| Lana Crawford | |||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Bridget Neval | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 2004–2005, 2020 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 30 August 2004 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 25 March 2020 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; recurring | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Ric Pellizzeri (2004) Jason Herbison (2020) | ||||||||||||
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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 and departed on 13 January 2005. Despite being retired from acting, Neval agreed to reprise the role for the show's 35th anniversary celebrations, which saw Lana marry Sky.
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.