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Neighbours future in limbo as UK confirms it will cease broadcasting

10 keen to keep long running soap going despite UK axe. Cast will meet on Monday.

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Production on iconic soap Neighbours is pausing and the show’s future is in limbo after British broadcaster Channel 5 confirmed it would no longer air the show from mid year due to costs.

Filming will not take place tomorrow as cast are given the details. Producers Fremantle advised cast via email to attend a meeting, after news broke in the UK over the weekend.

A Network 10 spokesperson told TV Tonight, “As outlined in the email to Neighbours cast and crew, it is our intention to continue our association with Neighbours if another broadcast partner comes forward. Network 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available.”

In an official statement released to Digital Spy, a Channel 5 spokesperson explained: “Neighbours will no longer air on Channel 5 beyond this summer.

“It’s been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we’d like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.”

“We’d also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.

“We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers.”

The decision appears to stem from costs surrounding the show, with the UK funding the bulk of the show’s production costs. Channel 10 licensing for the Fremantle show was reduced when the soap moved to a multichannel a decade ago.

Despite grim news the show still rates for Channel 5, drawing around 1.5 million UK viewers every day.  In Australia the show draws up to 170,000 metro viewers, last week frequently topping multichannels, and supplies the bulk of 10’s local drama quotas.

Neighbours is currently in its 37th season, as one of the longest running scripted dramas in the world. The show is expected to remain on air in the UK until June.

Fremantle has been contacted for comment.

Updated.

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57 Responses

  1. I’ve never understood the difference in ratings between Neighbours and Home and Away. They are both soapies and both constantly rehash the same storylines as each other. The main difference is the setting, Neighbours being suburban Melbourne and Home and Away at the beach but surely that doesn’t explain why one show rates over 500,000 but the other struggles to hit 150,000 most nights.

    2. And there you have it in a nutshell, nbrs used to go to the beach, have story lines around the bush, have some great locations. The poms love seeing our beaches, our bush. That’s partly what made Aussie soaps so watchable. Nbrs lost that.

        1. Actually don’t quite write off Home and Away moving to 5Star as a demotion. On the surface that is what is appeared, but actually the move means it can make more money for C5 as due to limits on advertising in primetime on the main channels Neighbours, and presumably Home and Away beforehand, are going out ad free at 6pm as C5 concentrated ad time around higher rated programming later in the evening, but over on 5Star Home and Away can now go out with a full quota of ads. Indeed C5 have long taken advantage of more relaxed rules on digital channels to have two ad breaks within each episode rather than just the one permitted on the main channel. It’s one of the few shows to do that.

  2. I still watch Neighbours as I like to watch Aussie made when I can but there is absolutely nothing else to watch on Peach, they might as well turn it off and save some electricity at the transmitter.

  3. So CBS own Ch10 Australia and Ch5 UK and are “increasing our investment in original UK drama,” can I assume that their new UK dramas will launch first on Paramount+ as the global strategy seems to be to fund drama content, have subscribers pay for it and then air it on their free to air channel at a later date (if at all).
    I will tolerate waiting for Aussie drama on free to air after it has been on paid streaming services, although if it counts for Australian quota can their be a time limit that it need to air within a year or so of filming to count.
    I am still hoping we don’t become oversaturated with CBS owned US content.

  4. All good things must come to an end. Neighbours used to be family friendly viewing during the 1990s and 2000s and rated well back then.
    The day when Neighbours end production, I think that they will run a one-hour compilation of the storylines during the period.

  5. It will be a huge change for me as I’ve had my dinner with the folks of Ramsay street for much of its run. I did stop watching around late 2007-2008 as many Aussies did, its a shame most viewers didn’t come back as the show’s been really good since they switched to 11/10Peach. But it is time. Prior to Neighbors and Home & Away most Aussie soaps only went for four to six years with only 3 exceptions that went for 8 to 12 years. Here’s hoping they give it a good send off. It will be really good if Kylie and Jason could slip in quietly for a return appearance, but it needs to be top secret.

  6. Neighbours is still aired in more than 57 other countries. In the UK BBC and/or ITV may be interested in it again. Seems like Channel 5 has gone the way of some Australian networks. When the program content budget needs tightening just run more news.

      1. The truth is Neighbours never aired in 57 other countries. Grundy/Fremantle have routinely put that statistic in Neighbours PR, knowing that it’s not true – and never was. The show *might* have sold to a total of 57 territories in its entire 35+ years. But delve deeper and you’ll find that most of those sales came off the initial burst of UK success in the late 80s, at which point quite a number of other European nations picked it up in copycat fashion. But most of those countries dropped the show after only a year or two when it failed to rate, or when they developed their own local serial drama. By the mid-to-late 90s Neighbours was screened in maybe (being generous here) 10 or 12 territories. The only major sales were to the UK and Ireland. The rest were places like Swaziland (not a joke!). The financial income from some of those sales was so minimal it barely covered the cost of shipping the tapes. The show has been totally dependent on the UK sale for almost all its…

    2. There’s a big difference in the $ required to buy a show and air it and actually footing most of the bill to make it – which is what Channel 5 has been doing until now.

  7. It’s always disappointing when people lose work but this has been coming for a long time, the last year hasn’t helped with all the controversy. I wish them all the best for the future.

  8. neigbours went woke it went all womens problems the wrtiers dont know how to write with humour or intersting story lines I am suprised it was renewed a couple of years ago it hads its day years ago

  10. The last time Neighbour’s was essential viewing in our household was around the early 00’s and I haven’t watched a episode since it got bumped from 6.30 on Ten all those years ago.
    Iconic it’s is but surely time to call curtains it’s ample time to hit the refresh button on ideas around what a new Australian soap could be …
    Ten desperately needs to do something with its 6.30-7.30 hour a fresh new Aussie soap could give some gains. Neighbours simply wouldn’t work returning to the main network the bulk of it’s Aussie viewers lost interest 15 years ago.

  11. Although sad I do think it’s time for the curtain to close on Neighbours. It’s been used as a stop gap to fill a drama quota by Ten for far too long and Australian audiences are missing out. Put it out of it’s misery and come back with another soap thoroughly refreshed and recharged that Australian’s actually want to watch. Do it well and Ten may surprise themselves and actually make some money out of it.

  14. So CBS Viacom own both Ch 10 & Ch 5. With Ch 5 pulling funding, it’s a polite way for the show to be axed. Ch10 can save face and blame outside forces. Trouble is as I said, both are owned by CBS. The plot thickens…….

  15. I’ve been an extra on Neighbours and it employs a lot of people so sorry for each one if it goes. Basically what was once the channel 10 complex in Melbourne (news, admin, Prisoner, Young Talent Time and other shows filmed there all at once) is now all Neighbours. Hope it keeps going. Wonder what will happen to all that land if it goes. Hello metal ball, over developed housing estate.

  16. I am sure 10 management could find more money by asking the presenters on The Project to take a pay cut. These high profile presenters should lead by example. I highly doubt it

    1. If Neighbours cast and crew want to ‘help’ out, they can offer to take pay cuts, but other Ch.10 employees are not at fault, nor should they be pressured to endure losses to keep what is effectively a commercially unviable venture afloat. If the UK still wants the show, they can pay for it themselves. Ch.10’s only real reason to broadcast it is because the show exists as an export by-product, and it helps them meet a local content quota; but it doesn’t have the ratings to make it commercially viable on its own.

      1. It would surely rate similar to The Project if it was on 6:30/7pm on Channel 10. It would also solve their Australian content issues by keeping it – imagine if 10 lets Neighbours go, what will they replace it with?

        1. Going by not having Neighbours on Fridays or over the Christmas break, id say 10Peach will show more Friends repeats in the Neighbours slot. That – or endless Big Bang Theory episodes. They dont air much else these days, which is a shame.

        2. “What’s that Toadie? Mark Wahlberg and Rebel Wilson are hanging out at Lassiters? And they’re telling Sheila all about their poorly-reviewed new buddy comedy? The one that’s exclusive to Paramount+? I’ll get Susan and we’ll drop by to say hello. Paul’s sent me all these clips of dogs acting like humans – they get a bit samey after the first three or so, but they’re good for filling in time. Let’s watch some now!”

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