It’s only been four months since we said goodbye to the residents of Ramsay Street, but Neighbours is poised for a return.
The Australian soap has been thrown a lifeline by Amazon, and will return for a new series on its free streaming service Freevee in 2023.
Long-standing series regulars Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney and Stefan Dennis have also been confirmed to reprise their roles as Susan Kennedy, Karl Kennedy, Toadie Rebecchi and Paul Robinson respectively.
Amazon said it picked up Neighbours after seeing the reaction to the soap’s finale, which aired in the UK and Australia at the end of July.
It was axed after 37 years when Channel 5, who had aired Neighbours in the UK since 2008, announced it would cease doing so, leaving the show with a funding shortfall. In recent years, it had been largely financed by its international broadcast partner due to its declining popularity in its homeland.
Amazon has promised a “revitalised” version of the show, and revealed that a back catalogue of classic Neighbours episodes will also be available to stream on the platform.
Neighbours will air exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US, while Australia’s Network 10 will retain first-run rights for the show, with episodes also airing on Prime Video.
Neighbours will go back into production in early 2023 with a view to begin airing in the second half of the year.
Jason Herbison, Neighbours’ executive producer since 2013, will maintain his position on the new chapter of Neighbours, with Andrew Thompson also returning as producer.
“Neighbours has captivated its audience for nearly 40 years, building a dedicated and loyal following for the lives and stories of the characters on Ramsay Street,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming, Amazon Studios.
“With the power of streaming, we’re able to offer a catalogue of thousands of Neighbours episodes for new audiences to discover this legendary series and current fans to relive their favourite moments. We look forward to immersing the audience in new Ramsay Street experiences when we relaunch the show next year for Amazon Freevee and Prime Video customers.”
The Neighbours finale was watched by more than 4 million viewers in the UK when it aired earlier this year.
It featured the return of former stars including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie.