Well, here we go again.
Beloved Aussie soap Neighbours is being axed – again – after production company Fremantle failed to strike a new deal with Amazon. The show, which has already cheated death once, will stop production this summer, with its final-ever (no, really, we mean it this time) episode airing at the end of the year, according to The Sun.
This comes just two years after Amazon swooped in to rescue the show from the TV graveyard following its initial cancellation. In a move that delighted fans and brought a few nostalgic tears to the eyes of those who grew up watching Ramsay Street’s endless drama, Amazon announced in late 2022 that Neighbours would return in a multi-year deal.
For those who remember the first final episode (which, in hindsight, now seems like a premature farewell party), it was an emotional send-off, featuring the triumphant return of some of Australia’s biggest stars, including Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce. The soap, which first hit screens in 1985, appeared to be signing off for good.
But then – plot twist! Just a few months later, Amazon decided Neighbours wasn’t dead after all and revived it with a refreshed production, bringing Ramsay Street back to life in 2023. Fans rejoiced. Nostalgia surged. And once more, the fictional Melbourne suburb found itself caught up in affairs, family feuds and, presumably, an alarming number of dramatic misunderstandings.
However, the drama behind the scenes has proven just as turbulent as on-screen. Last year, Amazon pulled the plug on Freevee – the service that was airing Neighbours worldwide – and merged it into Prime Video. And now, after two years of streaming, it seems the show has once again reached the end of the road. (Or should that be cul-de-sac?)
So, is this really the final farewell? Or will Neighbours pull off another miraculous resurrection down the line? Given its track record, we wouldn’t bet against it. After all, soap operas are famous for unexpected comebacks – and Ramsay Street has already proven it’s got more lives than Harold Bishop.
For now, though, fans might want to start emotionally preparing themselves for another round of tearful goodbyes, at least until someone else decides to give Neighbours yet another fresh start.
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