesley College and St Michael's Grammar School her screen credits include a role in Legacy of the Silver Shadow and a main character Mara Lomax in children's sci-fi series Silversun. She...
quit. Steve departed on 24 July 2009 with his wife, following Bridget's funeral.
Character creation and casting
In 2007 Neighbours suffered one of its worst decline in ratings and several key changes took place, including the introduction of a new family. Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
drama executive Dan Bennett revealed that the show would return to the focus on relationships and family dynamics. The Parker family made their first appearance on-screen in July 2007, marking the start of the show's renovation.
Former Police Rescue
Police Rescue
Police Rescue was an Australian television series which originally aired on ABC TV between 1989 and 1996. It was produced by ABC and Southern Star Xanadu in association with the BBC....
star, Steve Bastoni
Steve Bastoni
Steve Bastoni is an Italian Australian actor. He is best known for his role in Police Rescue as Constable Yannis 'Angel' Angelopoulos and as Steve Parker in Neighbours.-Television:...
was cast in the role of the family's patriarch, Steve Parker. Bastoni said "My agent rang and said, 'Would you consider (the Steve Parker role in) Neighbours?'". Bastoni agreed to the role as he had struggled to find work after moving to Melbourne from Sydney with no prospects. Bastoni called the role on Neighbours "a little gift from God".
In March 2009, it was announced that the Parker family were to be written out of the show after Bastoni and Mignon decided to quit. Bastoni said in an interview that the character of Steve Parker had nowhere else to go and added, "I only planned to be on the show for a year to 18 months but I've been here two years now and have done enough".
Background
Steve Parker is the brother of StuartStuart Parker (Neighbours)
Stuart Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Blair McDonough. He made his first appearance on 13 December 2001. Stuart lived with Toadfish Rebecchi and Connor O'Neill at number 30, during which time the house became known as "The House of Trouser"...
and Ned Parker
Ned Parker
Ned Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel O'Connor. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 August 2005, arriving to see his brother, Stuart...
. He was living in Sydney with his family until they made the decision to move to Erinsborough. Steve had ties to Ramsay Street
Ramsay Street
Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera Neighbours live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Neighbours storylines primarily centre around the residents of the Street, which was named after the...
before he arrived as he grew up in Oakey with Drew Kirk
Drew Kirk
Andrew "Drew" Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Paris. He made his first on-screen appearance on 27 March 1998. Drew departed on 13 September 2002...
. Steve and Miranda have two children, Riley
Riley Parker
Riley Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Sweeney Young. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 August 2007. He was involved in various storylines most notably a incest plot...
and Bridget
Bridget Parker
Bridget Louise "Didge" Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Eloise Mignon. In 2007 the show was revamped to boost falling ratings in Australia. As part of this, the show's focus returned to family dynamics and the character of Bridget and her family...
, who they adopted when they were young. Steve is a vet who specialises in caring for native wildlife and he enjoyed sharing his work with Bridget.
2007–2009
Steve and his family move to Erinsborough from Sydney, so Steve can open a new veterinary clinic. The family arrive in Ramsay Street to visit Ned. Steve discovers that the apartment the family were moving into was already furnished and Janae TimminsJanae Timmins
Janae Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Eliza Taylor-Cotter. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 4 April 2005. The character was created by executive producer Ric Pellizzeri as part of the new Timmins family, joining established...
(Eliza Taylor-Cotter
Eliza Taylor-Cotter
Elizabeth Jane "Eliza" Taylor-Cotter is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Janae Timmins in long-running soap opera Neighbours.-Biography and Career:...
) allows them to store their things in her garage. Shortly after opening his clinic, Steve and Miranda are forced to move in Ned and Janae when their apartment floods. Steve is surprised when Riley turns up and tells him that he has dropped out of university. Ned and Janae both depart Erinsborough and the house is put up for sale by auction. Tim Collins (Ben Anderson
Ben Anderson (actor)
Ben Anderson is an Australian actor from Melbourne, Australia. He is best known on Australian TV for his role on popular soap Neighbours as lawyer Tim Collins...
) tells the Parkers that he plans to buy the house to build flats on and Steve tells him that he also plans to buy the house. At the auction, Steve outbids Tim, but goes over his limit. Miranda then tells Steve that they will have to cut costs.
When Chris Knight (Luke Mitchell
Luke Mitchell (actor)
-External links:...
) is found with head injuries, Bridget confesses to Steve that she pushed him away when he tried to attack her. Chris later dies and, to protect his daughter, Steve confesses to attacking Chris. Steve is arrested and charged with murder. During his trial, Bridget runs in and tells the court the truth. Miranda's sister Nicola West
Nicola West
Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Imogen Bailey. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She departed the show on 8 October 2008...
(Imogen Bailey
Imogen Bailey
Imogen Bailey is an Australian model, actress and singer. She is currently based in Sydney and is best known for her role on the long-running Australian soap Neighbours as Nicola West.-Modeling:...
) arrives and she lets slip that Miranda was in love with another man when she got married. Steve is shocked and moves out, believing that Miranda does not love him. Nicola then tries to seduce Steve and she later poisons him. Steve recovers and Nicola is sent to a psychiatric hospital. Steve and Miranda continue having marital problems and Steve is unhappy when he discovers that Miranda slept with a former boyfriend. However, the couple later reconcile.
Steve is angry when he discovers that Bridget is pregnant. However, he later comes round to the idea and promises to help her through it. Steve is also unhappy when Bridget's boyfriend, Declan Napier
Declan Napier
Declan Napier is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Erin Mullally. The character first appeared on-screen on 25 July 2007. In January 2010 it was announced that original actor James Sorensen had quit the role of Declan and the decision to recast...
(James Sorensen
James Sorensen
James Sorensen is a professional model and actor. He is of Danish, British and Portuguese descent. He has a twin sister and a brother who is 6 years younger.-Biography:...
) moves in with the family. Bridget gives birth to Steve's first grandchild, India, at a music festival. Steve and Miranda are able to listen to the birth via Karl Kennedy
Karl Kennedy
Karl Raymond Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Fletcher. The character and his family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Karl made his first on-screen appearance on 20 September 1994 along with his...
's (Alan Fletcher) phone.
While on their way to take India to visit relatives in Oakey, Steve swerves the car to avoid an escaped horse and the car overturns. Steve is relatively unharmed and when the rescue services arrive, he helps out with the search for Bridget. Steve finds her and India and they are taken to the hospital. Bridget later dies from internal injuries, which devastates Steve and Miranda. Following her funeral, Steve and Miranda decide to move away.
Reception
The Parker family's entrance to the show was watched by an average 1.05 million viewers in Australia. Following their arrival, Network Ten's head of drama Dan Bennett praised the new cast members saying "It's probably the strongest cast we've ever had".Steve has received mostly positive criticism from Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
. During his first year on the show, Deller said that Steve was "trying to fill the nice guy role of Philip Martin
Philip Martin (Neighbours)
Philip Gordon Martin is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Rawlings. Originally played by Christopher Milne during the character's first appearance in 1985, Rawlings took over the role when the character returned to the show in 1992 and...
, but doesn't quite achieve it". In 2008, Deller said that the Parker family were improving and she singled Steve out, calling him "great". In July 2009, he was placed joint fifth with Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
's Kevin Webster
Kevin Webster
Kevin John Webster is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared onscreen on 19 October 1983...
on the best soap characters list in 2009. Deller said "Both characters have been underrated 'good guys' for much of their tenure on the shows and deserve some credit for that. That's not the main reason they've made this month's chart though – it's because lots of people on the forums seem to have owned up to fancying these guys this month – and in a poor month for storylines and characterisation, being a DILF is qualification enough to get you into our top five.
External links
- Steve Parker at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...