Lana Crawford

rdf:langString Lana Crawford

rdf:langString Lana Crawford

rdf:langString Lana Crawford

rdf:langString right

rdf:langString #E6E6FA

rdf:langString Joan Crawford

rdf:langString Student

rdf:langString Waitress

rdf:langString Cartoon writer

rdf:langString "The first gay character on the long-running Australian soap, teenage newcomer Lana discovered a soulmate in straight series regular Sky. Their friendship survived Lana's early crush, Sky's sexual confusion, and homophobic pressures from outsiders, and they emerged as platonic BFFs who took each other to the prom."

rdf:langString Neighbours

rdf:langString —An AfterEllen writer on Lana and Sky

rdf:langString Lana Crawford is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Bridget Neval. The actress's casting was announced in June 2004, and she stated that she was excited to take on the role of Lana, a schoolgirl and the serial's first lesbian character. Neval explained that Lana's sexuality did not bother her, but she hoped her story would not be told in a sensationalist or distasteful way. Neval made her first screen appearance as Lana during the episode broadcast on 30 August 2004. Lana was introduced as a high school student, who has been closeted due to homophobic bullying at her previous school. Upon moving to Erinsborough, Lana befriends Serena Bishop (Lara Sacher) and Serena's cousin Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh), whom she develops a crush on. The storyline between Lana and Sky was billed as a relationship story between two close female friends, "made compelling by the complexity of the feelings involved." Lana and Sky's friendship eventually culminated in Neighbours' first lesbian kiss. The episode featuring the kiss was broadcast in the serial's regular G-rated timeslot and gave Neighbours a small increase in ratings. However, it led talkback callers and conservative groups to attack the storyline and the characters. Writers for AfterEllen and the Sydney Star Observer branded the storyline "a real television advance" and praised Lana and her journey. The show's executive producer, Ric Pellizzeri, believed the storyline reflected reality and some viewers said that it had had a "profound effect" on them. Despite being retired from acting, Neval agreed to reprise the role for the show's 35th anniversary celebrations, which saw Lana marry Sky.

rdf:langString Ric Pellizzeri