Weddings, deaths and cancellations: Neighbours at 40

Welcome to "Cheat Sheet," where we give you the lowdown on iconic shows! To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the legendary Australian soap opera *Neighbours*, we're taking a look back at the show's illustrious history.

Few Australian (or international) shows have stood the test of time like *Neighbours*. Enduring multiple cancellation crises, the soap became Australia's longest-running drama, delighting local audiences and exporting Australian culture abroad. The show's enduring popularity is a testament to its relatable characters and engaging storylines.

2025 marks the show's 40th anniversary, but sadly, Amazon recently announced that this year will be the last for the residents of Ramsay Street after reviving the show in 2022. To celebrate the show's 40th anniversary, we'll be looking back at what made *Neighbours* so beloved. The show's impact on Australian television and its global reach deserve recognition.

Legendary TV producer Reg Watson pioneered the "serial drama five days a week" format in the UK before bringing the idea for *Neighbours* back to Australia. Born in Queensland, Watson created the hugely successful British serial *Crossroads*, which captivated millions of UK viewers. Upon returning to Australia, he partnered with Grundy Productions to conceive iconic Australian shows like *Prisoner*, *The Young Doctors*, and *Sons and Daughters*. But Watson was eager to produce a show that reflected his childhood growing up on the streets of his hometown of Brisbane. He pitched Grundy Productions a concept based on "the happy street of neighbours."

*Neighbours* was eventually picked up by the Seven Network and premiered in March 1985 to encouraging reviews but a lackluster audience response. The initial seasons revolved around the lives of three families: the Ramsays, the Robinsons, and the Clarkes, all living in a leafy cul-de-sac in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. After four months of dismal ratings and questionable scheduling slots, Seven canceled *Neighbours*. But Grundy Productions had already begun pitching the show to other networks. In January 1986, *Neighbours* began airing on Channel 10, which would become its long-term home in Australia. This change in network proved pivotal for the show's success.

Thanks to a more favorable and consistent timeslot, the show quickly amassed millions of Australian viewers, so much so that by the end of the year, the BBC began airing the show in the UK, where it quickly became a smash hit. British audiences loved *Neighbours* so much that two years after the show began airing in the UK, the entire cast was flown to England to perform for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Variety Performance, introduced by rising star Kylie Minogue. The show's popularity in the UK helped solidify its place in television history.

In 2011, Channel 10 moved the soap to its sister station Eleven (later rebranded as 10Peach), where it remained until 2022, when the show once again faced the ax. Channel 5 in the UK announced it would no longer be airing *Neighbours*, having previously broadcast the show and contributed a large portion of the production costs. Fremantle Media, which took over production in Australia in 2006, initially failed to find a new UK partner, despite the show being the fourth-highest-rated soap in the UK. They announced that after 37 years on the air, *Neighbours* would be ending. A one-hour "farewell" episode aired in mid-2022, featuring cameo appearances from iconic *Neighbours* alumni like Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, and Jason Donovan, drawing 1.5 million Australian viewers. The cancellation sparked widespread disappointment among fans worldwide.

Four months later (the same amount of time it took for Seven to cancel the original show), Fremantle announced that Amazon's ad-supported platform Freevee would be continuing the show for at least 200 episodes. But just as Freevee has been getting the chop at the end of last year, *Neighbours* hasn't been spared. Amazon announced last month that the show would be ending this December after a miraculous total of 9363 episodes. The show's resilience and ability to adapt to changing media landscapes were remarkable.

*Neighbours* not only introduced Australian culture and colloquialisms to the rest of the world, but the soap's fast-paced production also provided a very fertile training ground for Australian talent. Kylie Minogue was already a rising music star, and *Neighbours* helped propel her to even greater heights. The singer played vivacious tomboy Charlene Robinson for 363 episodes before leaving the show and becoming the Kylie we all know and love. As her on-screen sweetheart Scott, Jason Donovan also rose to fame, launching his music career and selling over 3 million albums worldwide. The show served as a launching pad for numerous Australian stars.

But they aren't the only musical stars the show helped shine. Before making it big overseas with "Torn," Natalie Imbruglia played the fan-favorite Beth Brennan on *Neighbours* for two years. Delta Goodrem had already secured a record deal when she signed on to play aspiring singer and student Nina Tucker in 2002. But the debut of her breakthrough hit "Born To Try" on the show catapulted her music career to the stratosphere. The show provided a platform for artists to showcase their talents to a wide audience.

Guy Pearce kicked off his acting career on the show, playing feathered-haired Mike Young for three years, leading to countless Hollywood acting award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor this year for his brilliant performance in *The Brutalist*. Many former *Neighbours* actors from the show's later years, such as Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Jesse Spencer, and Caitlin Stasey, have translated their experience into successful television careers in the US. The show's alumni have gone on to achieve significant success in various fields.

In fact, two of the world's most popular TV shows right now star former *Neighbours* actors. Dichen Lachman, currently radiant as Gemma in *Severance*, spent two years on *Neighbours* as Katya Kinski: a dodgy Ramsay Street interloper with a criminal Vergangenheit and a penchant for husband-stealing. And Morgana O'Reilly (okay, she's from New Zealand) played the sharply bobbed Naomi Canning, who also stole a husband or two (there are a lot of storylines to fill in 40 years), and now she's making us howl with laughter in *The White Lotus*. The show's impact on the entertainment industry is undeniable.

But you can't not mention Margot Robbie's *Neighbours* Cinderella story. At 17, she relentlessly called the *Neighbours* casting office until they gave her a shot on the show as Donna Freedman. Originally slated to be a guest role, Donna was quickly bumped up to series regular, giving the character enough time to have an affair, commit a non-fatal hit-and-run, and orchestrate the most over-the-top princess wedding in Australian television history. The show provided opportunities for young actors to hone their craft and gain valuable experience.

Three years later, Donna left Erinsborough for New York. Robbie also left Australia to try and make it in the US. A decade later, Robbie has multiple Oscar nominations and a hugely successful production company, LuckyChap. But she still credits *Neighbours* as the show that changed her life. She told *Variety* in 2024, "I learned more on that set than anywhere else. I am absolutely a better producer because I did three years of a soap opera because I know what everyone on the set does. The way soaps operate, I wish everyone could witness it because it's truly remarkable." The show's influence extends beyond acting, shaping the careers of those involved in production as well.

The population of Erinsborough must be the most disaster-prone in Australia, with countless heart-stopping car crashes, hit-and-runs, and falls off ladders. The local hotel, Lassiter's, has exploded three times: turning into a fireball in 1993; a gas explosion at Toadie's wedding in 2013; and a fire in 2004 marking the return of evil original character Paul Robinson. A tornado hit in 2014, forcing icon Susan Kennedy to perform an emergency tracheotomy. Even when Erinsborough residents are out of town, they're in danger, like in 2004, when a bomb on a flight carrying beloved characters to Tasmania caused their plane to crash into the Bass Strait. It makes you wonder why anyone would want to move there! The show's dramatic storylines kept viewers on the edge of their seats.

You never forget your first heartbreaking *Neighbours* death; whether it was pregnant Kerry Bishop being shot by a duck hunter, Drew Kirk dying after falling off a horse, or poor, sweet Stingray falling asleep at a street party and never waking up. But the dead don't always stay dead on *Neighbours*, as fans soon found out when everyone's grandpa, Harold Bishop, was swept out to sea in 1991 and presumed dead, only to return five years later in good health—albeit with amnesia. And there was Toadie's wife Dee, who was married for approximately 20 minutes before the "newlyweds'" car plunged into the ocean, her body never found. 13 years later, she turned up with an evil twin sister and an explanation for why she faked her death on her wedding day. The show's plot twists and character resurrections added to its enduring appeal.

Paul and Terry were the first Ramsay Street couple to get married (although she later shot him in the show), Donna and Ringo's vows were sweet, and Toadie and Dee's water-based wedding was tragic, but nothing can compare to Scott (Donovan) and Charlene's (Minogue) nuptials in 1987. Hoping to appease some fans who were scandalized by the idea of the unmarried couple living together, the episode drew 2 million Australian viewers. When it premiered in the UK, 19.6 million fans sat down to watch, making it the third-highest-rated show in Britain that year. From Holy Trinity Church to Charlene's stunning mullet dress, it remains one of the most iconic sights in the *Neighbours* legendary run. Play Angry Anderson! The show's iconic moments have become ingrained in popular culture.