UK soap fans upset over Neighbours pause
Already lagging Australia due to a move during the pandemic, now Neighbours will rest in the UK over Christmas.
- Published by David Knox
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British fans of Neighbours are not happy Jan over plans by broadcaster Channel 5 to rest the series for one-and-a-half weeks over Christmas / New Year.
It will conclude this year on Wednesday, December 23 and won’t return until Monday, January 4.
But the problem is, the show was already lagging Australia due to a decision by Channel 5 to reduce episodes during COVID. That’s despite earlier moves to have the two countries broadcasting concurrently, and a year-round commitment by Fremantle and 10.
Channel 5 said in a statement, “Currently, Channel 5’s full schedule means it is unlikely that we will be able to catch up with the transmission of episodes in Australia in the near future.
“Neighbours will return to UK screens on January 4, 2021 and we hope that viewers will continue to enjoy watching Neighbours with the profound affection that we know many of them hold for the soap.”
But such is the passion that angry fans have taken to change.org for a petition.
“Let the UK catch up to Aus in Neighbours again​.​ Plus stop the Xmas break!!” the petition insists.
“You made a stupid call by reducing episodes at a time when people needed entertainment and their 30 mins of escapism per day.
“You had your reasons, and your mistake was forgivable, but you need to let us catch up and certainly not take a Xmas break!!!
“Stop the Xmas break and run late catch up episodes in January 2021.
“Treat UK Neighbours‘ fans (AKA: your channel’s audience!) with a little bit of due regard!”
So far around 900 signatures have joined the rally call.
10 Peach will screen Neighbours each weekday over summer (except Christmas Day / NY Day). Sorry ‘guv.
Source: Digital Spy
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10 Responses
Yes, but seriously is there someone new in charge of programming at channel 5? The only reason our Aussie soap is now screened all year round is because the UK deal requested it. Of all years to go on a break, this year wasn’t it.
I wonder what peach will play on Christmas Day instead then? Friends Christmas Special? Everybody Loves Raymond?? Big Bang Theory??
Blimey – they’re getting pretty frothy, aren’t they? I’d see it as an opportunity to catch up on other shows I’ve missed or discover a new favourite.
Irish fans are also upset. Channel 5 won’t let RTE in Ieland go ahead off them.
Off course everybody is just getting episodes from 10 play via VPN etc.
Shooting themselves in the foot Channel 5.
They’re also replacing Neighbours and Home & Away with repeats of Friends. That is what they consider a “full schedule”.
For a long time (and maybe still now) the highest peak viewing time in the UK was at Christmas time,
Christmas Day often had a number of the highest rated programmes for the year.
If this is still the case, does this imply that Neighbours UK popularity is fading, and Channel 5 believes they can achieve higher ratings in its timeslot during this period with something else?
Christmas Day this year is on a weekday.
the big issues…
You would think the networks would be happy to show first run content at the moment…a couple of weeks of showing 60 minutes a day would catch them up. Unless they are planning for future supply issues…..conspiracy theory alert!
Is the gap to UK airing the reason some Christmas-themed storylines were last week?
Yes, the Christmas Party was supposed to air in the UK in Christmas Day but now that plan has been mucked up too.
Oh not on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day like it was last year, odd. But oh well, yeah I don’t see why uk can’t catch up seems strange.