Gallery: Neighbours 30th Anniversary party
There was one final hurrah to celebrate a milestone, as TEN threw itself a Ramsay St. bash last night.
- Published by David Knox
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The extended Neighbours family, both past and present, gathered for a 30th Anniversary celebration last night at Carousel in Albert Park.
Former cast joined current cast members, producers, media plus execs from TEN including Hamish McLennan, Beverley McGarvey, Russel Howcroft, Rick Maier, Claire Tonkin and FremantleMedia’s Ian Hogg and Jo Porter. Also in attendance were original publicist, Brian Walsh, and casting legend, Jan Russ.
Jackie Woodburne told TV Tonight the party was the culmination of a very long anniversary.
“It has been going on for a while. ‘Fletch’ and I have been doing promotions since last August! A very long time,” she said.
“But I think this is the jewel in the crown tonight because if you look around, all these ex-cast members, who we haven’t seen in months or years are here. To see these kids grown up, it’s just wonderful.
“What’s universal about Neighbours, and what came across in the Special, is this deep affection people have for the show. It’s sort of like your favourite nanna or something. People have this genuine love for the show, even when they’ve left it.”
But as ex-cast including Carla Bonner, Kym Valentine, Ben Nicholas, Terence Donovan, Ian Smith, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Madeleine West, Nell Feeney, Kevin Harrington joined in the celebrations, there was still one name she was hoping would make a surprise appearance.
“I have a little fantasy that Jesse Spencer will walk in. I haven’t given up hope, but I don’t think it’s likely!
“I’d tell him he still owes me $10 bucks for lunch money,” she laughed.
“I’m so proud of him. He’s having a great career and deservedly so.”
It was a great party thrown by TEN, with speeches by TEN CEO Hamish McLennan, Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis and FremantleMedia’s Ian Hogg.
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8 Responses
Cannot believe that Harley is Carla’s son. She looks way to young to be his mum.
I wonder if the new laboradoor is really a decendant of Bouncer, as they stated last night on the show. It would be good to find out. She’s loveley, although as she’s a girl, it’s a bit silly that they have named her Bouncer2. It just seems more a boys name.
Great to see, pity TEN treat it as a poor cousin to H & A, but I still watch it only started twenty years ago now.
A question to the execs, they simulcast Family Feud, how about cutting the over long Project by half an hour and simulcast Neighbours.
While I am on the whole simulcast thing, if you are going to do it, please stop Grant Denyer publicising the Project at the end of the show.
I am enjoying Couch Time a lot more now with Jess and they are good much much better than the previous two idiots.
Yes the new couch time is great, the two new hosts are 100 times more likeable, and the neighbours cast interviews are a great bonus for fans.
Congratulations Neighbours!
Disappointing to see it regularly only rate a third of Home & Away’s audience. Understandably it’s not on TEN but surely a daytime repeat would help? With a hardworking Aussie cast and crew, they deserve better numbers.
Cool! Thanks for all the great pics.
Congratulations on such an amazing milestone…
Such a shame though to see that the people who really put the hard yards in on making the show (The Crew) were not invited to celebrate. Yet again another example in our industry of us/them….
I believe they had an earlier one.