222-498: Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel Eleven . The following is a list of characters that appeared in the soap in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Jason Herbison . The 32nd season of Neighbours began airing from 4 January 2016. Julie Quill and Xanthe Canning were introduced during
444-668: A dead end street , and its neighbouring area, the Lassiters complex, which includes a bar, hotel, café, police station, lawyers' office and park. Neighbours began with a focus on three households created by Watson – including the Ramsay and Robinson families, who have a long history and an ongoing rivalry. Over the serial's early years, three additional houses on the street were introduced as regular settings. Pin Oak Court, in Vermont South ,
666-466: A "troubled relative", while an All About Soap columnist called him "cunning". Walter arrives in Erinsborough, and Toadie tries to stop him meeting Sonya. Walter assures Toadie that he is three weeks sober, but he lent the money Toadie gave him to a friend instead of going to rehab. Toadie's friend Stephanie Scully ( Carla Bonner ) offers Walter a room at her motel. When Sonya arrives home early from
888-407: A 9:30 am daily time slot from 1 July to 30 August 1991. New York City station WWOR-TV showed Neighbours weekdays 5:30 pm from 17 June to 17 September 1991. Sixty-five selected episodes were aired from the beginning to where Charlene leaves Ramsay Street in 1988 in both markets. In April 2004, the show began broadcasting nationally on the television channel Oxygen . A spokeswomen from
1110-523: A bad article about him and uses it to blackmail the editor into hiring Madison as a cadet at the paper. She takes the opportunity, flying to Erinsborough and abandoning a boyfriend and university plans. Paul urges Madison to write a feature about the locals, and he later alters some of the profiles so they become personal attacks. Paul's actions are soon discovered and Madison moves out of Paul's motel to live with Terese Willis ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ). As an apology, Paul tells Madison about another story involving
1332-544: A beer and a talk. When Jacka mentions that they have been kicked out of their usual place, Steph invites them to Robinsons Motel. Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ) voices his displeasure at having a gang of bikers at the motel and asks them to leave. Unhappy at the way Paul spoke to Steph, Jacka and the group return to trash the room and steal Paul's prosthetic leg. A few weeks later, Jacka leaves some boxes of alcohol at Robinsons for Steph. Mark Brennan recognises that they are stolen. Steph confronts Jacka and he warns her not to tell
1554-475: A clothes sale, while they also form a band so they can go busking. Angus learns from Xanthe that his mother has cancer, so he takes the money that Ben and Xanthe made busking and runs away. They find Angus at the Off-Air bar and he tells them he is going to Bali, but Ben takes his passport. Angus decides to hitch a ride to the airport and Xanthe goes with him, assuming that he has done it before. After becoming scared of
1776-552: A counter lunch. Not for the fainthearted." During the ceremony, a specially-written song called "Flowers", sung by Janine Maunder, was played. The single was made available to purchase from the Neighbours website after the episode aired. Shortly after she married Peter, Sarah kissed Karl in the vestry and Peter very nearly saw. An Inside Soap columnist explained "Sarah and Karl give into the feelings they've been stifling for months, and share an illicit passionate kiss." Sarah then left
1998-401: A couple of months, the show moved to 3:50 pm weekdays. The show eventually moved back to TV2, screening weeknights at 6:00 pm and, later, 6:30 pm before moving back to 6:00 pm. Its timeslot in 2022 was at 4:30 pm on TVNZ 1 . The finale aired, in its 90-minute iteration as Neighbours: The Final Farewell , in a primetime slot on TVNZ 1, on 2 September 2022. New episodes
2220-607: A crush on her. After Elly rejects Angus, he loses his virginity to Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel), who also lost her virginity to him. He later decides to get a tattoo using Ned Willis 's (Ben Hall) stolen ink, but Karl stops him as the ink is contaminated. Angus sings to Elly at the Halloween dance, rousing Susan's suspicions. That same night, Angus kisses Elly while she is sleeping and she reprimands him, but decides not to tell Susan. Leo Tanaka ( Tim Kano ) warns Angus to stop pursuing Elly. Angus decides to leave Erinsborough High, but he
2442-674: A date with Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ). Brooke and Gary come up with a plan for Brooke to meet her daughter, Jesse, when she stops over in Melbourne on the way to Malaysia. When Terese sees Gary with Brooke, she thinks that Gary is cheating on her. Brooke and Gary wait outside a hotel where they think Jesse is staying, but Brooke receives a text message saying that she is at a different hotel. Brooke hopes to get back together with Gary, but when Gary and Terese become engaged, Brooke decides to leave for Malaysia to meet up with Jesse, after Sheila offers to pay her fare. Neighbours Neighbours
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#17331158256322664-593: A drop of 300,000 from the BBC's average. However, the move boosted Channel 5's usual share for the 5.30 pm slot by three and a half times. UK viewers are able to catch up with episodes with Channel 5's video catch up service, My5 , similar to the catch up service in Australia. Channel 5 also had a deal with YouTube , allowing viewers to watch episodes for free on the video sharing site after they have been transmitted. From 4 January 2016, Channel 5 began broadcasting episodes on
2886-457: A few surprises in store where Jacka is concerned." Following his original guest stint, the character returned in September. Jacka asks Steph to visit him in prison, after learning that his wife Regan Davis (Sabeena Manalis) might be having an affair. Steph agrees to speak to Regan to find out the truth. In 2022, script producer Shane Isheev confirmed a planned return for Jacka, however the storyline
3108-422: A goodbye letter and leaves town. She later calls Xanthe, but hangs up without speaking to her. Brooke returns to Erinsborough and applies for a job at the hospital, but Sheila ruins her chances. Brooke apologises to the Canning's neighbours for the jewellery scam and promises to pay them back when she gets a job. Terese gives Brooke a three-month trial as the manager of Lassiter's Day Spa. She also sets Brooke up on
3330-464: A jewellery party for their neighbours, where Brooke makes several sales. She later meets with Mack Sweetin (Brian Edmond), to whom she owes money, and asks for the jewellery order to be delayed, as she does not want the buyers to know they are getting fakes until she has convinced Xanthe to leave town with her. Ben sees Mack hand over the jewellery to Brooke, but she denies receiving the shipment. She then convinces Xanthe that Ben does not respect her, and
3552-431: A job at the hotel, she turns him down after an interview. Julie discusses her struggles as a woman in the hotel industry with Terese Willis, and she decides to hire Daniel after realising that he and Paul have fallen out. She tells Terese that if there are problems, she will be held responsible. Julie returns a few weeks later for a meeting with Terese, and she clashes with Paul again. She later reveals to Terese her plans for
3774-459: A kiss and he tells everyone that they are a couple. Sarah tells him off and they become friends. Sarah gets a job at Lou's Place, but has trouble adjusting to being looked at by the male customers. She then finds employment as a receptionist at Karl Kennedy's surgery. Sarah battles Marlene Kratz ( Moya O'Sullivan ) for the title of "Receptionist of the Year", but drops out when she learns the competition
3996-450: A long-distance relationship, but they break up a few weeks later. Sarah, feeling depressed at work one day is comforted by Karl and the pair share a kiss. Karl tells Sarah he is a married man and nothing can come of it and Sarah quickly agrees to forget it, but she cannot and things are tense in the surgery. Several sets of circumstances cause Karl and Sarah to be thrown together, arousing suspicion. Sarah becomes increasingly distressed about
4218-464: A lunchtime broadcast and then a morning broadcast repeat the following day. Michael Grade , the channel's then controller, was advised by his daughter to move the morning broadcast repeat to a late afternoon slot, as she and her friends kept missing it due to them being at school, which took place from 4 January 1988. The show then started attracting larger audiences, peaking at over 21 million viewers on 26 January 1990, an aggregated figure that combined
4440-602: A meeting, she meets Walter, but Toadie lies that Walter is one of his clients called Mitch. When she learns Mitch is an alcoholic, Sonya goes to an AA Meeting with him, where he meets Terese Willis ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ). Terese and Walter go for a drink and end up kissing. Sonya reveals that she has seen Mitch again, prompting Toadie to finally admit he is her uncle Walter. Sonya confronts Walter, who apologises for not finding her sooner, and though she tells him she cannot handle him in her life right now, he sticks around and continues to date Terese. Terese convinces Sonya to give Walter
4662-568: A model. Sarah starts receiving phone calls from UK journalists and Joanna Hartman ( Emma Harrison ) recognises her from some magazines. Catherine discovers that Sarah was engaged to Lord Steven Harrow, but she had jilted him. Sarah decides to leave town when she hears that Steven is coming to Erinsborough, but Catherine convinces her to stay. Sarah and Steven talk through their problems and agree to be friends. Sarah's neighbour, Toadfish Rebecchi ( Ryan Moloney ), becomes infatuated with her and tries to fight Steven on her behalf. Sarah thanks Toadie with
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#17331158256324884-431: A new current affairs show. They said "It's part of a re-branding of Ten's free-to-air channel, targeting the older demographic. The 'younger' shows, like Neighbours , will go on to one of Ten's digital channels". It was later confirmed that the show would be moving to digital channel, Eleven. Network Ten's programmer, David Mott said "We believe Neighbours is perfectly suited to Eleven's audience strategy and will find
5106-414: A new UK broadcaster. Dennis said of the cancellation, "Simply put, it is all about the quickly changing landscape in the way we view our favourite TV shows. Drama on free-to-air television is dying a rapid death because nowadays viewers are used to being able to watch what they want when they want. Ultimately, Neighbours is a product in the big business of film and television and like any other business, if
5328-478: A new girlfriend and that he still loves her. Madison is late to the audition, but impresses the judges is offered the job. She decides to give it up to accompany Logan to California, but he tells her that he will stay on the Gold Coast with her. Angus Beaumont-Hannay , played by Jai Waetford , made his first screen appearance on 2 May 2016. Waetford's casting was announced on 10 February, but his character's identity
5550-446: A one-and-half-hour-long episode. It was broadcast on 29 July 2022 in the UK as a one-hour-long episode. A study conducted shortly after the final episode aired in Australia and the UK found that fans experienced considerable feelings of grief and loss at the conclusion of the series, with viewers having formed strong connections and bonds with their favorite characters. On 17 November 2022, it
5772-450: A place at a German research centre. Sarah warns the Kennedys that Angus might react badly to her departure, before she flies out to Germany. Sarah returns the following month and reveals that the treatment is going well. She apologises to Angus for not telling about her cancer and asks him to come to Germany with her, while she continues her treatment. Sarah later rings Karl to tell him that she
5994-407: A product isn't making money, it will make way for one that will. All TV shows come to an end – even the likes of long-time legends such as Coronation Street and Days of Our Lives will eventually cease. Survival of these shows is in the viewers' hands." Cast member Georgie Stone revealed that she discovered the cancellation on Twitter and was initially unsure whether to believe it, until she
6216-723: A psychiatric patient from the hospital who had become obsessed with her. Sarah decides not to press charges when Richard is arrested. After resuscitating Deidre Kaufmann (Lidia Faranda), a patient who went into cardiac arrest, Sarah is reprimanded by the hospital board as she is not qualified enough to perform such procedures. She is suspended and Karl tells her to fight for her job. Sarah's mother, Bess, arrives in town and she and Sarah immediately clash. Bess reveals to Sarah's friends that she named her Shakira Sunshine, but Sarah and Catherine took more mainstream names at school to fit in. Sarah and Bess manage to make peace before Bess leaves. Sarah learns that Bess has set her up with Peter Hannay and
6438-512: A residential cul-de-sac in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough . The street was named after the grandfather of original character Max Ramsay ( Francis Bell ). Other locations include Erinsborough High School, the garage (local mechanic), hospital , and the Lassiter's complex, which contains the Lassiter's Hotel , Waterhole bar, Harold's Café , the lawyers office Rebecchi Law , and
6660-728: A resort in Queensland. Filming locations outside of Australia have included Kenya , the United States and the United Kingdom, which has seen Neighbours episodes filmed there on a number of occasions. In February 1990, Lyme Park in Cheshire doubled as the Ledgerwood estate set in Yorkshire. Derek Nimmo guest-starred as the fictitious Lord Ledgerwood in two of the episodes. In November 1992,
6882-913: A ride on the London Eye and being married on a boat on the River Thames . Three further storylines shot on location in London aired in March 2017, March 2018, and September 2019. The show was due to film in Ireland for the first time in March 2020, before the shoot was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, a sixth storyline was filmed on location in London, featuring Amanda Holden and Sophie Ellis-Bextor alongside regular cast member Jemma Donovan ( Harlow Robinson ). In early 2023, Annie Jones ( Jane Harris ) and Guy Pearce ( Mike Young ) filmed scenes in
List of Neighbours characters introduced in 2016 - Misplaced Pages Continue
7104-447: A school media project and she apologises for it getting out of hand. James is satisfied with the explanation. Mr. Udagawa surprises Terese with his appearance a few weeks later. He lets her know that the figures for the Lassiter's pigeon race were satisfactory. Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ) brings over a stock report for The Waterhole, which Udagawa takes from her. He tells Terese the takings are stagnant and demands to know what her plan
7326-570: A second chance, but she becomes suspicious when she realises Walter was present in the car when her parents crashed and died. Walter reveals that he was arguing with his brother John, as he wanted Sonya to know he was actually her father, due to a brief affair between him and Sonya's mother. Sonya is shocked and initially rejects Walter, prompting him to get drunk. When Sonya finds him, she agrees to help him get clean and invites him to move in. Walter breaks up with Terese and babysits Sonya's daughter Nell (Scarlett Anderson), impressing her, but she finds
7548-516: A second hotel tower to be built on existing businesses within the Lassiter's complex. Julie becomes determined to ruin Paul's bid to host the Erinsborough Citizen of the Year event. She manages to persuade the council to hold the launch party at The Waterhole, but Paul arranges a job offer for the Lassiter's chef, causing him to quit before the launch. Harold's Store does the catering and leaves Julie,
7770-563: A second production season, which began screening on 20 January 1986. Neighbours became the longest-running drama series in Australian television history. In 2005, it was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame . The storylines concern the lives of the people who live and work in Erinsborough , a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria . The series centres on the residents of Ramsay Street ,
7992-494: A softer side because she has worked hard and she appreciates others that put in the effort." Easdale said Julie was forced to make an impact in a male dominated environment, which she admired. She added that Paul was "a great character to play against", which made her guest stint more interesting as Dennis is different at home. The character is later exposed as the perpetrator behind the Lassiters Hotel explosion, which resulted in
8214-402: A successful and enduring home on Eleven". Neighbours moved to Eleven on 11 January 2011, the channel's launch day. Throughout 2013, Eleven had broadcast repeat episodes of Neighbours from the 2007 period, titled Old School Neighbours , during weekday mornings. In 2015, Network Ten had broadcast an encore of the previous day's episode at 7:00 am weekdays. In 2018, for the first time in
8436-417: A text on his phone from his ex-wife Roxanne, urging him to be honest with Sonya about something. Walter admits that he has another daughter called Zoe, who has leukaemia. He asks Sonya to get tested to be a bone marrow donor . Sonya meets Zoe and gets tested, but they learn she is not a match. Walter then suggests that Nell could be a donor instead, and Sonya gets her tested in secret as Toadie objects. When she
8658-537: A writer from Virgin Media stated "She was the sole reason teenage boys tuned into Neighbours each night between 1996 and 1999. And after Sarah Beaumont had that affair with dishy doc, Karl Kennedy, she quickly became the hot topic around the water coolers nationwide..." In 2007, a reporter from the Herald Sun placed Karl and Sarah's affair at number eight on their list of Neighbours Top Ten moments. They said "In one of
8880-432: Is a doctor, who has "a social conscience". Leo Tanaka , played by Tim Kano , made his first screen appearance on 22 September 2016. The character and Kano's casting was announced on 22 August 2016, along with Takaya Honda who plays Leo's twin brother David Tanaka . Kano enjoyed portraying his character, saying "I'm loving the role of Leo, who is such a great character to play." The Tanaka brothers come to Erinsborough in
9102-623: Is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours , played by Nicola Charles . Shortly after Charles moved to Australia, she was encouraged to try out for a part in the serial by a drama coach. The actress received the role of Sarah and made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 25 September 1996. In January 1999, it was announced that Charles had decided to quit Neighbours to move to London with her then fiancé. She filmed her final scenes in April 1999 and Sarah departed on-screen on 13 July 1999. Charles later appeared in
List of Neighbours characters introduced in 2016 - Misplaced Pages Continue
9324-405: Is a handyman. Paige Smith is suspicious of Mandy, but John continues to get to know her and they kiss. Before John and Mandy leave town, Paige brings over a Hawaiian pizza for them. Mandy claims that it is John's favourite, as he loves pineapple, making him realise that she is lying about their relationship, as he is allergic to pineapple. Before she goes, Mandy reveals that she met John on the day of
9546-407: Is a wonderful show and because of this I felt it was important that fresh eyes and brains take over to keep this Australian icon contemporary. Having said that, I'm really excited about the new role and thank FremantleMedia for this wonderful opportunity." Former City Homicide producer, Richard Jasek , took over Bower's role, while Alan Hardy took over the role of producer. On 4 December 2013, it
9768-573: Is accused of causing the explosion, and when he tries to comfort her she accuses him of assault. Tom turns up alive, and Julie is angry with Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) for lying to her as he attacked Tom just before the explosion. Julie fires Terese when it transpires that she paid someone to give a false alibi, ensuring Paul was put away. At the reopening of Lassiter's, Julie is arrested by Mark Brennan ( Scott McGregor ), as John Doe 's ( Andrew James Morley ) memory returns, and he recalls that he saw her conspire with Jacka Hills (Brad McMurray) to cause
9990-488: Is actually to find a model rather than a competent receptionist. When Sarah saves the life of a patient at the surgery, she decides to take on a basic first aid training course. Sarah and Ben Atkins advertise for another housemate and policeman Matt Compton applies. Sarah is impressed by Matt and after he moves in, they begin dating. Matt later receives a transfer to a station in Port Campbell and leaves. He and Sarah agree to
10212-409: Is almost caught by Brad Willis ( Kip Gamblin ) and Toadfish Rebecchi ( Ryan Moloney ). After learning that some of Ned's family and Elly are going up in a hot-air balloon, Jacka tampers with the gas cylinders, causing it to crash. At the hospital, Jacka learns that Regan died as a result of the balloon crash and he accuses Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ) of killing her. Jacka is then arrested, and he
10434-549: Is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson . The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap Sons and Daughters . Although successful in Melbourne , Neighbours underperformed in the Sydney market and was cancelled by Seven four months after it began airing. It was immediately commissioned by rival Network Ten for
10656-404: Is an old friend of Stephanie Scully ( Carla Bonner ). He was billed as the show's "newest villain" and a writer for the official website said with "trouble brewing", Jacka would be in the middle of it. McMurray enjoyed playing the role, saying "It's a great show to be a part of and I'm quite adept at playing the bad guy so this is really a lot of fun. I love causing trouble and there are definitely
10878-641: Is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 18 September 2023. In Canada, CFMT-TV in Toronto broadcast Neighbours on weeknights at 11:00 pm, starting in September 1990. From 20 May 1991, CFMT moved the show to 4:00 pm. After announcing its cancellation, CFMT decided to keep Neighbours on its schedule throughout September 1994, following numerous letters and telephone calls. From April 2017 to April 2019, Neighbours aired on OutTV . Episodes were broadcast on weekdays at 2:30 pm ET and 5:30 pm ET, with an omnibus on Saturdays. Episodes aired on
11100-516: Is forced to choose between Paige and God. Ned Willis , played by Ben Hall , made his first screen appearance on 6 April 2016. Hall's casting was announced on 11 March 2016, while the character has been referred to for several years following his off-screen birth. Following his initial guest stint, Hall later returned to filming and Ned returned on 10 August. Ned is the son of Brad Willis ( Kip Gamblin ) and Beth Brennan ( Natalie Imbruglia ). His introduction united all of Brad's children on-screen for
11322-438: Is found to be a match, Sonya tells Toadie, who refuses to let his daughter donate due to her young age. Walter collects Nell from nursery and takes her to the hospital. Realising what Walter has done, Zoe takes Nell back home. Walter apologises to Sonya and Toadie for kidnapping Nell, and Sonya decides not to press charges against him. When Sonya's son Callum ( Morgan Baker ) is found to be a match for Zoe, she and Walter leave for
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#173311582563211544-411: Is happening. Daniel and Imogen are persuaded to hold the wedding at home in front of their family and friends. After they leave town, Madison decides to stay and speak to her uncle Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ), who had been accused of causing the Lassiter's Hotel explosion. Madison tells Paul that she believes in him, as he had once taken her family out to dinner and told the waiter she was going to be
11766-401: Is having an affair and he wants Steph to find out who it was with. After speaking with Regan, Steph returns to the prison and tells Jacka that Regan thought they were having an affair before he was jailed, which is why she stopped visiting him. Steph explains that she set Regan straight and Regan will visit him soon. Jacka then reveals that he had someone else check up on Regan and he thinks Steph
11988-552: Is in remission. A writer for the BBC 's Neighbours website said Sarah's most notable moment was her affair with Karl. Viewers voted Sarah's wedding to Peter the second "Best storyline of 1999" in the Neighbours.com Awards. Of Sarah's arrival, Lanning quipped "Jaws dropped and blood pressure soared among the randy young bucks of Ramsey Street at the arrival of a bedazzling new bimbo on the block in Neighbours ". Speaking positively of Sarah,
12210-653: Is initially reluctant to meet him. However, she and Peter fall in love and he asks her to marry him within a few months. On the day of the wedding, the bridal car breaks down and Karl offers Sarah a lift. After a second breakdown, they finally make it to the church thanks to a passing police car. After the wedding, while Sarah is in the vestry preparing for the wedding photos, Karl tells her how beautiful she looks and they share one final kiss. Sarah and Peter marry and leave Erinsborough for Amsterdam . Sarah attends Catherine's wedding to Malcolm Kennedy ( Benjamin McNair ) in London and it
12432-515: Is introduced as the "mysterious" former girlfriend of Andrew Morley 's John Doe character, and a love rival for Paige Smith ( Olympia Valance ). Mandy claims to be John Doe's girlfriend. She tells him that his real name is Jason Jones and that they live together. She had just got back from a trip when she learned where he was and what had happened to him. John questions Mandy about his life with her and she explains that they met in Geelong and that he
12654-467: Is later sentenced to eighteen years in prison. Jack Callahan (also John Doe ), played by Andrew Morley , made his first screen appearance on 4 April 2016. The character and Morley's casting details were announced on 30 January 2016. Morley received a call from his manager asking him to record an audition tape while he was in Cambodia helping to raise money for charity. Upon his return to Melbourne, Morley
12876-658: Is lying. He tells her to get him a name. Regan later tells him that she was having an affair with Ned. Jacka is released early to care for his dying mother and he returns to Erinsborough to get revenge on Ned. He watches Ned with Elly Conway ( Jodi Anasta ) and later finds her at The Waterhole. He introduces himself to her as JD and buys her several drinks. Ned sees them together and pulls Elly away, telling her who Jacka really is. Terese Willis ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ) then asks for him to be removed. Steph confronts Jacka and urges him to give up his revenge plan. Jacka breaks into Number 32 and poisons Ned's tattoo ink. He breaks in again, and
13098-633: Is not so keen as he does not want to live with a policeman. However, Sarah gets her own way and Matt soon moves in. Charles explained that she was "really pleased" to finally have a love interest, but did not want her character to settle into a long-term relationship. She said "the ups and downs are much more interesting to do than the smoochy scenes." Sarah and Matt soon began dating and their romance marked Charles and Kovac's first on-screen love scenes. One of Sarah's most notable storylines saw her fall in love with and kiss Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ). Sarah and Karl revealed their feelings for each other at
13320-492: Is not the reason Sarah returns to Erinsborough, she would be catching up with him and Susan. When asked if Sarah is over Karl, Charles said "Is Sarah over Karl? Gosh, that's an eternal question, isn't it? Are we really ever over our exes? Sarah is separated from her husband Peter Hannay and is therefore single." The actress added that there would be tension between Sarah and Susan, while any questions about what happened between Sarah and Karl would be answered. On 7 March 2016, it
13542-426: Is now airs from 19 September 2023 at 5.30pm Tuesdays to Fridays on TVNZ 2. Episodes is to be then available to stream on Amazon Prime Video . In Iceland, Neighbours has been aired on Stöð 2 since 1986 with Icelandic subtitles. The show is currently on weeknights at 5.25 pm. In Belgium, Neighbours has aired since 1988 as Buren , with Dutch subtitles on Één (previously known as TV1, in 2024 known as VRT1),
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#173311582563213764-404: Is now streaming on Amazon Freevee from 18 September 2023 in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, RTÉ began broadcasting Neighbours on 2 January 2001. The show aired weekdays at 2:00 pm on RTÉ One and was repeated at 6:00 pm on RTÉ Two . Episodes were also available via catch-up on RTÉ Player . Prior to the move from BBC One to Channel 5 in the UK, RTÉ broadcast Neighbours at the same pace as
13986-517: Is on the Gold Coast with his father, Angus is reunited with Ben and Xanthe, after finding them on the beach. When he learns Madison Robinson (Sarah Ellen) is late for a singing audition, Angus fills in to by her more time. After speaking with Susan about how he has been effected by his mother's condition, she invites him to return to Erinsborough and he accepts. Susan's niece Elly Conway ( Jodi Anasta ) persuades Angus to return to school and he develops
14208-474: Is out, Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) lets her wait inside with him. Sarah asks various questions about Karl and Susan's relationship. Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ) later invites Sarah to stay at Number 26 with her and her granddaughter Xanthe (Lily Van der Meer). Sarah continues to ask about Susan and Karl's life, and she later makes an advance towards Karl, but he does not act on it. After Susan accidentally traps Sarah's fingers in her car door, Karl treats her at
14430-458: Is persuaded to attend a music school instead. His drink is spiked by one of his new school friends and he makes a drunken phone call to Elly, who picks him up from the bar, with help from Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns). Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) informs Angus that an independent record label want to meet with him after seeing his music video. Elly plans to meet up with her former boyfriend and Angus asks Piper for her help in keeping them apart, but
14652-415: Is questioned by the police again, where he faces assault charges. Angus apologises to Elly and explains that he knows what he did was wrong. She decides not to press charges, and Angus's father escorts him to Sydney. Walter Mitchell , played by Greg Stone , made his first screen appearance on 13 May 2016. Walter was introduced as Sonya Rebecchi 's ( Eve Morey ) estranged uncle. It soon emerged that Walter
14874-505: Is revealed that she and Peter have had a daughter called Antigone. Two years later, Sarah splits from Peter and she phones Karl for a reference as she is looking for a new job. Karl obliges, but Susan rewords the reference before Karl sends it off. Sarah then arranges for several bags of manure to be dumped on the front lawn of Number 28 in retaliation. Sarah appears in Annalise Hartman's documentary about Ramsay Street and mentions that she
15096-475: Is seen talking to the same person on the phone and laughing at Paul's prison sentence. It soon emerges that hotel owner Julie Quill (Gail Easedale) planned to pay him $ 10,000 to blow up the Lassiter's boiler to claim the insurance payout. Jacka did so, but Julie refused to pay him afterwards, once they found out that there were fatalities. Jacka is arrested and taken into police custody. Months later, Jacka asks Steph to visit him. He believes his wife, Regan Davis,
15318-561: Is such a great training ground. I feel like I could easily walk on to another set and it would be a breeze." When no one answers the door of Number 24 Ramsay Street, Madison attempts to enter through an open window. When she is pulled down by her brother Daniel, she punches him. They get reacquainted with each other and Madison reveals that she has come down from Brisbane on behalf of their parents, following Daniel's announcement that he will marry Imogen Willis ( Ariel Kaplan ). Daniel tells Madison that he and Imogen are marrying so they can go to
15540-441: Is surprised when Susan thanks her for helping her to reunite with Karl. A couple of years later, Sarah returns to Erinsborough and asks Karl to meet her at Lassiter's Hotel. She suffers a sprained ankle and leg injury when the boiler room explodes and Karl treats her, before helping her from the hotel. Sarah asks when they can talk, just as Susan sees them together. Sarah comes to Ramsay Street to thank Karl for helping her, but as he
15762-630: Is taking a holiday with his mother Sarah, but she tells him he is staying with her friends Karl ( Alan Fletcher ) and Susan Kennedy ( Susan Kennedy ) in Erinsborough while she goes to Germany for business. Angus clashes with Ben Kirk ( Felix Mallard ), after he finds and steals some money that Ben hid in his guitar case. Angus wants to leave, until he meets Xanthe Canning (Lily Van der Meer). Angus continues to feud with Ben, who later accuses him of planting matches and lighter fluid in his locker. Ben punches Angus in front of Xanthe and Susan. When Angus learns Xanthe has not prepared for an exam, he sets off
15984-437: Is the daughter of Bess O'Brien ( Diana McLean ) and half-sister to Catherine O'Brien ( Radha Mitchell ). Bess was a "dedicated environmental campaigner" who spent more time fighting for causes than bringing up her daughters. When Bess visited Sarah, the reunion was not a happy one, as they had a few issues to deal with. Bess realised that it was going to be hard to make things right with Sarah, but she knew that her daughter
16206-497: Is the real cul-de-sac that doubles for Ramsay Street. All of the houses featured in the show are real and the residents allow Neighbours to shoot external scenes in their front and back yards and on occasions, in their garages. Neighbours has been filmed in Pin Oak Court since the series began in 1985 and it has since become popular with tourists. Tours to the cul-de-sac run throughout the year. The interior scenes are filmed at
16428-568: Is the real cul-de-sac that has doubled for Ramsay Street. The houses featured are real and the residents allow the production to shoot external scenes in their yards. The interior scenes are filmed at the FremantleMedia studios in Forest Hill . Until 2022, Neighbours was screened in Australia as a 22-minute episode on weeknights, in an early-evening slot. It moved to Ten's digital channel, Eleven (later rebranded 10 Peach ) on 11 January 2011, and
16650-472: Is to improve them. James later confides in Terese that his sister Jasmine (Kaori Maeda-Judge) intends to usurp control of their family's company upon their grandfather's death. Jasmine manipulates their grandfather into relocating James, and he warns Terese to be careful around Jasmine. David Tanaka , played by Takaya Honda , made his first screen appearance on 21 September 2016. The character and Honda's casting
16872-438: Is working on a song for Xanthe with Madison's help. Madison receives an audition for a singing residency at Lassiter's Gold Coast courtesy of Lucy. At SeaWorld, Madison unexpectedly meets her former boyfriend Logan Dunne (Nick Slater), who she thought had gone to California. She confronts him about their break-up and learns that he did not receive her texts, as he threw his phone off a bridge. He also explains that he does not have
17094-518: The Great Barrier Reef region. Two storylines were filmed in Geelong and the Gold Coast in 2016. In March 2019, Neighbours filmed scenes at the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for an episode airing in 2020. The serial also had its own float during the parade. Later that year, scenes for Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ) and Terese Willis ' ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ) wedding were filmed at
17316-519: The Morrison government to step in and help. After the decision to cut the show's funding by British broadcaster Channel 5, an online campaign was launched trying to get Barry Crocker 's version of the Neighbours theme song to number one in the UK charts. This success had the tune at number one on the iTunes chart for almost 24 hours. An article in the Sydney Morning Herald noted that following
17538-556: The Republic of Ireland on 3 August 2022. To mark the ending of the show, RTÉ had made several classic episodes available to viewers in Ireland on the RTÉ Player. Neighbours returned to RTÉ and debuted on Amazon Prime Video on 18 September 2023. In New Zealand, Neighbours was broadcast primarily on the TVNZ network. The show was initially broadcast by TVNZ on 25 July 1988, but by 1996 it
17760-531: The TV Tonight website reported Neighbours was to reduce crew operations in 2011 so production could be upgraded. The changes meant that the location manager and catering team were no longer required, studio shoots would be reduced from three cameras to two, and location shooting would be restricted. Of the changes, FremantleMedia said " Neighbours is undergoing a work flow upgrade to accommodate advances in technology and production techniques to ensure we are at
17982-451: The merger of Viacom and CBS , Channel 5 in the UK and Channel 10 in Australia became owned by the same corporate umbrella. Despite the soap being the 4th most popular in the UK (behind the country's traditional top 3 soaps), the funding arrangements meant that one part of ViacomCBS was cross-subsidising another. On 3 March 2022, it was confirmed that the show would end after 37 years on air, after production company Fremantle could not obtain
18204-515: The 2000s, rival soap opera Home and Away emerged as more popular than Neighbours in Australia. As of 2004, Neighbours was regularly attracting just under a million viewers per episode. In 2007, Home and Away was averaging 1.4 million viewers in Australia to Neighbours ' 700,000. During the revamp of 2007, the episode broadcast on 23 July 2007 saw the introduction of a new family, updated sets, new theme music and graphics. Ratings for that episode averaged 1.05 million viewers in
18426-455: The 6:30 pm. slot. It was the first time the programme's viewing figures had topped 1 million in 2007. By the end of 2007 it was reported that producers had hoped the Neighbours revamp would push the ratings up to between 900,000 to 1 million an episode. It had, however, resulted in a more modest boost, with ratings hovering at about 800,000 a night. The same viewing period had shown an increase in ratings for Home and Away , which
18648-406: The Australian broadcast. All episodes of Neighbours were later removed from Hulu. From 18 September 2023, new episodes along with archive episodes, is now streaming on Amazon Freevee . Neighbours initially aired on Seven Network. It struggled to attract high ratings, leading to its cancellation by the network four months after it premiered. The series was then picked up by Network Ten. After
18870-553: The BBC. From the move to Channel 5, RTÉ sat one episode behind the UK broadcast. In 2007, RTÉ secured a long-term deal with FremantleMedia to continue broadcasting the show in Ireland after it moved from the BBC to Channel 5. While RTÉ had only broadcast Neighbours since 2001, it had already been popular with Irish viewers since it debuted on BBC One in October 1986. The finale was broadcast in Northern Ireland on 29 July 2022 and
19092-459: The Christmas and New Year period. From 2018 until 2020, the show aired all year round, although a three-week Christmas break occurred in 2021–2022. All aired episodes shown during the week are available to watch on Network 10's 10Play app, as part of their catch up TV service. 10 Peach also broadcast the last four aired episodes shown in an omnibus edition each Sunday. When the show began in 1985,
19314-475: The Global Television studios in Forest Hill , the adjoining suburb in which Pin Oak Court is located. Under the contract for filming to take place on the street, the residents of Pin Oak Court require permission to alter the exterior of their properties; between the series' cancellation and revival in 2022 and 2023, some residents took the opportunity to make renovations without hindrance. Through much of
19536-416: The Lassiter's explosion, but he did not tell her his name or many details about himself. James Udagawa , played by Samuel David Humphrey , made his first screen appearance on 3 August 2016. The character and casting was announced on 25 July 2016. Humphrey, who has acrodysostosis , came to the attention of the casting directors after starring in a documentary about young people with physical disabilities. He
19758-609: The Seven Network. Repeat episodes of Neighbours episodes from the 1988–1991 period were broadcast between 2000 and 30 June 2003 on Network Ten. These episodes were seen at 3:30 pm, before moving to 11:30 am. During 2008, Ten HD broadcast the previous week's episodes in an omnibus edition each Sunday. These omnibus editions did not return in 2009, as Ten HD was replaced by One HD from March 2009. In August 2010, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported that Neighbours would be moving to Ten's new digital channel, to make way for
19980-636: The UK after Channel 5 pulled its funding for budget reasons. In an official statement, a channel spokesperson said " 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." Neighbours concluded on Channel 5 in July 2022. The channel's spokesperson confirmed that 5 wants to increase its investment in original UK dramas. New episodes of Neighbours , along with archive episodes,
20202-482: The UK broadcast, which had fallen behind due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move caused some viewers to speculate that the soap was on the verge of being cancelled, but April Rose Pengilly (who plays Chloe Brennan ) confirmed that the rumours were not true. On 23 November 2021, a spokesperson from Channel 5 confirmed that Neighbours episodes would continue airing five times a week in 2022, while 10 Peach would be keeping
20424-581: The UK episode airing on the same day as the wedding. The episode, which had already aired in Australia, marked the first time an Australian show recorded extra scenes for a UK broadcaster. On 25 October 2011, it was announced Bower would leave Neighbours in December 2011 to move into a new international role with FremantleMedia. Of her departure, Bower told Colin Vickery of the Herald Sun , "I love Neighbours , it
20646-400: The UK for the show's most recent overseas storyline, which aired in the first few weeks of the show's revival. Neighbours currently airs from Monday to Thursday weekly at 4:00pm on Network 10 and is replayed at 6:30pm on 10 Peach . Until 2018, Neighbours was broadcast from early January to early December for approximately 48–49 weeks each year, going off-air for four to five weeks during
20868-483: The UK launched a search to find a female actress to play the part of Poppy Rogers . The search was similar to the Dolly magazine competition in Australia. August saw Neighbours air its 6,000th episode. Digital Spy revealed that the week-long 6,000th episode celebrations would see the wedding of regular characters, Donna Freedman ( Margot Robbie ) and Ringo Brown ( Sam Clark ). It was later announced that an attempt on
21090-410: The UK to Channel 5 ; since 2008 it had been largely paid for by the UK broadcaster as it was no longer commercially viable for Ten to fund it alone. In 2018, after a new deal was secured with Channel 5, the show became the first Australian drama to air all year round. In February 2022, Channel 5 announced that it would be dropping Neighbours from its schedule; the cancellation of the show was confirmed
21312-453: The United States. In 2018, Sonya learns that Zoe's cancer has returned and that chemotherapy is her only option left. Walter breaks his sobriety, so Sonya flies to the US to support him and he begins attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings once more. Mandy Franze , played by Kristy Best, made her first screen appearance on 26 May 2016. The character and Best's casting was announced on 1 May. Mandy
21534-449: The United States. Madison lends some of her clothes to Daniel's neighbour Xanthe Canning (Lily Van der Meer). When she later enquires about Xanthe's photo shoot, Xanthe is disheartened by the pictures, but Madison tells her not to be. Daniel and Imogen's marriage license comes through and Daniel tells Madison that they will marry in secret the following day. When Imogen's parents learn about the wedding, they get Madison to tell them where it
21756-529: The air in the world. In 2005, Neighbours celebrated its 20th anniversary and over twenty former cast members returned for a special episode , which saw the characters sitting down to watch a documentary about Ramsay Street and its residents. At the Logie Award ceremony that year, the show was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame . In 2007, the show underwent a revamp, which included a switch to recording in HDTV ,
21978-413: The anniversary episodes that revolved around an Erinsborough Festival. Network Ten and Channel 5 aired a documentary special titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite , which featured interviews with current and former cast members, including Kylie Minogue , Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce , reflecting on their time on the show. Natalie Lynch succeeded Wilson as producer in early 2016. In 2017, there
22200-574: The best thing that ever happened to her. They then share a kiss, but Karl pulls away, realising that is a mistake. Toadie asks Sarah whether she had anything to do with Susan seeking a divorce from Karl and Sarah hopes that she did not. Sarah then meets with Susan and tells her that Karl still loves her. She tries to ask Susan if her presence has influenced her decision to get a divorce, but Susan replies that it has not. Paul asks Sarah to become project manager of his new development at Lassiter's, but she turns him down. Shortly before she leaves for London, Sarah
22422-479: The cast, all of whom were informed of the revival when Herbison visited their houses and told them in-person. Fletcher, Woodburne and Moloney all expressed their pleasure of the revival either during interviews or on social media. Other cast members were not informed prior to the announcement of the show's return. It has been revealed that Neighbours will be produced for at least the next two years, with 200 new episodes being released per year. In February 2023,
22644-557: The change on the week it was due to be implemented. "Audience feedback" was cited as the reason for the reversal. Neighbours has been sold to over 60 countries and is one of Australia's most successful media exports. Neighbours has been very successful in the United Kingdom, and has proved to be more popular there than in Australia. It was broadcast on BBC One for over 21 years from October 1986 until February 2008. The series started airing on 27 October 1986, as part of BBC One's revamped daytime schedules. Neighbours went out with
22866-470: The changes were an attempt to return to the show's original concept. In 1994, Network Ten told TV Week that they would be introducing a "younger, livelier look with six regular characters under the age of 18" in a bid to generate interest. It was then that they introduced the characters of Stonefish Rebecchi , played by Anthony Engelman, and Serendipity Gottlieb , played by Raelee Hill . In 1996, Kimberley Davies , who played Annalise Hartman , quit
23088-456: The channel said "Now our viewers can join in on the good, the bad and the endlessly entertaining lives of our Aussie neighbours." The episodes started from the Scully family's arrival in 1999 and were aired for a six-week trial basis. The show was broadcast in the afternoon with two episodes being shown back to back at 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. After a couple of weeks, and only 65 episodes aired,
23310-565: The character of Sarah and thought that it was more fun now she is "a grown-up". Describing how her character's personality had changed, Charles stated "Sarah has changed immeasurably. She is smarter, thinks faster, knows herself better and has a valid perspective on what happened. Being a mother seems to have been the making of her, and I can easily draw parallels from my own life for that." Sarah now has two children, but Kilkelly reported that while she would make references to them, neither one would be seen on-screen. Charles admitted that while Karl
23532-408: The characters Rick Alessi ( Dan Falzon ) and Debbie Martin ( Marnie Reece-Wilmore ) visit London to attend a Michael Jackson concert. However, producers could not film at the concert after negotiations with Jackson's tour management failed. The second London-based storyline was broadcast in late March 2007. Susan Kennedy ( Jackie Woodburne ) and Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ) are shown taking
23754-400: The company buying the newspaper. Sarah catches up with Toadie and later reveals that she is staying around for longer than originally intended. Karl explains that he wants to get back with Susan, but she has filed for divorce. Susan confronts Sarah about their issues and Sarah later visits Karl. She tells him that her marriage to Peter was a big disaster, but her children, Antigone and Angus, are
23976-672: The country with Peter, so she could accompany him as he treated patients around the world. On 7 January 1999, Matthew Wright from the Daily Mirror reported that Charles was quitting Neighbours to move to London with her new fiancé. Charles had gotten engaged to London-based actor Jason Barry , while she still had a year-long contract with Neighbours . Charles then had to choose whether to continue with Neighbours or quit to be with Barry. The actress decided to stay and see her contract out as she did not want to let anyone down. Charles filmed her final scenes in April 1999 and Sarah departed
24198-645: The couple fall out. Gary and Brooke reconcile their relationship, but Xanthe thinks Brooke is using her father. Gary confronts Brooke, but she convinces him that she has feelings for him. Mack warns Brooke that she is late with her repayment. Brooke manipulates Gary and Xanthe by saying Sheila is looking tired from looking after the house, working and caring for a teenager. She adds extra chilli powder to Sheila's meal, leading to her brief hospitalisation with indigestion. Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ) enquires about his jewellery order and Brooke lies that she has not received it yet. She later tells Gary that customs are holding
24420-548: The damage to the Quill Group's reputation. Xanthe Canning , played by Lilly Van der Meer, made her first screen appearance on 22 January 2016. The character and casting was announced on 30 November 2015. Colette Mann , who plays Sheila Canning , teased Xanthe's introduction during an October 2015 interview. She commented that the new arrival would start "a big new storyline" for the family. Of Van der Meer's casting, Mann said "Lilly's world has certainly been opened up since joining
24642-548: The deaths of Josh Willis ( Harley Bonner ) and Doug Willis ( Terence Donovan ) and she departs in June 2016. Easdale reprises the role on 8 September 2021, as Terese Willis ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ) visits Julie in prison in a bid to gain closure over the death of her son. Julie's return follows the introduction of her own son Jesse Porter (Cameron Robbie) in March 2021. Of her return and how Julie has changed, Easdale stated: "It's always great doing any role, but to be able to be Julie in
24864-464: The emphasis on family relations and suburban reality. Executive producer Ric Pellizzeri said new writers, actors and sets would bring the soap back to its glory days. He added "We moved too far into event-driven stories rather than the character-driven stories that made Neighbours what it is". The relaunch failed to attract more viewers in Australia. Pellizzeri left the series at the end of 2007 and former Neighbours scriptwriter, Susan Bower , became
25086-851: The end it came down to being what it is, a story around neighbours." Reporters from the Herald Sun said that Watson took his idea to the Nine Network in 1982, but it was rejected. Former Nine executive Ian Johnson described the rejection as "one of the biggest 'missed opportunities'" during his time at the network. The show was then offered to the Seven Network , who commissioned the show in September 1984. The serial went into production that November with an $ 8 million budget. The show's initial premise focused on three households, made up of 12 core characters, living in Ramsay Street, dealing with everyday life with humour and drama. The first episode
25308-509: The end of each year, usually averaging around 700,000. On 17 July 2009, during the aftermath of the Parker family's car accident and the dramatic death of Bridget Parker ( Eloise Mignon ), Neighbours achieved higher ratings than Home and Away . Neighbours achieved 998,000 viewers and placed 6th for the night, while Home And Away placed 7th. In January 2010, Neighbours returned to Australian screens to an audience of 563,000. On 20 January,
25530-437: The end of the 1997 season and Craig Platt of The Age called it one of the serial's "most memorable" cliffhangers. Sarah and Karl's sexual tension became central to the show throughout 1998 and the storyline gave Neighbours a large ratings boost. Karl was married to Sarah's friend, Susan ( Jackie Woodburne ), and when she found out about the affair, she was devastated. Karl and Susan's daughter, Libby ( Kym Valentine ),
25752-501: The environmental report for the tower by replacing any negative report with a more positive version. When Tom's deception is later exposed, Julie disowns him. Shortly after, the boiler room at Lassiter's explodes, destroying the hotel. Julie moves in with Terese, who is grieving for her son Josh Willis, and learns that Tom is missing and possibly buried under the hotel rubble. She hires Sarah Beaumont ( Nicola Charles ) to take over Lassiter's while Terese takes leave. Julie attacks Paul as he
25974-415: The episode broadcast on 12 April. Near their old Gold Coast apartment, Brooke sits in her car and watches her daughter Xanthe and Ben Kirk ( Felix Mallard ). Weeks later, Brooke comes to Erinsborough to reconnect with Xanthe. She is also reunited with her former partner Gary and meets his mother Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ). Brooke apologises to Xanthe for leaving her for so long, but explains that she
26196-402: The episodes at four, putting the UK ahead of Australia. On 28 July 2022, Neighbours aired the 90-minute Series Finale on Thursday at 7:30 pm on Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Peach . When Neighbours returned on 18 September 2023, episodes airs on Network 10 every Monday to Thursday at 4:00 pm with a second airing on the same day in the former 6:30 pm timeslot on 10 Peach . and repeated
26418-402: The explosion. Mark charges Julie and she attempts to apologise to Terese and her family. Terese's daughter, Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel) slaps her and Terese refuses to forgive Julie. Mark then takes Julie away, and she is later sentenced to ten years in prison. Five years later, Julie's son Jesse Porter starts working for Lassiters in a bid to gain information for Shay, who is trying to repair
26640-468: The familiar surroundings of Erinsborough makes it that much more fun. Julie has reflected on her past deeds, making her a changed, remorseful character since the last time you saw her." Julie comes to Erinsborough to inspect Lassiter's hotel, the Quill Group's newest acquisition. Julie holds a grudge against the hotel's previous owner Paul Robinson, following a failed romance between them. When she learns Paul's nephew Daniel ( Tim Phillipps ) has applied for
26862-484: The fire alarm. Angus also sprays graffiti on the wall at the high school, but is not punished, which angers Ben and they fight again. Angus overhears Ben asking Susan why he was allowed to get away with his bad behaviour and Angus asks Karl if he is his father. Karl assures Angus that he is not. Angus becomes involved when Tom Quill (Kane Felsinger) demands that Xanthe and Ben pay back the money they took from his hotel room. Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) helps them out with
27084-458: The fire alarm. When Susan confronts him, he denies it was him. Angus buys Xanthe concert tickets and while sheltering from a storm, they kiss. When her friends fail to turn up for her 16th birthday party, Xanthe plans to make the day memorable by having sex with Angus. But after her grandmother Sheila ( Colette Mann ) stops them, Angus tells Xanthe that they are not right for each other and he ends their romance. Angus also tells Susan that he set off
27306-449: The fires and a charity event Sheila is organising. Channel 5 directed its viewers to a dedicated information page on their website at the end of the episode. Neighbours suspended production for two days amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, after a crew member came into contact with someone who had the virus. Production shut down early for the scheduled Easter break before resuming after four weeks on 27 April 2020, making Neighbours
27528-428: The first mainstream scripted show to resume production during the pandemic. In order to adhere to government guidelines and social-distancing, Neighbours created separate areas to spread out the cast and crew. They removed intimate scenes between characters and editing allows producers to give the illusion of large crowds and groups. Daily temperature checks for cast and crew will also be carried out. Herbison said that
27750-565: The first season was broadcast on the Seven Network , at 5:30 pm in Sydney, at 6:00 pm in Melbourne and Adelaide and at 7:00 pm in Brisbane . The show's transmission in other areas was varied and many regional channels declined to purchase the series. When the show debuted on Network Ten in 1986 it screened at 7:00 pm. On 9 March 1992 the show moved to 6:30 pm to avoid direct competition from rival soap opera Home and Away on
27972-559: The first time. Hall explained that Ned has been living with his grandparents in Darwin. Ned is a tattoo artist and Hall commented that it would lead to some "mischief". He also described Ned as being "very complex" and "quite manipulative", adding "he has had a bit to deal with and it's really interesting how his story line pans out." The character was reintroduced as a regular on 20 June 2018. Madison Robinson , played by Sarah Ellen, made her first screen appearance on 22 April 2016. Ellen's casting
28194-529: The following month. The show's finale was broadcast as a 90-minute episode in Australia on 28 July 2022 on Network 10 and 10 Peach, while the finale in the United Kingdom aired on 29 July 2022 as a normal 30-minute episode in the regular daytime schedule followed by an hour-long prime-time episode. Due to timing, some scenes were cut from the UK showing. The finale was broadcast in Ireland on 3 August 2022 and in New Zealand on 2 September 2022. In November 2022, it
28416-413: The forefront of professionalism and efficiency." They added that the show's production model had been in place since 1985 and that it was time to evolve it. On 14 March 2011, The Australian reported that Neighbours has become the first television show available to watch on a free iPhone application. Viewers are able to watch whole episodes within three hours of them airing on Eleven. Nick Spooner,
28638-425: The full year for the first time in its history, including over December and January. Herbison stated, "We value our global audiences and are delighted to stay on this journey together. Come the end of 2018 we will also make history by becoming the first Australian drama series to screen all year round." Following the departure of Sonya Rebecchi in 2019, actor Eve Morey stated that the killing off of her character
28860-527: The guests and Mayor Sonya Rebecchi ( Eve Morey ) with food poisoning. Robinson's Motel is awarded the ceremony. Julie meets with her stepson Tom Quill (Kane Felsinger) to discuss the progress of the second tower. Tom informs Julie that he has persuaded those opposed to the development to withdraw their objections. When Robinson's loses its liquor license, Lassiter's regains the Citizen of the Year event and Julie gloats to Paul. She also puts pressure on Tom to sort
29082-425: The head of Ten digital media said "This is part of what we call our 'three-screen approach' – broadcast, online and mobile – and it is intended to build viewer engagement with a show and our brand. This is a way for us to stay in touch with our audience and to keep them coming back." To celebrate the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton , Neighbours filmed a specially commissioned scene for
29304-405: The hope of solving "a family mystery". Unlike his doctor brother, Leo is an opportunist. Kano described the character as being superficial, "fun and cheeky". He also has "a good heart" and respects his brother. Brooke Butler , played by Fifi Box , made her first appearance on 28 September 2016. The character and Box's casting was announced on 18 July 2016. She began filming her first scenes during
29526-679: The hospital and she reveals to him the reason why she is in town. However, she asks him to keep it quiet. Toadie later finds Sarah in pain at the garden nursery and takes her to The Waterhole. Sarah overhears Julie Quill (Gail Easdale) saying Lassiter's is short staffed and she offers her services, which Julie accepts. When Susan confronts her, Sarah reveals that she is dying from cancer. She then tells Karl that she came to town to ask him and Susan to take care of her son Angus ( Jai Waetford ) indefinitely and they agree to do so. Sarah explains that she has decided to stop chemotherapy treatment, but Karl and Susan encourage her to fight, and Karl later gets her
29748-416: The hospital to see Karl and asks him to visit her at Lassiter's. Sarah apologises for what happened between them and Karl begs her to her not to tell anyone that they had sex together. He also mentions that he and Susan have separated. Susan later catches Sarah and Karl together outside the hotel. Sarah apologises to her and Karl, before they go for a drink. Susan then learns that Sarah is the representative for
29970-418: The hotel as a guest and jokingly tells Terese that the children's activity centre is great. He asks to see the accounts, Terese's projections for the next year and the supplier contracts. A couple of weeks later, James returns for The Waterhole's quarterly review and to discuss the hidden cameras found in the hotel rooms. Elly Conway ( Jodi Anasta ) interrupts the meeting to explain that the cameras were part of
30192-443: The hotel's blue prints in Paul's briefcase. Due to their gang connections, Jacka is revealed to be old friends with Ned Willis (Ben Hall). Jacka goes to Robinson's Motel where he wipes Paul's list of suspects from the whiteboard. Paul later contacts him about buying a fake passport to escape the country, in exchange for money. Jacks tells someone the phone that he will make sure the passport does not get Paul past immigration. Later, he
30414-409: The idea of making a show that would focus on more realistic stories and portray teens and adults who talk openly to each other and solve their problems together. He also wanted the show to appeal to both Australian and British audiences. Several titles were discussed, including People Like Us , One Way Street , No Through Road and Living Together , before Neighbours was chosen. Watson said "In
30636-419: The introduction of a new family, the departure of several existing characters and a new version of the show's theme song and opening titles. In addition, episode titles were abandoned, having been in use for the previous three years. Daniel Bennett, the new head of drama at Network Ten, announced that the crux of the Ramsay Street story would go "back to basics" and follow a less sensational path than of late with
30858-546: The latest instalment will surprise everyone." Sarah arrives in Erinsborough and successfully applies for a job at Danni Stark 's ( Eliza Szonert ) clothes shop. Sarah then calls Luke Handley ( Bernard Curry ) after seeing an advert for a room at Number 30 for rent. Sarah appears eager to live in Ramsay Street and she admits that her sister, Catherine, lives there. When she is asked why their surnames are different, Sarah admits that she used her father's surname when she became
31080-464: The life of long term regular, Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ) would be the focus of the actual 6,000th episode. Bower said "Last week I saw episode 6,000. This marks Australian television history. The 6,000th episode falls on a Friday so the whole week is a special one. As Stefan Dennis – Paul Robinson – was in the first episode 25 years ago, it was decided that his character play a most important role in this very special event". In late 2010,
31302-444: The lift at Lassiter's Hotel, where she mistakes him for a child due to his shortened height and directs him to the children's activity centre. When James later comes to Terese's office, she asks if he is lost and whether she can contact his parents. He then informs her that he is here to see her and the hotel's books, as he is a representative of his family's company, who have invested in the hotel. He explains that he wanted to experience
31524-438: The low ratings. And Ten needs the show to score the Australian content and drama points required for it to hold on to a broadcasting licence". On 29 October 2010, Neighbours' ratings dropped to a low figure of 386,000 viewers. Viewing numbers for Network Ten that night were down across all programmes. The show's highest figure of the week was 590,000 on 25 October 2010. Sarah Beaumont Sarah Beaumont (also Hannay )
31746-424: The lunchtime debut and the teatime repeat. Towards the late 2000s, Neighbours was normally attracting an average of 3 million viewers for its lunchtime showing and 2.6 million viewers for its early-evening repeat. It was frequently the highest-rating daytime program in the UK, outside of news bulletins. In 2008, the UK broadcast moved to rival channel Channel 5 following the BBC's decision not to keep
31968-476: The magazine first posed the question I was stunned. I had never imagined a return would be possible. But my husband Mark had always felt that I should revisit Sarah and so I had pondered it for a while. The answer was always going to be yes." Charles began filming her return scenes in October and commented that she was open to a longer stint with the show in the future. Sarah returned on 4 February 2013. Charles told Kilkelly that she found it easy to slip back into
32190-501: The main TV network of VRT , the Flemish public broadcaster. On 14 June 2021, after more than 30 years on Eén, commercial broadcaster VTM 2 began broadcasting the series. On 1 February 2024, VTM 2 will broadcast episode 8903 of Neighbours , which was the last episode when the program was stopped in the summer of 2022. From 5 February 2024, Neighbours will move to Play 5 and GoPlay will continue
32412-509: The man who picked them up, Angus and Xanthe flee and her father, Gary Canning ( Damien Richardson ) takes them home. A few days later, Sarah returns to see Angus and apologises for not telling him about her cancer. She asks him to come to Germany with her, where she will continue her treatment. Angus asks if he can stay with Karl and Susan. However, after talking with his mother and realising that he did not cause her cancer, he agrees to go with her and they leave for Germany. Weeks later, while he
32634-550: The most shocking storylines, no one could believe that the perfect Dr Karl, played by Alan Fletcher, could cheat on his wife of many years, Susan, played by Jackie Woodburne. But, that's exactly what happened when he couldn't resist his receptionist Sarah Beaumont played by the vampy Nicola Charles". Simon Kent of The Sun-Herald said Sarah had a "waspish tongue and sharpish put down", while Tony Squires of The Sydney Morning Herald branded her "luscious." Squires' colleague Ben Pobjie wrote that everyone remembers where they were at
32856-472: The new cleaning company at Lassiter's, who used to employ ladies in lingerie. Madison discovers that her cousin Amy Williams ( Zoe Cramond ) worked for the company and tells her editor that she no longer wants to write the article. She is fired from the paper, so Terese hires Madison as her assistant. Madison encourages Terese to put in a bid for Lassiter's. When her aunt Lucy Robinson ( Melissa Bell ) accepts
33078-606: The new executive producer. In 2008, Neighbours was branded "too white" by black and Asian viewers in Britain and in Australia there was talk of a " White Australia policy " when it came to casting actors for soaps. In response to the criticism, Bower made a decision to add more ethnically diverse extras, small walk-on roles and speaking parts, as well as introducing the character of Sunny Lee (played by Hany Lee), an exchange student from South Korea. On 18 March 2010, Neighbours celebrated its 25th anniversary. In April, Channel 5 in
33300-480: The next Ita Buttrose . Madison explains that Paul is one of her heroes and she refuses to lose faith in him. After encouraging Paul to continue looking at the evidence, she leaves for Brisbane. Paul is imprisoned for the explosion, but several months later, is found innocent when the police charge Julie Quill (Gail Easdale). When he is freed, Paul frames a trainee reporter for the West Waratah Star for writing
33522-465: The next day at 9:30 am on 10 and catch up on the weekly episodes on 10 Peach on Saturday mornings between 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Episodes were then available to stream Amazon Prime Video on a week delay from 10's broadcast from 25 September 2023. Network 10 scheduled a reduction in episodes per week to three between October and December 2024, which would have caused the Australian broadcast to fall behind international releases of new episodes, but reversed
33744-441: The night at a hotel he lets slip that Karl must have spent the night with Sarah. Billy then tells his mother, Susan, who throws Karl out. Sarah completes her nursing diploma and begins working at Erinsborough Hospital. She meets Alex Fenton (Guy Hooper) and they begin dating. However, the relationship ends when Sarah learns that Alex has been seeing Karen Oldman (Pia Miranda) too. Sarah is stalked by Richard Downing (John Arnold),
33966-494: The offer, Madison flies to New York with her to oversee the paperwork on Terese's behalf. When singer Rhonda Riley (Shayne Francis) is late for her performance at The Waterhole, Madison is encouraged to take her place. Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) later arranges for her to perform again. Xanthe assumes Madison is dating Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) when she sees them together, and her grandmother Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ) fires Madison from The Waterhole. It soon emerges that Ben
34188-570: The order and she has to pay a $ 2000 fee, so Gary lends her the money. Brooke arranges to take Xanthe to Perth for a holiday. Shortly before they leave, Brooke's former boyfriend Trey Johnson (Jason Buckley) turns up, demanding the money Brooke stole from him. Brooke repays him and he leaves. Brooke tells Xanthe, Gary and Sheila that she is in debt and that the jewellery is fake. Mack turns up to collect Brooke's latest repayment and Sheila pays him. She tells Brooke that she will organise some shifts at The Waterhole for her. However, Brooke later writes Xanthe
34410-399: The pandemic would not be included in storylines. He stated, "We are currently plotting episodes that won't air until much later in the year, so anything we write now might feel very outdated. Further to this, there's a creative question: will our viewers want to switch on Neighbours and relive it again, or is our job to provide escapism? I tend to feel it's the latter." In February 2022, it
34632-423: The past, but they hoped that Peter would break the pattern and mend her broken heart. Sarah asked Lou Carpenter ( Tom Oliver ) to give her away and Amy Greenwood ( Jacinta Stapleton ) to be her bridesmaid at the wedding. Charles helped design her character's dress at the same time she designed her own gown. She commented "I was working on both gowns at the same time and trying to keep them different." When Sarah
34854-520: The plan fails and Elly asks Angus to stay out of her life. Angus helps a drunk Elly to bed and takes advantage of her state to kiss her. Susan finds him lying next to her on the bed and reports the incident to the education board, who refer the case to the police. At the same time, Angus is offered a record deal. Angus and Elly tell Mark Brennan ( Scott McGregor ) that nothing happened between them, but Elly later remembers what happened in her bedroom. Angus begs her to keep quiet, but she tells Susan and Angus
35076-456: The police about his connection to the alcohol. However, Mark has already called it in. In retaliation, Jacka sprays graffiti over the motel's entrance. He is later seen leaving the scene of the explosion at Lassiter's Hotel with a cash box. Steph approaches Jacka to do some investigating into the explosion for her and Paul. Jacka refuses, as he is convinced Steph is trying to set him up. Jacka calls someone to let them know that no one knows he placed
35298-448: The police station. Ahead of the 25th anniversary the Erinsborough village set underwent a makeover. The café and bar remained the same, but the centre of the complex was upgraded. Lassiter's Hotel was given a new logo and gained a second floor with outdoor seating area. The hospital and police station received new facades, a used car lot was created near the garage and a new university set was created. Pin Oak Court, in Vermont South ,
35520-458: 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." Herbison will continue as executive producer, with Dennis, Fletcher, Woodburne and Moloney returning to
35742-430: The prospect" because she had recently given birth to her daughter and felt overweight. The actress was happy when the producers suggested that she filmed her scenes in her back garden. Charles explained "The storyline saw an old character, Annalise Hartman , making a video documentary about all the old Neighbours characters and what they are up to now. A lot of us have moved to London so it made sense to film it here. It
35964-428: The ratings fell to a low of 426,000, making it one of the program's lowest ever ratings in Australia. A July 2010 report showed figures had dropped 20%, from having 1.2 million viewers in 1991 to a low of 618,000 in 2010. A Network Ten spokesperson commented "Most of the show's budget is covered by its UK deal with Channel 5 and the 50-odd other countries it is seen in, so it's not a financial problem for Ten despite
36186-409: The returns of Rebekah Elmaloglou , Jones, Tim Kano and Stone as series regulars were announced; Melissa Bell , April Rose Pengilly and Ian Smith were also announced to returning in guest capacities. Regular production recommenced on 17 April, though scenes featuring Annie Jones and Guy Pearce were filmed in the UK earlier in the year. Neighbours' focus is the fictional Ramsay Street ,
36408-412: The rival network obtaining them. Ten began screening the series with episode 171 on 20 January 1986. In 1986, the series was bought by the BBC as part of their new daytime schedule in the United Kingdom. Neighbours made its debut on BBC1 on 27 October 1986 starting with the pilot episode. It soon gained a loyal audience and the show became particularly popular with younger viewers, and before long
36630-483: The role after showing that she "could pull off Gold Coast chic". Brooke is the estranged mother of Xanthe Canning (Lily Van der Meer) and ex-partner of Gary Canning ( Damien Richardson ). She was billed as "an opportunistic, flighty and dubious woman who relies on her looks to get by." Network Ten Executive Producer Claire Tonkin added that Brooke would be a "colourful character". In December 2016, Herbison confirmed that Brooke would return during 2017. She returned during
36852-455: The role of Sarah shortly after moving to Australia to be with her then boyfriend, Scott Michaelson . A drama coach suggested that Charles try out for a part on Neighbours and when she did, the producers were so impressed that they created the role of Sarah for her. Charles commented that it was "very exciting" to be joining the cast of Neighbours and added "At home in England I was a big fan of
37074-571: The role, Ellen watched footage of her on-screen parents. She commented, "I watched a lot of episodes with Charlene and she was a very feisty and adventurous character and I think Madison has definitely inherited a few of those characteristics." Madison is "a budding journalist". Holly Byrnes from the Herald Sun described her as a "stylish teen". On 22 August, Byrnes colleague Nui Te Koha reported that Ellen had wrapped her guest stint and would be pursuing new roles in Hollywood. Ellen commented, " Neighbours
37296-479: The role." Madison returned on 24 June and remained until 27 September, departing during scenes filmed on the Gold Coast . Ellen received on-screen credit for flashback scenes featuring Madison on 10 October 2019. Madison is the younger child of iconic Neighbours couple Scott ( Jason Donovan ) and Charlene Robinson ( Kylie Minogue ). She comes to Erinsborough to check up on her brother Daniel ( Tim Phillipps ), on behalf of their parents. To help her prepare for
37518-412: The same day as Australia. Channel 5's commissioning editor Greg Barnett explained that closing the transmission gap would reduce spoilers and the number of viewers watching the show illegally online. From mid-2016, the show also began airing every week-night on Nickelodeon as part of their Nick at Nite programming block, broadcasting the same episode that was seen earlier on Channel 5. In March 2017, it
37740-480: The same day as the Australian broadcast and were also available for streaming. From 18 September 2023, new episodes along with archive episodes, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video . In the United States, Neighbours premiered on KCOP-TV in Los Angeles on 3 June 1991 at 5:30 pm weekdays. KCOP planned to cancel the show by the end of the month due to low ratings, but brought it back due to viewer demand at
37962-562: The same month. March saw the first appearance of Jacka Hills . Jack Callahan , Ned Willis and Madison Robinson arrived in April, while Angus Beaumont-Hannay , Walter Mitchell and Mandy Franze made their debuts in May. August saw the arrival of James Udagawa , while brothers David and Leo Tanaka were introduced in September, along with Xanthe's mother Brooke Butler . Julie Quill , played by Gail Easdale, made her first screen appearance on 12 January 2016. The character and Easdale's casting
38184-518: The same week. Reporters for the Herald Sun had previously confirmed that Box had auditioned for the serial on 15 July, after she was contacted by the casting director. Of her casting, Box commented: "I'm so excited to be heading to Ramsay Street to join the Neighbours family. Acting has been a lifelong dream of mine and to get this opportunity on Australia's most loved and popular show has blown my mind. I'm too excited for words!" Executive producer Jason Herbison praised Box's audition and said she won
38406-527: The script editor told me he thought I could handle any storyline he threw at me, which was a huge compliment." The writers incorporated Charles' British and Brazilian heritage into Sarah's background and personality. Dave Lanning from The People commented that Sarah was "a Tasmanian-born half Brazilian raver". Sarah relocated from the UK to Erinsborough as she was "trying to escape a tortured past." She had been engaged to Lord Steven Harrow (Stewart Morritt), but she jilted him and fled to Australia. Sarah
38628-536: The series from episode 8904. Because the broadcasts will continue immediately, there will only be a 5-month delay compared to Australia instead of 1.5 years as was previously the case. In Kenya, Neighbours is broadcast on the KTN network Monday to Friday at 12:30 pm with an omnibus on Sunday mornings. In Barbados, Neighbours is broadcast on the CBC8 channel at 1:00 pm Monday to Friday. In South Africa, Neighbours
38850-439: The series' history, the show's classification became PG , due to the series' increasingly adult subject matter. On 15 July 2021, David Knox of TV Tonight confirmed that from 26 July Neighbours would begin airing four times a week. This marked the first time in the show's history that it had not aired five episodes per week. Knox said the new schedule was likely an attempt at getting the Australian episodes to synchronise with
39072-411: The series. Then Caroline Gillmer fell ill and her character Cheryl Stark was temporarily recast with former Prisoner actress Colette Mann . This made producers nervous that viewing figures might decrease, so they implemented a series of plots to keep viewers interested. These included a cameo from Clive James and an explosion, which destroyed the doctor's surgery in the Lassiter's complex. In
39294-468: The show after being asked to pay £300m over eight years by FremantleMedia (three times the show's usual fee). Both Channel 5 and FremantleMedia were owned at that time by the German RTL Group . The last Neighbours episode to be shown on BBC One aired on 8 February 2008. The first episode to be shown on Channel 5 was watched by 2.4 million viewers on 11 February 2008 (an audience share of 14.2%),
39516-418: The show after marrying Peter. In January 2005, Neil Wilkes from Digital Spy reported that producers were trying to get Charles to return to Neighbours for a cameo appearance in their 20th anniversary episode. A month later it was confirmed that Charles had agreed to reprise her role. Charles revealed that she was "thrilled" to be asked to return for the anniversary special, but she equally "horrified at
39738-514: The show and we're loving having her here. She was already a Canning after just a couple of weeks, we had converted her." Xanthe is Sheila's granddaughter, the half-sister of Kyle Canning ( Chris Milligan ), and daughter of Gary Canning ( Damien Richardson ). Van der Meer said Xanthe would make "a good friend" on Ramsay Street , and that she would get into "trouble, excitement, and mischief." Jackson Derek "Jacka" Hills , played by Brad McMurray, made his first screen appearance on 7 March 2016. Jacka
39960-452: The show in a star -focused campaign recalling that of the Hollywood star system where stars were packaged to feed into a fan culture. This paid off, and by the end of 1987, ratings had improved for the show. The episode featuring Scott and Charlene's wedding achieved the highest ever ratings for Neighbours , and it became one of the highest rating soap episodes ever in Australia. The same episode attracted 19.6 million viewers when it
40182-460: The show was moved to a late-night time slot and it eventually left the air. On 7 July 2014, Todd Spangler from Variety reported that FremantleMedia International had signed a deal with U.S. subscription service Hulu giving it exclusive rights to the most recent season of Neighbours . The soap began airing from 14 July, with new episodes airing daily from Monday through to Friday, on Hulu and Hulu Plus services. The episodes were four weeks behind
40404-418: The show's 20th anniversary episode, which was broadcast in July 2005. Charles reprised the role in 2012 and Sarah made a six-week return from 4 February 2013. She returned again from 5 April 2016. Sarah is Bess O'Brien 's ( Diana McLean ) daughter and Catherine O'Brien's ( Radha Mitchell ) half-sister. She returned to Australia shortly after she jilted her British fiancé. Charles' British and Brazilian heritage
40626-485: The show's run, it was not stated in which Australian city Erinsborough was located. The rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne meant that scripts did not mention that Erinsborough was a suburb of the latter city until 1994. Since 2016, the show has begun filming more scenes in and around the city. Other Australian locations mentioned and sometimes seen in the series include the fictitious suburbs of West Waratah , Eden Hills , and Ansons Corner . Real-life Australian towns in
40848-511: The show. I used to rush home from school to watch Jason and Kylie." Of Charles' casting, a spokesperson stated "Nicola has real star potential. We think she's going to be a big hit." Charles initially trained to be an actress and a dancer, but she spent six years modelling. Of her struggle to fit in and be accepted by the cast of Neighbours , Charles revealed "I was seen as an ex-model and no one expected I'd be able to act. But I knew I could do it and I think I shocked them all. Soon after I joined,
41070-444: The situation and leaves town. Toadie tracks her to a caravan park and she enlists his help in avoiding Karl. Karl finds out from Toadie where Sarah is staying and visits Sarah to convince her to return home. After sharing a meal Karl decides that they've both had too much wine to drive home that night. He books them separate rooms at a nearby hotel for the night. After Toadie hears from Karl's son, Billy ( Jesse Spencer ) that Karl spent
41292-487: The soap on Twitter . Neighbours actor Jackie Woodburne said in an interview with The Project that the cast were "in shock" upon hearing the news, while Alan Fletcher said the soap needs "a hero" to save it and Cowden explained that "the idea of no longer playing Mel is devastating." Numerous current and former cast members, such as Annie Jones , Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Geoff Paine , expressed their sadness online, specifically Rob Mills , who called on
41514-551: The state of Victoria such as Colac , Frankston and Shepparton are sometimes referred to. Oakey in Queensland is also mentioned and sometimes seen. On 27 August 2010, Neighbours filmed scenes in Sydney's Darling Harbour and on board a cruise ship. The episodes marked only the third time that the show has filmed scenes outside of Victoria. In October 2011, Neighbours filmed scenes in Port Douglas , Queensland and around
41736-464: The time they watched Karl kiss Sarah behind Susan's back. In 2022, Kate Randall from Heat stated that "we'll never forgive you, Sarah" for destroying the Kennedy's marriage. Katie Baillie writing for Metro included Sarah on a list of the "worst Neighbours characters" ever. Baillie explained that Sarah was the root cause of Susan and Karl's problems. However, Baillie thanked the character for creating
41958-472: The usual break in broadcast over the summer non-ratings period, the series made its debut on Ten in 1986. Ten revamped the show, adding several new, younger cast members including Jason Donovan as Scott Robinson and Kylie Minogue as Charlene Mitchell . When the show began on Ten it initially attracted low ratings, so the Network worked hard to publicise the series. Ten's publicity drive was designed to promote
42180-471: Was a measure to reduce production costs for the program as part of its new negotiations. When the cast and crew returned from their annual production break on 13 January 2020, they filmed a scene addressing the Australian bushfires for the episode airing on 15 January. The scene features the characters Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ), David Tanaka ( Takaya Honda ) and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) discussing
42402-519: Was aired in the United Kingdom - more than the entire population of Australia at the time. By the early 1990s, Australian audiences had decreased, although viewing figures had recovered slightly by the end of the decade. In 1992, due to the decline in ratings, producers began to overhaul the show to win back viewers. They brought in more "fresh-faced teens", moved out older characters and gave some of their parent characters "un-neighborly [ sic ] subplots". Executive producer Ian Bradley said
42624-467: Was also upset, as she was close friends with Sarah and knew that she had been in love with a married man. Sarah's life started to fall apart when she was unable to let go of Karl and Susan was not happy with Karl maintaining a friendship with her. Charles wrote the storyline between Sarah and Karl, but not the script. She told an Inside Soap writer that she had no idea it would be so successful or have such an impact. Dr. Peter Hannay ( Nick Carrafa )
42846-443: Was announced Charles had agreed to reprise the role once again and that Sarah would make her return the following month on 5 April. Sarah will return "under a cloud of suspicion", and leave some people questioning whether she wants Karl or has another agenda. The show's series producer Jason Herbison stated, "Sarah Beaumont is a wonderful character that doesn't need an introduction, viewers wait with bated breath for her next move and
43068-399: Was announced Fremantle and Amazon Freevee had reached a deal that would allow Neighbours production to restart in 2023. New episodes will be free to stream from the UK and US from the second half of 2023, and Network 10 will retain the rights to broadcast the serial first in Australia. Archive episodes will also be released prior to the relaunch. Lauren Anderson of Amazon Studios said, "With
43290-463: Was announced on 20 February, while Madison has previously been mentioned by other characters following her off-screen birth in 1995. Ellen filmed her guest appearance in the same month, but producers have said that she could return on a more permanent basis in the future. Of the casting, series producer Jason Herbison said "we always knew the character of Madison would appear in the Neighbours universe at some point and I'm thrilled to have cast Sarah in
43512-403: Was announced on 22 August 2016, along with Tim Kano who plays David's twin brother Leo Tanaka . Of his casting, Honda said, "I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to join the regular cast of Neighbours . To learn from such prominent and longstanding Australian talent is truly seeing my dreams fulfilled." David and Leo come to Erinsborough in the hope of solving "a family mystery". David
43734-483: Was announced on 4 January. The actress revealed that she had previously auditioned for another role on the show in 2015, but was unsuccessful. She was then asked to play Julie and she accepted. The role marks Easdale's return to acting after a break to raise her children. She is also the wife of Stefan Dennis , who portrays Paul Robinson . Julie was introduced as the new owner of Lassiter's Hotel and Paul's enemy. Easdale described Julie as being "a hard nut, but she also has
43956-631: Was announced that Amazon Freevee and Fremantle had agreed to a deal that would restart the series. The series also returned to Network 10 on a permanent basis, after 11 years on 10 Peach. Regular production resumed on 17 April 2023, and the show returned on 18 September 2023. Neighbours was created by Australian TV executive Reg Watson . Watson got the idea for Neighbours during his time working on Crossroads and watching fellow soap Coronation Street in Britain. He had already created successful Australian made soap operas The Young Doctors , Prisoner and Sons and Daughters . Watson proposed
44178-631: Was announced that Channel 5 would be dropping the serial from its schedule later that year, and that production would cease if an alternative British broadcaster was not secured. In response to the threat to the series' future, a fan-run petition on Change.org asking Channel 5 to reconsider its decision was launched, which was signed by over 50,000 people, including cast member Lucinda Cowden . The petition reached 50,000 signatures after one week. This also sparked #saveneighbours to trend on social media. Former star Jason Donovan and Home and Away actor Shane Withington also expressed their support for
44400-492: Was announced that Charles had reprised her role and Sarah would return to Neighbours for six weeks. Speaking to Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy, Charles said that she received an email from the serial's executive producer after the Inside Soap interview was published and she "made it quite clear" that she was open to a return. When asked if a return was something she had to take time to think about, Charles told Kilkelly "When
44622-428: Was announced that Jasek would be leaving Neighbours and Jason Herbison would replace him, initially with the title of series producer. FremantleMedia's head of drama Jo Porter became executive producer, while Laurence Wilson became the associate producer. The show celebrated its 7,000th episode on 24 October 2014. In March 2015, Neighbours celebrated its 30th anniversary and twelve former cast members returned for
44844-572: Was being chased by several men that she had conned. Xanthe realises that Brooke has been in Perth with her half-sister Jessie the whole time. Brooke apologises for not being there for Xanthe. Brooke reveals that she has a business selling jewellery, but Sheila is suspicious of her timing, as the family have just won a cash prize on Family Feud . She later takes a pair of Brooke's sample earrings to get them valued, and when she learns that they are legitimate, Sheila apologises. Xanthe encourages her mother to host
45066-443: Was broadcast each weeknight at 6:30 pm. The show was produced by Fremantle Australia and has been sold to over sixty countries around the world, making it one of Australia's most successful media exports. Neighbours had been especially successful in the United Kingdom, where it was first screened on 27 October 1986 on BBC One , and achieved huge popularity among British audiences in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 2008, it moved in
45288-475: Was broadcast on 18 March 1985 and reviews for the show were favourable. However, the Melbourne-produced program underperformed in the Sydney market and Seven announced on 12 July 1985 that it was cancelling the show. Neighbours was immediately bought by Seven's rival Network Ten . The new network had to build replica sets when it took over production after Seven destroyed the original sets to prevent
45510-490: Was contacted by a producer who told her it was true. Fans reported significant upset at the announcement of the end of the series. The final episode was initially intended to be aired on 1 August 2022 in both the UK and Australia, after 10 Peach decided to close the broadcasting gap between the two countries by airing double episodes from 13 June. It was later announced that the finale would air on 28 July at 7:30 pm on Network 10 and 10 Peach simultaneously in Australia as
45732-435: Was going through a tough time and wanted to help her. Sarah's first romance was with her housemate, Matt Compton (Jonathan Kovac). Matt was a policeman who came to Ramsay Street to rent the spare room at Number 30. Charles revealed that there was an instant attraction between Sarah and Matt and she jumps at the chance to have him as a housemate as soon as she sees him. Sarah's other housemate, Ben Atkins (Brett Cousins),
45954-421: Was hiding a secret from Sonya concerning the night her parents died in a car crash. He eventually revealed that he was actually Sonya's father. Furthermore, Sonya also learned Walter had a fourteen-year-old daughter called Zoe (Nicola Billie Gullotti). Sonya's half-sister suffers from leukaemia and Walter asks Sonya to get tested as Zoe needs a bone-marrow transplant. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy branded Walter
46176-583: Was incorporated into Sarah's background and personality. One of the character's most notable storylines saw her fall in love with and share a kiss with Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ), a married doctor. Charles wrote the storyline between Sarah and Karl and it provided Neighbours with an increase in ratings. Peter Hannay ( Nick Carrafa ) was introduced as a love interest for Sarah in May 1999 and they went on to get married. Sarah shared another kiss with Karl, before departing Australia with Peter. Off-screen, Sarah moved to London and had two children. Charles landed
46398-487: Was initially billed as the "rebellious" son of "a controversial Erinsborough character." It was later revealed that Angus is Sarah Beaumont 's ( Nicola Charles ) son. The show's series producer Jason Herbison commented that Waetford would have fun with his character, who pushes boundaries. Following Waetford's initial guest stint, he later returned to filming with the cast on the Gold Coast. Angus comes to Australia after being expelled from his boarding school. He believes he
46620-567: Was initially going to appear as an extra, but "a more substantial role" was later written for him. Of his casting, Humphrey stated "I love the whole process and I've learnt so much on Neighbours . I want to keep improving my skills and hopefully inspire other people to chase their dreams." James was billed as a "corporate whizz kid" and "highly-intelligent". He is brought in to help save Lassiter's Hotel from financial ruin and rein in Terese Willis ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ). James joins Terese Willis in
46842-444: Was initially kept secret. He later revealed to Angus O'Loughlin of the Hit 30 radio show that his character was called Angus. Of his casting, Waetford said "I am super excited to be joining the Neighbours team. It's my first TV role and I am looking forward to spending time on set, learning new things and meeting new people." Waetford had a guest contract with the show. Waetford's character
47064-473: Was introduced to Neighbours in May 1999, as a love interest for Sarah. Peter knew Sarah's mother and when he mentioned that he was spending some time in Erinsborough, she suggested that he visited her daughter. Peter took Sarah out to dinner and after getting on well, they began a relationship. Peter shocked Sarah when he asked her to marry him after five weeks, but she accepted. A writer from Inside Soap proclaimed that Sarah had not had much luck with men in
47286-454: Was left stranded and late for the ceremony, Karl came to her rescue and gave her a lift to the church. Of the wedding, Sydney Morning Herald writer Doug Anderson said "Can Sarah Beaumont make it to the altar on time to tie the knot (around her neck preferably), with Dr Peter Hannay? All the leftover mishaps from the stage play, Secret Bridesmaid's Business , are slathered over the screen as Karl sulks darkly somewhere and Lou carries on like
47508-665: Was not fooled when Toadie sent her Bib, a dog almost an exact double of her pet, Bob . Sarah then states that she learned a few hard lessons in Erinsborough and that some people could be narrow-minded, before blowing Karl a kiss. As a representative from a large media company, Sarah returns to Erinsborough fourteen years later to oversee the purchase of the Erinsborough News from Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ). Sarah catches Callum Jones ( Morgan Baker ) filming her and when she confronts him, he reveals that he knows who she is. Sarah gives him some money to keep quiet. She later goes to
47730-415: Was now averaging 1.4 million viewers every night. In February 2008, new executive producer Susan Bower announced that she would be implementing further changes to the program. Bower promised to retain the return to traditional Neighbours values, but with an injection of drama that remains recognisable and relevant. Ratings rose to almost 900,000 in mid-2008, but generally ratings begin to fall towards
47952-477: Was offered the role. He began filming in December 2015. Morley's character was initially billed as having "a mysterious past" and no family connection to Erinsborough . Morley commented that it was "an interesting start" for his character, dubbed John Doe. John befriends Paige Smith ( Olympia Valance ) as she tries to help him. It later emerges that his real name is Jack Callahan and he is a Catholic priest. Jack decides to stay in Erinsborough, but finds it hard as he
48174-401: Was removed from the schedule. TV4 (now Bravo) picked the show up and began broadcasting it from 1997. They dropped it in 2000 and it returned to TVNZ in 2002. Repeats of the previous day's episode of Neighbours were formerly shown at 2:30 pm weekdays, and later on TVNZ 2 at around 4:30 am Tuesdays to Fridays. The show moved to 5:25 pm weeknights on TV One in early 2007. After
48396-462: Was reported that negotiations to continue Neighbours on Channel 5 had become "very fraught", and it was possible that the show could stop airing in Britain. In late 2021, Channel 5 moved Neighbours to a 6 pm timeslot, as it extended its news coverage to a one-hour-long broadcast from 5 pm. The 1:45 pm showing was unchanged. On 5 February 2022, a report from The Sun , later confirmed by Digital Spy , stated that Neighbours had been cancelled in
48618-457: Was speculation that Neighbours would cease production following the breakdown of its deals in the United Kingdom, and Network Ten entering voluntary administration. On 9 October 2017, Stewart Clarke of Variety reported that Channel 5 and FremantleMedia had agreed a new deal that would see the yearly episode count increased from 240 to 258, as well as plans for new primetime specials. The deal meant that from 2018, Neighbours would run across
48840-500: Was unable to be pursued due to the cancellation of Neighbours . The storyline would have seen Jacka meeting with David Tanaka ( Takaya Honda ) in prison and an earthquake causing a "mass prison breakout", leaving villains to "wreak havoc on the show." Isheev also called Jacka one of the serial's "iconic villains". Steph Scully recognises her old friend Jacka, after he pulls his bike up alongside her and Mark Brennan ( Scott McGregor ). Steph suggests they round up their old friends for
49062-407: Was very exciting and it was great to be part of such good show again. It made me very nostalgic." In a 2011 interview with Jason Herbison from Inside Soap , Charles revealed that she would love to return to Neighbours . The actress said "I've always felt that the loose ends between Sarah and Karl weren't tied up. I'd love her to return with a son who turns out to be Karl's!" On 4 November 2012, it
49284-549: Was watched by up to 16 million viewers – more than the entire population of Australia at the time. In 1988, Neighbours became the only television show to have its entire cast flown over to the UK to make an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen . Neighbours has since become the longest running drama series in Australian television and the seventh longest running serial drama still on
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