Alex is a common English name, usually a diminutive of the male given name Alexander, whose female equivalent is Alexandra. The East European male name Alexey (Aleksei, Alexis) is also sometimes shortened to Alex.

Steven "Steve" Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Steve Bastoni. In 2007, Neighbours decided to return to focusing more on family dynamics and the characters of Steve and his family were created and introduced to help boost falling ratings in Australia. Steve made his first on-screen appearance on 23 July 2007 along with his wife and daughter. The family moved into Ramsay Street and Steve opened a veterinary practice in the Lassiters complex. His storylines included taking the blame for the death of Chris Knight, being kissed and poisoned by Nicola West, breaking up and later reuniting with Miranda, becoming a grandfather and the death of his daughter. In March 2009, the decision was taken to write the Parker family out of the show after Bastoni and Eloise Mignon quit. Steve departed on 24 July 2009 with his wife, following Bridget's funeral.

In 2007 Neighbours suffered one of its worst decline in ratings and several key changes took place, including the introduction of a new family.Network Ten drama executive Dan Bennett revealed that the show would return to the focus on relationships and family dynamics. The Parker family made their first appearance on-screen in July 2007, marking the start of the show's renovation.