Danny Ramsay


Daniel "Danny" Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by David Clencie. He made his first on-screen appearance in Neighbours' first episode on 18 March 1985. Danny became the first character to speak in the show. Danny's storylines focused on his troubled relationship with his father Max and his subsequent discovery that Tim Duncan is his real father, his friendship with Scott Robinson and his job as a bank teller. Danny moved away from Ramsay Street on 31 July 1986. In 2005, Clencie reprised his role as Danny for a cameo in Annalise Hartman's documentary on Ramsay Street.

Casting

, who would later go on to play Scott Robinson, was initially offered the role of Danny Ramsay in 1984, when Neighbours was in its planning stages. Former The Sullivans actor, David Clencie was later cast as the sixteen-year-old Danny in 1985, when Clencie was twenty. Clencie starred in the first scene of the first episode and became the first person to speak on Neighbours. Clencie enjoyed the early days of the show and said "We'd have a good laugh, something that's probably missing a bit from a lot of television these days. And the directors went with it, they said 'this is great, let's do it'". Neighbours was axed after 170 episodes and Clencie said the cast were "gobsmacked". A few weeks later, he received a call from his agent who told him that Neighbours was starting again after Network Ten picked it up and they wanted him to be in it. They offered him a year's contract and Clencie accepted. He said "I was just elated, and most of the cast were, because we had really felt robbed at the time".
Clencie and his character were written out of the show after just over a year. The departure was by mutual agreement between Clencie and the producers. Clencie said "I was offered three different contracts with the show, but after discussion it was decided I would take a break". Clencie later said he left without regret because he felt that Danny had nowhere left to go as a character.
In 2005, Clencie was one of many ex-cast members who made a return to Neighbours to appear in an episode celebrating the show's 20th anniversary. On his return, Clencie said "I went back as my character Danny for the twentieth anniversary a couple of years ago, and I couldn't actually believe that people would remember me. I was welcomed with open arms and did my little scene as Danny, you know, 'where is he now?'. He's building pools in Brisbane, so that's a better life than he had in Ramsay Street!"

Characterisation

Being the "gentler" of the two brothers, Danny could not take Max's bullying ways, unlike his brother Shane. The constant tension between Danny and Max and Danny seemingly having a better relationship with his mother then Shane, led Andrew Mercado to question whether Danny was struggling to come to terms with his sexuality in his 2004 book Super Aussie soaps. Danny would spend more time with his mother where he could be more "theatrical", Mercado also described Danny as being "girlie" and pondered whether this made Max believe that Danny was not a true Ramsay. Max believed Danny was a "wimp" and wished he would be more like Shane. When Danny found out about his real parentage, he went through an identity crisis as he felt unloved. The news split the family in half, with Danny leaving for Brisbane with his mother. Of his character, Clencie said "He's an interesting character to play, a bit different from all the others". He added that there are many different sides to Danny and that he is "brash and wild on the outside, but underneath quite troubled and confused". Clencie has also claimed that Danny was an extension of his own persona describing him as: "young, wild, crazy yet vulnerable and a nice kid."

Storylines

Danny is the youngest son of Maria Ramsay, he was born after a one-night stand between herself and Tim Duncan. Maria let her husband Max believe Danny was his son. Max and Danny had a difficult relationship, with Max often comparing Danny to his older brother, Shane.
Danny begins having strange dreams in which he sees Shane being killed during his swimming training. Maria suggests that he visit the family physician, Dr. Lawson to work out what is causing these nightmares. Following a car crash with Bank robber Gordon Miller which leaves him and Shane injured, Danny believes that the dreams were a warning. Danny and his best friend, Scott Robinson are wrongly accused of mugging Carol Brown, when they discover her in a drunken haze after the real muggers had fled. Scott and Danny then run away from home. and end up staying with Mrs. Forbes on her farm after their possessions are stolen. They boys help Mrs Forbes part-time, before returning home. Both Danny and Scott fall for Maria's sister's friend, Wendy Gibson, who plays them off against each other but gets a taste of her own medicine when a man named Tim stands her up.
Max and Maria's marriage collapses after the revelation that Max is not Danny's father, but Tim Duncan who Maria had a one-night stand with. Danny overhears during a conversation with Max and his French teacher, Kate Drew. When Maria prepares to leave for Hong Kong with new partner Richard Morrison in Hong Kong, Danny refuses to go with them and remains in Erinsborough. Danny and Max then work things out with Max assuring that he loves him as his own son. Danny then leaves school to become a junior teller at the Pacific Bank. Danny falls Marcie, a fellow employee and tries to impress her and works for Clive Gibbons as a gorilla-gram. This proves to be in vain as Marcie rejects Danny. Danny's job causes further problems when it raises the ire of Max who dislikes Clive and when Danny is mistaken for a bank robber and arrested. The misunderstanding is eventually cleared up and Danny is freed. After learing Max and Maria have reunited in Queensland, Danny, deciding he has nothing left in Ramsay Street decides to get a transfer to a branch of the bank up north and leaves. Nearly twent years later, he appears in Annalise Hartman's documentary about Ramsay Street.

Reception

Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture gave Danny a 2 out of 5 for his contribution to Neighbours, during a feature called "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons". She said "Danny was one of the original cast of Neighbours, although he didn't stay in the show for very long. He had an ongoing rivalry with brother Shane, and was good mates with Scott Robinson, but his only real storylines of note were the revelations over his paternity, and a stint working for Dr Clive Gibbons as a gorilla-o-gram".
In her book "Soap opera", Dorothy Hobson describes Danny 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."