Amazon Freevee and Freemantle announced today the return of the iconic soap opera Neighbours.
After being canceled in spring 2022 after airing nearly 9,000 episodes over a whopping 37 years, Neighbours, the longest-running soap opera in Australian TV history, is returning to the screen, thanks to Amazon Freevee and Freemantle.
The brand new series will pick up from the finale earlier this year and continue its stories about the lives, loves, and challenges of the residents on Ramsay Street in Erinsborough, Australia, a fictional suburb of Melbourne. Reprising their leading roles in the series are Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney, and Jackie Woodburne.
The Neighbours finale, which aired this past summer in several territories, was watched by millions of the show’s fans, and saw the return of Guy Pearce (Jack Irish), Margot Robbie (Bombshell), Jason Donovan (The Heroes), and singers/actors Kylie Minogue and Natalie Imbruglia to the show that helped launch their careers.
Said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming, Amazon Studios:
“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. 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 favorite 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.”
Jennifer Mullin, Group CEO, Fremantle, stated:
“Neighbours is a unique series with a powerful connection with its fans across the world. We cherish the show and all those who have been part of its incredible story over many decades, so we are thrilled that we have found a new home with Amazon Freevee. Thanks to the innovative Amazon Freevee platform, many classic episodes will be available to fans, and Neighbours will go back into full production in Australia early next year, providing our fans with new episodes. This partnership with Amazon Freevee marks an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to collaborating with them, along with our long-term and valued partner in Australia, Network 10.”
Production on Neighbours will begin in Australia in early 2023, with the show’s world premiere slated for the second half of the year.
The revitalized series will launch exclusively on Freevee, Amazon’s free, advertising-supported streaming service, in the US and UK, which will also have thousands of episodes from the previous seasons available for streaming prior to the new series’ premiere.
In Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, the new Neighbours will stream on Prime Video. Network 10 will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
Neighbours is produced by Fremantle. Jason Herbison, the show’s executive producer since 2013, will maintain his position on the new series, with Andrew Thompson returning as producer.
Stay tuned for updates.
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