Just over a year since confetti rained down on Ramsay Street and we seemingly said goodbye to Neighbours forever, the Australian soap is back.
However, this time around, the show will not be airing on scheduled TV in the UK after Channel 5 pulled the plug last year.
Instead, Neighbours has a brand new home thanks to Amazon – but if you’re a bit confused about its streaming service Freevee and what it means if you don’t have Prime Video, this is what you need to know...
How can I watch the new Neighbours in the UK?
New episodes of Neighbours are dropping at 7am from Monday to Thursday on the streaming service Amazon Freevee from 18 September.
Freevee is a completely free streaming service supported by adverts (so no subscription needed!), and is available as an app on iOS and Android. You can also download the Freevee app via Amazon devices such as the Fire TV and Fire tablet or on select Smart TVs.
You can also watch Neighbours for free via Amazon Prime Video, even if you are not a member, you just have to have an Amazon account – just find the ‘Free with Ads’ icon in the side bar navigation of the Prime Video homepage.
However, if you are already a paying Amazon Prime Video member, it means you can watch Neighbours without adverts.
Thousands of old episodes from the Neighbours archive are also available to stream via Freevee and Prime Video.
I don’t live in the UK – where can I watch Neighbours internationally?
In its native Australia, Neighbours is returning to the main Channel 10 network, with new episodes airing at 4.30pm Monday to Thursday from 18 September.
It will then be repeated on digital channel 10 Peach (the show’s home since 2011) at 6.30pm Monday to Thursday, with episodes then available to catch up on for seven days on 10Play. After that, they will move over to the Amazon Prime Video archive.
Meanwhile, the USA is finally getting to catch up with the residents of Erinsborough, as episodes will also drop on Amazon Freevee.
In Ireland, the show is returning to RTE, and in New Zealand it is also heading back to its old network TVNZ. Check local listings for air times. Episodes will also be available on Amazon Prime Video after broadcast.
South African and Canadian viewers can also catch all the action on Prime.
Why was Neighbours axed?
Back in February 2022, Channel 5, who had aired Neighbours in the UK since 2008, announced it would cease doing so, in a bid to use the money on local dramas instead.
This left Neighbours with a funding shortfall, as in recent years, it had been largely financed by its international broadcast partner due to its declining popularity in Australia.
While producers launched a search for a new UK broadcaster to work with, the hunt proved unsuccessful, and in March 2022, it was announced the show would come to an end after 37 years.
What was thought to be the final episode aired at the end of July last year, and featured the returns of big stars such a Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie.
But four months after the curtain came down on the show, it was revealed Neighbours would be coming back after Fremantle – the show’s production company – and Channel 10 had struck a two-year deal with Amazon.