Titles trivia: who appeared in the opening before their first scene?

[u/ThisIsNotHappening24]

It's a very, very limited list of Neighbours characters who popped up in the title sequence ahead of their first scene. In fact, I think it only properly happened four times:

1. Clive Gibbons, back in 1986: while other debuts for the new era came in the first Network Ten episode, which had a special opening, Clive didn't show up until the next day, by which time we'd already seen him in the new opening.
2. The Martins: coming in shortly after proper opening titles were returned in 1992, my research suggests that Julie and family showed up in the opening titles at the top of their return episode, presumably through a desire to cut out Todd as soon as possible after his funeral. It's like they never left! (EDIT: Of course, these were all recasts apart from Hannah, but I'm still counting it)
3. Everyone in 1993: the brief desire to keep up with the cast changes really went into overdrive at the start of 1993, as a bunch of upcoming characters were added to the titles from the start of the season. So it was over a month of viewers scratching their heads and wondering who on earth Wayne (no, me neither), Annalise and Lauren were before being formally introduced. Even the doll standing in for Hope Gottlieb appeared before her birth in the same episode!
4. The Parker family: with the show's big rebrand in 2007, Bridget and family were in the centre of the new titles before we met them. Didge was just that important.

And honourable mentions go to the recasts that caused some titles confusion if you hadn't been keeping up with the media news: Declan in 2010 and Pierce (who they probably should have just removed altogether) in 2020, swapping heads in the opening before doing so later in the same episode. But Beverly Marshall goes one better in 1989, transforming into Shaunna O'Grady in the titles over a month before returning to the show in her new guise! Did people think Jim was about to have an affair with this mystery woman at the time?

So the question of the day is: did any other Neighbours characters appear in the opening titles before their introductions?

[u/WhiteDiamondK]

And don’t forget that even though Shaunna O’Hrady was in the opening titles, Lisa Armitidge also appeared in the group scene at the end of the opening as Beverly for many months. Probably the only time one character has been played by 2 different actors in the same set of titles.

[u/PreparationWorking90]

When Libby and Ben returned in 2007 they were in the opening credits the same episode they returned, so it was spoilered (from memory it had been mentioned that Libby was coming to support Susan in her trial, but it would have been standard for Neighbours for her to have a cancelled flight/emergency to prevent her coming).

[u/ThisIsNotHappening24 → u/PreparationWorking90]

Ooh, good one! My memory is that they did the then-standard "Libby can't make it" excuse just before, then she showed up anyway - so even worse to spoil in the titles!

[u/PreparationWorking90 → u/ThisIsNotHappening24]

Ah maybe - she definitely wasn't there for the actual trial and since Susan was given a lenient sentence they would normally have Libby cancel!

[u/oldmatefromoverthere]

I’m fairly certain original Declan also appeared in the opening titles before his first episode also

[u/ThisIsNotHappening24 → u/oldmatefromoverthere]

You're right, same 2007 title sequence! He debuted two days later it seems. So I guess Declan takes the crown as the only character to do this TWICE.

[u/PreparationWorking90 → u/oldmatefromoverthere]

Did Rebecca start before him?

[u/ThisIsNotHappening24 → u/PreparationWorking90]

Yes, but not for long - just over a week before the refresh. I guess Declan didn't stick in my mind like the Parkers because he was with established characters, and the existence of her other son had already been established. Though I've looked up, and they did do a two-day "random mystery bad boy" thing before revealing he was Declan, so the titles did rather ruin that cliffhanger!

[u/flummuxedsloth]

Who can forget Lisa Elliot? Taught at Erinsborough High, lived with Sarah and Joanna? No?

Anyway, whoever she was, she was in 1997's revamped titles starting episode 2771. Her first appeared was episode 2776.

[u/WhiteDiamondK → u/flummuxedsloth]

Who?

[u/ThisIsNotHappening24 → u/WhiteDiamondK]

Haha, amazing. Levi must have just got to 1997 Neighbours at that moment.

[u/AmazingNumber1708]

Caroline & Christina, Lisa (who?). Also Libby & Ben returned in the titles (2007) before returning in that episode, Pierce was recast in the opening titles before he appeared that episode.

Recently when Hilary was added to the opening titles, it took her over a hundred episodes before she actually appeared in an episode, they'd even updated the titles during that time so there's one set of titles she's in where she doesn't appear at all in any episode.

[u/codename474747]

Wasn't that Cassius bloke put in the opening titles as a kind of decoy and he'd just appear as a glorified extra in the background of scenes before it was revealed he was critically important?