Neighbours to slip to 3 episodes a week for rest of the year in Aust

[Pantherboy]

From next week (Mon 14th Oct), Neighbours will be slipping back to 3 episodes a week in Aust for the rest of this year (until Wed 18th Dec). It is currently believed that there will then be a Christmas break before the show returns to 4 episodes a week in 2025.

Tvtonight.com.au article today:

Neighbours slips back to 3 episodes per week
From next week, Ramsay Street takes up residence on 3 instead of 4 days a week on 10.

https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/10/neighbours-slips-back-to-3-episodes-per-week.html

In a surprising move, next week Neighbours will screen 3 days a week rather than 4.

A Network 10 spokesperson: "From Monday, 14 October through to Wednesday, 18 December, Neighbours will air three times a week (Monday to Wednesday at 4.00pm on 10 and 10 Play and 6:30pm on 10 Peach Comedy)."

Family Feud will screen Thursdays and Fridays on 10 and with Friends on 10 Peach Comedy.

But the move is not permanent.

"In 2025, your favourite Ramsay Street residents will return to screens four times a week from Monday to Thursday," they added.

It isn't clear if the move might put Australian viewers out of sync with UK viewers given episodes have screened on the same day since the show's revival.

Neighbours, which traditionally screened 5 days a week, returned as 4 days a week when it returned in 2022 on 10 and Amazon Prime.

Other global soaps have also seen output changes with Shortland Street dropping from 5 to 3 episodes per week and Britain's Hollyoaks to 3 episodes per week.

Home & Away remains at outlier at up to 6 episodes per week on Seven.

[Bossy7]

Its going to be crazy if AUSTRALIA is behind the UK with episodes.
Wish theyd go back to the Monday - Friday timetable.

[Pantherboy]

Its going to be crazy if AUSTRALIA is behind the UK with episodes.
Wish theyd go back to the Monday - Friday timetable.

Nothing has been confirmed of course, but I have read that Amazon may be looking to finish the UK season in early December. If the UK continues with 4 episodes a week till then, with the Aust season not finishing till Dec 18th (at 3 episodes a week), this would probably allow Aust to catch back up to the UK by then. Then both Aust & UK could start back at the same time in 2025 (with both back to 4 episodes a week). We will see.

[Pantherboy]

DS article:


Neighbours to air in UK ahead of Australia in new scheduling change
Fans Down Under will fall behind.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a62595052/neighbours-uk-ahead-australia-2024/

Neighbours' UK broadcasts will pull ahead of Australia this week, Digital Spy can confirm.

The long-running soap is shifting to a three-episodes-per-week schedule in Australia, but there's no similar move planned by Amazon for UK and US viewers.

Late last week, Neighbours' Australian broadcaster Channel 10 confirmed that episodes will only air on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the rest of the year.

This means that the regular Thursday broadcast has been dropped as a temporary measure.

A Channel 10 spokesperson told Australian site TV Tonight: "From Monday, 14 October through to Wednesday, 18 December, Neighbours will air three times a week (Monday to Wednesday at 4pm on 10 and 10 Play and 6.30pm on 10 Peach Comedy).

"In 2025, your favourite Ramsay Street residents will return to screens four times a week from Monday to Thursday."

Digital Spy approached Amazon to ask if a similar schedule change is planned for the UK and a spokesperson replied: "We will continue to be airing four episodes a week through the end of the year."

The news means that Amazon's airings will pull ahead of the Australian broadcasts by a rate of one episode per week over the next couple of months.

Channel 10's statement does indicate that a Christmas break is scheduled on Australian screens from December 18, but it's currently unclear whether Amazon has similar plans.

If broadcasts on Prime Video and Amazon Freevee take a longer Christmas break, this would put both countries back in line from 2025. However, if this doesn't happen, Amazon could stay ahead on a longer-term basis.

Neighbours episodes previously aired in the UK ahead of Australia for much of 2022, which was the final year on Channel 5.

Australia's Channel 10 later scheduled in extra episodes to get back ahead in time for the star-studded 2022 series finale, which featured the returns of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce.

Since Neighbours returned to screens in 2023, both countries have aired episodes on the same day and fans had praised the efforts to keep the Neighbours community united in watching the storylines unfold together.

Neighbours releases new episodes from Mondays to Thursdays for free on Amazon Freevee and Prime Video in the UK and US. In Australia, the show airs from Mondays to Wednesdays at 4pm on Channel 10, with a 6.30pm repeat screening on 10 Peach Comedy.

[Bossy7]

Yep I knew it!

[Pantherboy]

Hold the phone! Ch10 has listened to audience feedback and now backflipped on a plan for 3 episodes per week in Aust.

Tvtonight.com.au article:


Network 10 reverses Neighbours decision, continues at 4 episodes a week.
Hold the phone. 10 listens to audience feedback and backflips on a plan for 3 episodes per week.

https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/10/network-10-reverses-neighbours-decision-continues-at-4-episodes-a-week.html

Network 10 has reversed a decision to pull Neighbours back to 3 episodes per week and will maintain as 4 episodes per week.

It will now screen this Thursday instead of concluding the week at Wednesday, and continue Monday - Thursday next week.

Network 10 sources told TV Tonight they had listened to audience feedback, many of whom were not in favour of the plan.

This will also keep the long-running soap in sync with the British audience.

Whilst TVT readers have speculated as to what was behind the 3 day plan, 10 is yet to comment.

Neighbours screens 4pm Mon - Thu on 10 and 6:30pm on 10 Peach Comedy.



EDIT: The Ds article;

Neighbours reverses major scheduling change after fan backlash
Australia will no longer be falling behind.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a62607303/neighbours-reverses-scheduling-change-backlash/

[Bossy7]

Thanks Panther!
Quickest backflip ever lol!!