★★★★★ 0/5

Dear 10, you really owe this to Neighbours fans…

TV critics tell 10 they must avoid the show's finale screening abroad before its home audience.

35
Leave a comment

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that Neighbours will end production in June, and finish on air in August.

That will be incredibly sad for fans, cast and crew after 37 years for a show which has been the backbone of the Victorian production sector.

But if it really must end, it cannot conclude on UK screens before Australia.

This is what is currently at stake if 10 Peach does not return the show to five nights a week as a matter of urgency.

Late last year 10 Peach moved to four episodes a week in what was  -as sources told me- due to be matched by Channel 5. But instead 5 made the announcement the show would end mid year and remained at five episodes a week.

While 10 does not want the show to end at all its future depends on Fremantle securing another British broadcaster. Failing this production will indeed end in June.

But with each passing week Australian fans are slipping more and more behind UK fans.

With a 37 year history (36 of them on 10) it cannot be allowed to pass that the finale screens overseas ahead of locally. Ideally it should be same day.

This is not a way to treat loyal viewers, nor respectful to those who have made the show.

A 10 spokesperson recently told TV Tonight, “While the extra day means the UK will push ahead of Australia in 2022, don’t worry you can always watch your favourite Ramsay St friends and families Monday to Thursday 6.30pm on 10 Peach and 10 Play.”

TV historian Andrew Mercado told TV Tonight, “It is crazy that 10 keeps falling farther and farther behind Channel 5 transmission. Neighbours used to screen at the same time in the UK and Australia, and it was great for fans in both countries to talk about the show on social media without having to worry about plot spoilers. 10 say they want to show to continue, but if they really cared, they would fix this programming anomaly ASAP.”

TV Critic Colin Vickery added, “Aussie fans of Neighbours are devastated that their favourite program looks set to end. If the final episode was to screen in the UK before it did here that would totally rub salt into the wound.

“10 needs to get local episodes back in sync so that this doesn’t happen.

“Better still, 10 should be thinking of putting the final episode – and perhaps the final week – onto its main channel to give the iconic soapie the send-off it deserves.

“Make it an event. Go out with a bang and not a whimper.”

35 Responses

  2. They should screen the last few months at 6pm on 10. They have nothing to lose.
    I watched Neighbours when it started on TVO/TEN and was the #1 show in the country for years. I loved it. I wish 11 could show Vintage/Classic Neighbours from day 1.

  3. I agree with most of the comments here that Neighbors should on 10 for the final week, if it does eventually get axed I will be bit sad that the show will end and if it does end lets hope it will finish it of with a bang.

  4. Sad that Neighbours is ending but June is 3 months away so anything could happen fingers crossed that they may find a new channel to partner Fremantle.

  5. Whilst I’ll be very sad if Neighbours ends because I don’t miss an episode, part of me is actually ok with it ending because it’ll free up some time in my schedule and allow me to watch something else from my long list!

  6. 10 should just move it back to the main channel next week. If it loses viewers it doesn’t matter since the show is dead but it may do well enough that 10 could invest more money and find a UK channel willing to fund some of it. The show has been going on 10 for 36 years and probably did help grow Eleven in the beginning it deserves the final few months on the main channel with a lot of promotion. It should 100% be caught up with the UK for the finale. 10 should be returning the Friday episodes and either double episodes on Fridays or have it 6 or 7 nights a week to catch up.

  7. It’s not really all 10’s fault, Channel 5 made the odd decision to switch to 4 episodes for no reason, and then decided for no reason to switch back to 5 episodes as soon as Channel 10 went to 4 episodes. Seems like they wanted the show to fail?

    Even if Channel 10 reverts back to 5 episodes, we’ll still be behind.

    1. I don’t think Channel 5 ever went to 4 episodes a week. During their lockdown they thought production of the show may need to stop so they reduced the amount of episodes to (I think) 2 a week then 3 a week, so they could make sure they didn’t run out of episodes. They went back to 5 episodes when they realised episodes numbers would be fine.

      1. Oh okay, thanks I remembered incorrectly. But it never really made sense to me, could they not just simply ask “hey, are you stopping production?”

  8. I have been a massive fan of Neighbours for a while. It’s actually hitting it out of the park now. They finally have the right balance of cast except for a few with decent talent. That’s why I think it’s a shame for it to end now. I still firmly believe 10 failed Neighbours, it’s the forgotten child languishing on a subpar net work. 10 should’ve trusted enough that Audi e would come with a little promotion. I wish 9 or 7 could take it over. It’ll be interesting to see Freemantles wording on if they are giving up or resting the show. Hopefully a saviour comes along. If H&A still has an audience there was no reason why neighbours couldn’t have found one with the right promotion

    1. I don’t think Channel 10 would want to lose the show. 7 and 9 probably are happy with their schedules. If they did find the funding within Australia they would still have the problem of the UK finding a broadcaster to screen it. As UK holds most of the viewers in the world, that would be required for it to be worth making and receive a profit. If reports are correct, Fremantle have decided that they are unable to find a broadcaster. So it looks like it will end in June and then finish on screen in Australia in Late October.

  9. I’m 60 and I’ve been watching since it began here on Ch7, and then to 10 and now 11. I can’t believe they would let it end. It still rates well in the UK, from what I’ve been told. Ratings could be better here. But, it’s been on for so long. And I think of all the people involved that would lose their jobs because of this. As for the UK seeing the finale first, I’ve never understood why they’re ahead of us. Surely we should see it first. I’m still hoping there is some way that the show can be saved. It shouldn’t end like this.

    1. But how should it end Lyn? I’ve been watching since day one on 7 as well, and when it ends it will be a huge change in my life. But I’d rather see it end like this, where they have had time to write the finale stories than have it come back after it’s axed. They did that with A Country Practice it was axed by 7 after 12 years, then went to 10 for one more year in a different format. It didn’t work.

    2. It does rather well in the UK, it has most of the viewers in the world. So if they can’t find a broadcaster it will reduce the viewership of the show worldwide. As the UK needs to pay for most of production, if they can’t find the broadcaster or the money to view it, there wouldn’t be enough people watching it to produce it. The UK reduced the number of episodes they aired per week at the start of the pandemic, thinking they would run out of episodes if production needs to stop. They went back to 5 episodes a week and were behind. Then we went to four episodes a week and they caught up and we stayed at 4 episodes a week this year and fell behind. It is just the way things work out. If Channel 5 and Channel 10 aren’t in contact with each other about things like that, it would happen. They wouldn’t have a say about what the other channel does

  10. The episodes this year, do seem to have been made for a four episode week. Kyle and Roxys’ wedding on Thursday and then the mystery funeral on Monday, where a month had passed was a prime example. We saw it how it mas made to be shown. But yes please return to Friday nights. Even if its not exactly linked a couple of weeks behind will be better than a couple of months.

  11. They definitely need to show the finale week on ten. On Peach it’s just hidden away too well, past fans would check it out in droves if it were on the main channel.

  12. Personally I haven’t watched Neighbours in years, so I don’t care when they show the finale (if it happens). But I really hope they find a new UK broadcaster.

  13. I think 10 should do this now, put neighbours on 10 @ 7pm and then 1/2hrs on Thurs. put the 7pm part of the project onto Peach at 7pm if they want to keep the 7pm part on going. Let it go head to head with Home and Away.

    1. I don’t think it’s something they would agree to do. They would have an agreement with Roving Enterprises to screen The Project Mon-Fri on 10 at 6.30 to 7.30pm. They wouldn’t juggle that around. Just an observation, I may be wrong.

  14. Word is circulating that Fremantle is supposed to make an announcement today confirming that they could not find another broadcast partner and that the show will indeed wrap in June.

    David, any truth to this that you’re aware of?

  15. Of course, the other school of thought is that because Ch 5 have paid the bulk of the production costs for the last 10+ years, they should get first dibs on screen the final eps…..

    1. By the same token, Australia actually created and produced the show. If it wasn’t for Reg Grundy all those years ago, and Channel 10, there wouldn’t be a Neighbours.
      So I think they definitely should screen the finale at the same time as the UK at the very least.

      1. Unless they do double episodes and start airing on Fridays (which is both highly unlikely), it is not possible to finish the same time as the UK. At least we get the show until late October regardless of whether we see the finale the same time as the UK.

        1. Not long ago, it would have been seen as highly unlikely that Channel 5 would terminate their agreement to broadcast and produce Neighbours. Things change.
          There is no reason 10 cannot schedule double episodes and get the show back on track. It would likely just mean replacing one Friends repeat each night.

      2. Sorry, that didn’t make sense. At least we would have episodes until late October, so we would get it longer than the UK, even though we won’t get the finale until a couple of months later.

  16. I Have watched Neighbours since the very first episode in 1985 and I think it is still a great show and should be saved I am still hopeful that Freemantle can make a deal with another Channel in England

    1. It has been reported that Fremantle has had no luck and they have admitted defeat. That’s it, Neighbours is over indefinitely. June 10 they will stop filming, August it will end in the UK and late October it will end in Australia (it is pretty obvious they won’t go back to showing an episode on Fridays, so at least we will have it for a bit longer even though it would have already been screened in the UK first). We need to be glad of the good things and be pleasantly surprised if it does return.

  17. I agree with Colin Vickery about the final week being played on 10. Surely The Project could do a half hour show out of respect for the 37 year history at 6.30pm. I would not be surprised either if it rated higher!
    I am a strong advocate for Neighbours to continue as it is a fantastic training ground for new talent however as much as I love the show, some of their casting choices have made scenes very difficult to watch. I’m hoping for a Karl & Susan late night spin-off!

  18. I have zero interest in this show but I think it is only fair to the long term fans in Australia that they see this before it is aired and spoilers are all over the internet ,all good things though must come to and end and it’s time to close the door on Neighbours’.

  19. Time for the 10 Peach deal to be thrown away and put it back on 10 Tuesday Wednesday @ 7:30 for an hr and a bit to cover the five 30 minutes episodes…surely it would rate better if not no worse than Ambulance and the Dog House and keep this content to later in the year.
    If it has to end, get a better return of the product on the main channel and who knows maybe a local saviour may be found and help to turn around the slowly sinking ship 10 is becoming. Support local Australian drama

  21. Neighbours will finish on air in late October in Australia, Not August. August is for the UK.
    Due to not screening episodes on Fridays, it is later for us.

Leave a Reply