Neighbours AXED after 37 years (now saved and returning to screens in 2023)

[tommie]

Neighbours 'facing axe' on Channel 5 in the show's 37th year

All over?

www.digitalspy.com

 

[Karin Schill]

Oh wow! I didn't expect that. But if I understand the article correctly it's just the UK broadcast?
The show will still be produced in Australia, or?

 

[Pamela_E]

Oh wow! I didn't expect that. But if I understand the article correctly it's just the UK broadcast?
The show will still be produced in Australia, or?

The only reason it's on in Australia is because the UK fund it, without the UK its dead.

The UK show the episodes now before Australia see them.

I would be really sad to see the show end, it's actually quite good now.

Home and Away doesn't rely on the UK but its so far removed from the soap I used to like.

 

[Pamela_E]

Neighbours 'facing axe' on Channel 5 in the show's 37th year

All over?

www.digitalspy.com

Reading about this looks like a decision ha yet to be made but reputable sources are saying it's over and an announcement this week.

I don't know why I'm shocked but I am. I guess it's always been there like Eastenders.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

If the UK's Channel 5 pull Neighbours from the schedules then I'm afraid expect the worst.

The UK deal with Neighbours is what keeps the show going. If Channel 5 stop showing it then I'm afraid that's probably it for Neighbours, unless of course the BBC might be interested in buying the show back.

 

[Ollie james]

Really sad if true I've enjoyed neighbours for years now Karl ,Susan ,Toadie and Paul are soap icons will miss them all

 

[Angela Channing]

I've not watched it since he days of Scott, Charlene and Mrs Mangle but I'm still sad to hear it is probably coming to an end.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Really sad if true I've enjoyed neighbours for years now Karl ,Susan ,Toadie and Paul are soap icons will miss them all

Yeah for me Paul Robinson was the Aussie equivalent of JR Ewing.

He's such a manipulative swine. Stefan Dennis plays him to perfection.

I hope it's not true & that Neighbours can be saved. However nothing last's forever, I'm afraid.

 

[Rove]

While once dominant in ratings here in Oz since its move to 10 Peach (I know, dumb name) it's languished in the ratings. And try figuring this one out. Neighbours is filmed in HD (1080i) but is screened on an SD (576i) channel. That's bordering on stupidity.

 

[Monzo]

That's sad, but if it really is the ending there will hopefully be enough time to write a big ending with lots of visits from former neighbours.

I'm glad Neighbours was still being watched in this forum. Whenever I've written anything about it, I never got a response, so I figured I'd be the last one to watch.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I've not watched it since he days of Scott, Charlene and Mrs Mangle but I'm still sad to hear it is probably coming to an end.

That sums up my thoughts on it as well.

there will hopefully be enough time to write a big ending with lots of visits from former neighbours.

I hope so. There seem to be enough characters like Paul, Clive and Jane who've interacted with characters from the early years to make it work. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll tune in for the final episode.

I still remember watching the first episode back in 1986, so it must've aired during half term. Since I was catching up with a friend who said she wanted to watch it I watched that first episode in a neighbour's house, which seems very apt.

 

[Pamela_E]

Sadly it is true, Channel 5 have ditched it and made an announcement. Fremantle have informed the cast and crew and hope to find a new home for it.

It is quite costly to make so I can't see anyone wanting it.

That is quite a few people put of work which is not great.

 

[Pamela_E]

I wonder how it will end.

Maybe like Little House on the Prarie - Jane and the residents blow all the houses singing I should be so lucky.

Or Bouncer wakes up after a really long dream.

 

[AndyB2008]

I've noticed watching ITV3 they are showing the Classic Corrie episodes with Natalie's sister in them.

Why not bring the actress who played her into Neighbours to end it? Well she was in Brookside and Family Affairs which have since ended, so she can kill off another soap.

Is Margaret DePriest still around too? Didn't she do a serial killer storyline on Another World?

 

[Pamela_E]

Reg Watson created it right? Is this the last of his legacy to go?

 

[James from London]

Never say Neighbours Never

Neighbours needs good friends to survive after UK network axes iconic soap

Network Ten determined to find new backer after Channel 5 announces it will stop airing the show in August

www.theguardian.com

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Reg Watson created it right? Is this the last of his legacy to go?

It's the last of his original series but there's still two The Restless Years remakes on the air in Holland & Germany, so there's still shows bearing his name on screens.

Never say Neighbours Never

Neighbours needs good friends to survive after UK network axes iconic soap

Network Ten determined to find new backer after Channel 5 announces it will stop airing the show in August

www.theguardian.com

In terms of UK broadcasters, I think ITV and BBC are the only two possible options. Channel 4 has never really bothered with Aussie soaps and Sky One (home of a number of 90's Aussie soaps) no longer exists. I'm not sure if BBC would fork out for it though and ITV seem to have a solid enough daytime lineup, so I don't know if they'd reshuffle it to accommodate an hour of a show that's in trouble.

 

[Pamela_E]

It's the last of his original series but there's still two The Restless Years remakes on the air in Holland & Germany, so there's still shows bearing his name on screens.


In terms of UK broadcasters, I think ITV and BBC are the only two possible options. Channel 4 has never really bothered with Aussie soaps and Sky One (home of a number of 90's Aussie soaps) no longer exists. I'm not sure if BBC would fork out for it though and ITV seem to have a solid enough daytime lineup, so I don't know if they'd reshuffle it to accommodate an hour of a show that's in trouble.

A UK broadcaster would never buy Neighours now. Soaps are dying, binge watchable drama is where they want to invest.

All the soaps will eventually end and tragically not too far away either.
It's mostly older people watching them now. They mostly skew a 60 plus demographic.

It's weird to think a world without the soaps but in the same way we it was probably unthinkable not to have Crossroads, Brookside or Dallas in our lives.

 

[pete lashmar]

I haven't watched it since the glory days of Scott & Charlene!

I remember when the BBC announced they would no longer be screening it there was uproar, but the same viewers never realised that the BBC were basically paying for it to be made. The final nail in the coffin was the show's makers wanting an increase of the cost for screening each episode - so they wanted even more from the BBC and so the BBC cancelled their investment.

So Channel 5 took over and here we now, 10 years later and C5 want to invest in more UK based drama. With the success of shows like All creatures Great and Small you can't blame them for that.

The way that Neighbours is financed is simply not going to attract any UK broadcaster, not in an age where soaps are dying in the ratings.

Edited to add. The only sensible deal I can see happening is the BBC buying it again but with added value - a daily lunch time episode, repeat on BBC Three at 7pm and available on Britbox the day after. Other than that I can't see any interest happening for a long term future.

 

[Pamela_E]

I haven't watched it since the glory days of Scott & Charlene!

I remember when the BBC announced they would no longer be screening it there was uproar, but the same viewers never realised that the BBC were basically paying for it to be made. The final nail in the coffin was the show's makers wanting an increase of the cost for screening each episode - so they wanted even more from the BBC and so the BBC cancelled their investment.

So Channel 5 took over and here we now, 10 years later and C5 want to invest in more UK based drama. With the success of shows like All creatures Great and Small you can't blame them for that.

The way that Neighbours is financed is simply not going to attract any UK broadcaster, not in an age where soaps are dying in the ratings.

Edited to add. The only sensible deal I can see happening is the BBC buying it again but with added value - a daily lunch time episode, repeat on BBC Three at 7pm and available on Britbox the day after. Other than that I can't see any interest happening for a long term future.

Isn't BBC Three meant to be attracting teens, not older people. The main demo for all soaps is older people. That's fine because they need to be catered for.

But it's going to future proof a channel, especially one that needs to attract advertisers.

I think we need to accept that the days of weekly or daily long running series are coming to a close. Maybe the current soaps will need to change their output.

Maybe they will become more like a series with 30 episodes a year and a cliffhanger.