Tad Reeves
Tad Reeves | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||||||
Former; regular | |||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Stanley Walsh (1998) Jason Herbison (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Tad Reeves (also known as Tadpole) is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Jonathon Dutton. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 November 1998. After deciding not to renew his contract, Dutton made his last appearance as Tad on 18 June 2002. He reprised his role in an unannounced cameo appearance in the serial's final episode on 28 July 2022.
Creation and casting
In 1998, Jason Herbison from
Dutton departed Neighbours in 2002.[4] Of his decision to leave the soap, Dutton told the Liverpool Echo's Joe Riley "I had done Neighbours for four years and I just felt there was no point in going on for ever. Although they asked me to renew my contract, I decided the time had come for a move, so I gave them six months notice."[4]
Storylines
Tad’s teenage mother
Tad arrives in Erinsborough to stay with his older cousin, Toadfish at Number 30 Ramsay Street. He arrives and is greeted by Toadie's housemate, Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles) who tells him Toadie is at the station looking for him. Tad is instantly attracted to Sarah who promptly dismisses his teenage crush. During the first few weeks, Tad causes mischief by stealing Toadie's car and ends up in court on a charge, much to the chagrin of Toadie. Tad's mother Coral arrives for the trial, and tells Tad off for his behaviour. Tad is issued a $100 fine and a 12-month Good Behaviour Bond. Later, he overhears Coral talking to Toadie about Tad staying for 6 months as she is busy at work and finding it difficult to cope with him. Tad runs off after an argument but is found.
Tad later enlists the help of Paul McClain (Jansen Spencer) in creating a website featuring doctored photos of a scantily-clad Sarah. Sarah is upset and annoyed and first when she finds a photo on a poster board at Erinsborough Hospital where she works but she later plays Tad at his own game and takes photos of him coming out of the shower as payback. When Toadie is unable to be a full-time guardian for Tad, he moves in with Paul and his foster parents,
Barry, Tad's father pays him a visit and reveals that he and Coral are separating, with the intention divorce and also tells Tad that he is adopted. Tad takes the news very hard begins misbehaving and gets drunk after drinking some alcohol he finds at the garage. Harold finds Tad passed out on the floor and calls ambulance. Tad is rushed to hospital and is diagnosed with alcohol poisoning. After talking things over with Barry and Coral, Tad goes on a quest to track down his birth parents. Tad finds Rachel Jones but discovers she is not his birth mother, leaving him disheartened. The Adoption Agency contact Tad not long after and told him they had located his birth mother, Rachel Bailey. Tad meets Rachel and she tells him she gave him up as a baby as she and her boyfriend, Greg were only teenagers when he was born and that his birth name was Paul. When Tad asks about Greg, Rachel tells him that he died before Tad was born.
Things seem to be going well but Tad is angry when he finds out she has not told her husband and children about him. Tad goes to Rachel's house with the intention to reveal the truth about who he is, but meets his half brother, Tim, who answers the door. Tad opts out of his plan. Eventually, Tad makes peace with Rachel and contact is minimal. Tad displays a talent for being a DJ and
After a brief spell as a labourer for
On the Year 12 camping trip, Tad smuggles in a bottle of alcohol to impress
Tad meets Steve McCann and Renton Millar and is offered the chance to DJ for an Extreme Sports Tour in America. and leaves for several months. On his return to Erinsborough with the intention to pack up and move to the States permanently, Tad is the victim of identity theft when his passport is stolen and he has allegedly run up thousands of dollars in debt. Tad accuses Connor O'Neill (Patrick Harvey), who has recently moved in with Flick and her family, but is forced to apologise when he finds out Connor is illiterate. One day, Tad and Connor come face to face with the impostor but he is too quick for them and escapes by kicking Connor in the groin. Tad later bumps into Doula, who is surprised to see him in town and offers him a job. Tad is hesitant but takes it. Toadie then figures out that Doula must have set Tad up.
When Tad goes to confront Doula, he discovers
Twenty years later, he appears in a video messages congratulating Toadie on his marriage to Melanie Pearson.
Reception
After his brief 2022 return, Laura Denby from Radio Times expressed happiness that Tad was still "alive and well".[5]
References
- ^ a b Herbison, Jason (12–25 December 1998). "It's Toadie mark II". Inside Soap (116): 36.
- ^ Everton, Denise (28 January 2000). "A Tad of difference". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ Devlin, Rebekah (14 July 1999). "Tales out of school". The Age. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ a b Riley, Joe (10 January 2003). "He's Jack the lad of Ramsay Street; Ex-Neighbour's star follows his fellow Aussies into panto". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ^ Denby, Laura. "Neighbours finale cameos as fan-favourites make surprise returns". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
External links
- Wayne 'Tad' Reeves on IMDB