Chris Warner
Affectionately referred to by fans and the media as "Dr. Love", Chris made his first appearance in the show's first episode by having an affair with his aerobics instructor. This was an infamous and controversial scene. Portrayed as spoiled and from a wealthy family that inherited the hospital that was founded by his father, the character of Chris was characterised by his patronising and illicit manner; contrasted in a 1994 storyline where he became addicted to morphine. Known primarily for romance storyliness, Chris has been married five times and participated in over 20 romances as well as fathering six children. Chris was the first member of the Warner family to join the show and he was joined by half brother Guy Warner (Craig Parker). In later years, Chris became the patriarch of a family unit made up of his sons Harry (Reid Walker) and Phoenix (Geordie Holibar). Chris has been involved in several high profile and highly rated storylines; including a 1994 car crash, nearly getting murdered by his brother in law Dominic Thompson (Shane Cortese), losing his wife to his drug-addicted brother Guy, and ending up in jail after being framed for murder.
Storylines of Shortland Street (1995)
Chris and Guy were stunned when their father Sir Bruce Warner (Ken Blackburn) revealed that he was dying of cancer. Sir Bruce revealed a secret from the past that Margot was not Guy's mother and that Guy's mother was the nanny who looked after Chris.
Meanwhile, Michael and Alex decided to give their marriage another go. They announced their intentions to move away from Ferndale to operate a lifestyle block. Bruce decided to buy the clinic and Michael agreed to the sale, but cheated Bruce out of the management contract, meaning Bruce would have to own Shortland Street as a silent partner. Dr. Julia Thornton (Elizabeth Hawthorne) arrived to take over the day-to-day running of the clinic. With her, was her husband, Dr. Richard Thornton, a respected psychiatrist and her 16-year-old son James (Chris Dykzeul), who quickly attracted the attentions of Minnie and Lulu.