FEATURE:
Friends and Neighbours…
PHOTO CREDIT: Channel 5
Why the Loss of a Television Icon Is Not Only a Big Loss to the Acting World
___________
EVEN though…
IN THIS PHOTO: Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher have played Susan and Dr. Karl Kennedy on Neighbours since 1994/PHOTO CREDIT: Channel 5
the news of Neighbours’ forthcoming end is not in the same leagues as what is happening in Ukraine and wider afield, I feel that some have taken that announcement too casually. Sure, one cannot match and compare a television series finishing with a war. Ironically, for so many of us right now, the long-running and iconic Neighbours has been a lifeline and much-needed dose of sunshine, escape and company. I am a music journalist, so I am going to tie this to music and why, through its thirty-seven year run, the Australian series has provided the music world with some superstars. Its end, therefore, also denies us of more potential artists. Some may say that great artists will be discovered either way, though the fact that Neighbours is a hugely loved platform with a big audience means that they can discovered quicker. That acting experience also is hugely beneficial regarding their music careers. It is not only about the potential loss of artists that is sad. Before I go on, and in case you were not aware, Variety were among the many who reported the news:
“The future of long-running Australian soap opera “Neighbours” is in question following its cancellation by ViacomCBS-owned U.K. broadcaster Channel 5.
The soap, produced by Fremantle and now in its 37th season, is watched by 1.5 million viewers a day in the U.K. but Variety understands that its Australian audience is on the wane. Although “Neighbours” is produced in Australia, it is largely bankrolled by Channel 5.
Australia’s Network 10, which airs the soap on its 10 Peach channel, is only a part funder
A Channel 5 spokesperson told Variety: “’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,” the spokesperson added. “We recognize that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original U.K. drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers.”
News of the show’s cancellation has come as a shock to cast and crew, which total around 150 people. Sources tell Variety that conversations have been ongoing about the program’s future beyond Channel 5, but no decisions have been made as of yet and aren’t thought to be imminent.
Channel 5 first began airing “Neighbours” in 2008, and struck a new deal for the program in 2018 that allowed it to air all year round. In the last few years, however, priorities have changed for the channel, which has enjoyed success with new dramas such as “All Creatures Great and Small.”
In an email to the “Neighbours” cast and crew, Fremantle said: “Our audience remains steady and Channel 10 would love the show to continue if we could find another broadcast partner to replace. These discussions are ongoing however there is no new broadcaster at the moment and production must end, effectively resting the show.”
The soap featured several performers who would go on to stardom including Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce”.
It is real tragic that Channel 5 here have decided not to fund and broadcast Neighbours anymore. Being British, there is almost this sense of guilt that we have let down our Australian cousins! Yesterday (18th Mach) was the thirty-seventh anniversary of the series. It was a bittersweet day; one where fans around the world remembered and paid tribute to the show, in addition to expressing sadness of its forthcoming end. The fact that the U.K. and Australia have a bond and there are similarities between the nations accounts for the fact that Neighbours is so adored here. More popular in the U.K. than Australia in a lot of ways, I am surprised the BBC did not help rescue the show. Before getting to the music, it is worth addressing a couple of points. I do not think a T.V. show should be belittled or mocked if you do not like it. There have been long-running comedies that have ended I was gutted about (Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Black-ish in the U.S.). It is the familiarity and routine of watching a show like Neighbours that means its (in my view) premature end is moving. Even though it has run for almost four decades, it is showcasing a crop of incredible young actors who, together with the established legends, could keep the show going for many more years. Richie Morris (Levi Canning), Charlotte Chimes (Nicolette Stone) and Freya Van Dyke (Zara Selwyn) are bright and promising actors who have helped keep Neighbours fresh and appealing.
Ben Turland (Hendrix Grayson) and Georgia Stone (Mackenzie Hargreaves) are amazing together – they play a couple in the show -, and I could well see them having careers in film. One of my favourite actors on the show is April Rose Pengilly. Having played Chloe Brennan since 2018, she is one of the show’s most popular cast members and characters. With an incredible range, presence and charm, she is an actor who can play any emotion with perfection. Eminently likable and hugely powerful, it would have been interesting to see her character’s arc in the coming years. I am sure Pengilly will have offers from the U.S. She could make it there in the U.K. without doubt. She is also someone who would have a career in the U.K. That said, being based in Australia, perhaps uprooting and living in the U.K. might not be on her radar at the moment! I know there is a great range of Australian shows being made and shown at the moment. Although the industry is not as big as it is here or America, many of the cast will be able to find new homes. That is not the point. Watching actors like Pengilly every weekday in a very warm and familiar setting has been a blessing! The sense of escape has been very much needed. One can imagine themselves in Ramsay Street (the focal point of Neighbours) and becoming immersed. I started watching the show when I was about seven or eight. This would have been right at the start of the 1990s. Perhaps the character that first struck me was Jarrod ‘Toadfish’ Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney). Back in the 1990s, he sported a mullet and some pretty loud shirts! His character has calmed down a bit. Seeing actors like that still on a show I remember vividly as a child keeps me connected with that past. One that was carefree and filled with memories and friends.
That is one of the things about Neighbours. It does feel like you are watching friends and neighbours on the screen! It is a show that has fostered tremendous actors like Margot Robbie and Guy Pearce. An invaluable way to cut their teeth and get that essential training and exposure, I look at the current young cast and there are several that are primed for bigger things. As we have to say goodbye to a show that has some legendary characters (from Paul Robinson through to the Susan and Karl Kennedy) this summer will be very hard! Not only have award-winning actors and major stars passed through the Neighbours doors through the decades; the musicians who started out there is amazing! Neighbours is a show that gives this opportunity to actors who have the promise to be among the world’s very best. Its loss is going to be a big blow to Hollywood and the acting world. From Natalie Imbruglia, to Kylie Minogue, to Delta Goodrem, Neighbours has been on their C.V. longer than their professional music careers! Minogue is probably the most famous export. I do not think her career in music would be as big and successful were it not for Neighbours. I can imagine there are young members in the cast or actors that were going to come through that would have ended up in music. I feel Bonnie Anderson is the latest cast member who has departed Neighbours and pursued music. Maybe we may not have seen icons like Kylie Minogue start their life in Neighbours, though we definitely would have seen some big musicians begin here!
The Australian music scene is definitely fertile and varied. Maybe not as championed in the U.K. and U.S. as homegrown artists, each state and territory offer a different flavour and sound. I have always been fascinated by artists coming out of Brisbane, Hobart and Sydney. Neighbours is filmed in Melbourne. No surprise that some spectacular artists from Melbourne (Kylie Minogue for example) started on Neighbours and found music fame. Some great bands and artists are coming out of Melbourne right now. It is a city with such a proud history. I have never been, but it is top of my lift of places to visit. Although blogs and music magazines mean artists from Melbourne will never be ignored or lost, series like Neighbours can showcase artists first-hand. It is also a way for potential artists to get acting experience that they can bring to their music. As someone who loves what is coming out of Melbourne, I think we would have seen a lot of great young artists begin their path on Neighbours. The show also features music both diegetic and sound-tracked. We get to hear artists played in the show. Another invaluable resource for them and music fans! As much as I love the show and think cast members like April Rose Pengilly and Ben Turland will continue their careers in Australia, the U.S. or U.K., the hole and void that will be on the T.V. screens who have watched the show for years will be immense! The sun, smile and, yes, drama that we get from shows like Neighbours has been more essential since the pandemic struck than ever before! It has given us some fine actors, brilliant and timeless scenes, great moments and, also, wonderful artists. It will be interesting to see how Neighbours winds down and what happens in the final episode around August. I think they are shooting that episode in June. Having acquired a legion of fans since its start in 1985, Neighbours is a television institute that so many people will be…
SO sad to see it go.