Yay. This is great news x
Senior Member
Yay. This is great news x
Pantherboy (17-11-2022)
Senior Member
Senior Member
DS article - interview with 'Neighbours boss Jason Herbison':
Neighbours boss Jason Herbison shares secrets of the show's return
"I hope there will be many familiar faces."
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...urn-interview/
Neighbours spoilers follow.
Move over, Harold Bishop and Dee Bliss ? Neighbours has pulled off the biggest "back from the dead" plot twist in its history.
The beloved Australian soap shocked everyone this week by announcing that it'll be making a surprise return in 2023, with a new home for UK viewers on free streaming service Amazon Freevee.
Less than four months after the historic finale episode, the Neighbours team are now making plans for a new series and have already secured the returns of legendary cast members Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) and Ryan Moloney (Toadie Rebecchi).
While many further details are understandably being kept under wraps for now, Neighbours' executive producer Jason Herbison has shared some further exciting gossip in an exclusive new chat with Digital Spy.
This week's news has taken everyone by complete surprise. Were you aware this was a possibility when the finale aired, or have these developments kicked off more recently?
"We always said we were resting the show and hoped it would return one day. I didn't know how far in the future that might be or if I would even be involved.
"However, the response to the finale was phenomenal and Amazon Freevee approached us about a new chapter. It was unexpected and amazing ? the most incredible plot twist ever."
We've heard that you personally visited Stefan, Jackie, Alan and Ryan last week to share the news and invite them back on board. Can you tell us a bit about those conversations? Were you confident they'd all come back?
"It was a memorable morning. It was such wonderful news that I wanted to tell them in person. I joked that it was a bit like The Amazing Race because I planned it all out on a map, figuring out how best to dash around Melbourne.
"I started with Jackie, who lives around the corner, and made way my to Stefan, Alan and Ryan. It was special and emotional. I thought they would say yes and they did. I think it was meant to be ? they all happened to be home!"
The rest of the cast seem as surprised as us! Will you be reaching out to other familiar faces in the coming weeks, or will you be resetting with a largely new cast?
"I hope there will be many familiar faces. As we've said, this is all very new and fresh. It was a mark of respect to approach Jackie, Alan, Ryan and Stefan first and I knew everyone would understand that.
"We just need some time to reset and plan the next chapter. It's been such a tightly held secret and very few people have been in the know, even behind the scenes. It was my shaky hand that shot the video ? that's how tight the circle has been!"
Are you prepared for the possibility that certain cast, and particularly the younger stars, may have landed new work and may not want to come back?
"Neighbours has always been a mix of the familiar and the new. It's a talent pipeline, on screen and off, and I'm sure that spirit will continue. I know that some young cast members have moved on and I'm always happy for them to do so. I'm proud of each and every one of them."
Can you confirm at this stage whether you still have the Nunawading studios (location of the Lassiters backlot and the Ramsay Street backyard sets) and Pin Oak Court (real-life location of Ramsay Street)?
"We still have the Nunawading studios. The backlot is standing and the sets are in storage. Lassiters has a few weeds but we'll fire up the lawnmower and the four star rating will be restored!
"We hope to return to Pin Oak Court, but we're prepared either way. This is a wonderful new era and if we have to make changes, I see it as an exciting opportunity."
Can you confirm whether we'll still have the daily five-episodes-per-week format or something different?
"We have many more announcements ahead, so stay tuned. I can assure you there are a lot of new episodes on the way. We have been a big part of people's lives and we hope to be again."
You and the rest of the team created the perfect finale just months ago. How do you feel about having to undo some of that work and the happy endings for certain characters?
"We gave everything we had to the finale and I'm grateful to Channel 5 and Network 10 for getting behind it. Thanks to their support, we went out with a bang rather than a whimper, which has led to this revival. At the time it seemed like it was my one shot to say goodbye and do it justice.
"But life is full of surprises and here we are, sooner rather than later. We will make the most of it. I don't see us having to undo any work, it's more a case of ? what could happen next? The answer is ? lots of amazing things!"
Now that you're heading back into the writers room, will you be using some of the ideas that you didn't have time for last time around, or going in completely fresh with new ideas?
"I will be approaching it fresh. I'm sure there are some ideas from the past that still have currency, though I'm aware some already leaked out! There's something to be said for wiping the board clean and starting anew. I have a starting point and I look forward to assembling a team and getting stuck into it."
On a personal note, how did you feel about coming back and steering the ship again? Was it something you had to give some thought to?
"I've always loved the show. It's directly linked to my childhood, which I know is the same for many viewers. I am always going to help it succeed if I can. I also feel it's a huge privilege as I truly believe the show has the power to make lives better, even if it's just entertainment.
"I will soon have a great team around me, though for now, I have my incredible Series Producer Andrew Thompson. Nobody does it alone.
"I'm also fortunate to be in a position to write and produce other projects. I have two new mini-series coming up for Channel 5 and Network 10, Riptide and Heat, and I'm very passionate about these too."
Streamers seem to have shied away from the soap genre and doing daily episode drops until now, even though there's so much potential there. Do you hope this can be a pioneering move that maybe paves the way for other streaming services to explore soaps?
"Absolutely. Neighbours has broken so much new ground over the years and it feels natural that we'd be doing it again. But whether a show is on a streamer or terrestrial TV, we are nothing without our viewers."
Neighbours returns in mid-2023 with new episodes streaming free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. Network 10 will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
MellBee (20-11-2022)
Senior Member
DS article:
Neighbours to air hundreds of new episodes after shock return deal
The format that fans know and love will be back.
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...-deal-details/
Neighbours spoilers follow.
Neighbours' future will be secure for at least two years following its surprise revival, Digital Spy has learned.
The popular soap will return to screens next year with a new home for UK viewers on the free streaming service Amazon Freevee. Network Ten will retain the first-run rights for new episodes in Australia.
Ever since the news was announced last week, speculation has been rife in the media and among fans over the form that Neighbours' next chapter will take.
Some viewers have wondered whether the show will move away from its soap format once it moves to streaming. Others have speculated over the possibility of a limited run of episodes.
However, a source has now exclusively told Digital Spy that hundreds of new episodes will be made when the show goes back into production next year.
An insider told us: "The plan is for Neighbours to keep its format as a high-volume daily soap opera, so it'll still be the show that fans know and love.
"Plans are being made for two new seasons, which will run for 200 episodes each. It's an incredible result for fans, who thought they'd seen the last of the show when the finale aired in July.
"The logic for Freevee is that daily episode drops will keep fans checking back on the streaming service and engage with other content available."
The news means that Neighbours will reach its milestone 9,000th episode, having finished up with Episode 8,903 in July.
200-episode seasons would mean fewer episodes than when the show aired on Channel 5. It works out as enough to air 40 weeks per year, if the soap airs in the established format of five episodes per week.
This could mean the show taking breaks with a mid-season finale and season finale, although details of how the episodes will be released won't be officially announced until nearer the time.
Freevee already carries out a strategy of daily episode releases with Judge Judy's new show Judy Justice ? another original commission, which is currently on its second season.
A spokesperson for Freevee declined to comment on the number of commissioned episodes for Neighbours, telling Digital Spy: "Amazon Freevee and Fremantle are in the early stages of planning the next chapter of the show."
A spokesperson for Fremantle also declined to comment.
Last week, Neighbours' executive producer Jason Herbison told Digital Spy that he hoped the show would be back in people's regular viewing routines when it returns in the second half of 2023.
He said: "We have many more announcements ahead, so stay tuned. I can assure you there are a lot of new episodes on the way. We have been a big part of people's lives and we hope to be again."
Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) and Ryan Moloney (Toadie Rebecchi) are all returning for the new episodes, which begin filming in April.
Neighbours returns in the second half of 2023 with new episodes streaming free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. Network 10 will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
Aussieguy (23-11-2022), Ruffed_lemur (22-11-2022)
Senior Member
A couple of DS articles:
Neighbours star Candice Leask responds to speculation over Wendy Rodwell return
"I'm just so happy the fans were heard."
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...turn-response/
Neighbours farewell tour provides new update for fans after show return news
The UK tour has a new name.
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...e-celebration/
Ruffed_lemur (24-11-2022)
Senior Member
Nowtolove.com.au article:
Neighbours stars begging to return to the new series reboot
The, now, jobless actors in a scramble to get their roles back.
https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebri...ot-drama-75750
Just a few months ago, Aussies came together to celebrate the end of beloved soap Neighbours, but in a shock announcement last week it was confirmed the series would return!
While fans around the world are elated, Woman's Day can reveal that behind the scenes of the reboot there's enough tension and drama to give scriptwriters inspiration to pen another decade's worth of outlandish episodes.
With just four of its most beloved actors signed up for the reboot, including Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy), Ryan Moloney (Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi) and Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), fans can expect a very different soap to the one we all farewelled four months ago, which included a big splashy and expensive Kylie-clad finale.
Top TV insiders reveal the new series will have a much smaller cast and likely only film 13 episodes a season to slash the huge production costs that left the series in the red. Sadly, our source reveals many of the other actors left jobless earlier this year have already begun phoning and begging production for their old jobs back.
Secret Deal
Executive producer Jason Herbison from production company Fremantle is said to have been secretly working behind the scenes to save Neighbours for months, and last week locked in a deal with streaming service Amazon to buy the rebooted series and air it in Australia, the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.
The deal was only inked after Jason secretly met up with Stefan, Jackie, Alan and Ryan at their homes to invite them back, revealing that Amazon had thrown the soap a lifeline. He says the four actors, who were rumoured to have previously earned $15,000 a week, jumped at the chance.
"It's been such a tightly held secret and very few people have been in the know, even behind the scenes," the source explains, adding, "I know his phone has been ringing hot with desperate former cast members wanting their old jobs back because many are now unemployed".
Indeed, it's been a tough time for so many Australian actors, who were forced to compete against each other for work. Upon the announcement, actor Takaya Honda, who played David Tanaka, took to social media to reveal that the rest of the cast knew nothing about the reboot. Actress April Rose Pengilly, who starred as Chloe Brennan, aired her grievances as well, after being "left in the dark" by production, something she revealed happened a lot during her tenure.
"We love them and are happy," she said of the returning four actors, before explaining, "I think some didn't even tell their families. I get why we had to be kept in the dark too, but it's a tough situation... This happened a fair bit, being dropped without warning and us being blindsided and then bombarded by questions... it's just a lot."
Sadly, Neighbours icons including Rebekah Elmaloglou and Annie Jones have been left out of any formal announcements, with a dark cloud looming over their future in the revitalised new series. While EP Jason insists he's still in the process of resetting and planning the next chapter for beloved characters, sources concede there is going to be a "bloodbath" when it comes to further casting as the pressure to keep the show viable against Home And Away and streaming giants heats up.
Neighbours 2.0 is said to be shot at the Nunawading studios where the interiors and Lassiters scenes were produced, and Jason is hopeful he can once again secure the old Ramsay St, which in reality is Pin Oak Court in Melbourne's Vermont South.
Also:
Return to Ramsay Street: Inside Neighbours SHOCK TV comeback
''It's crazy.''
https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebri...street-1-75754
MellBee (30-11-2022), Ruffed_lemur (27-11-2022)
Senior Member
April said a lot of the cast have moved and got new jobs, so it?s possible they won?t be back.
Senior Member
From:
An insider told us: "The plan is for Neighbours to keep its format as a high-volume daily soap opera, so it'll still be the show that fans know and love.
"Plans are being made for two new seasons, which will run for 200 episodes each. It's an incredible result for fans, who thought they'd seen the last of the show when the finale aired in July.
to:
Top TV insiders reveal the new series will have a much smaller cast and likely only film 13 episodes a season to slash the huge production costs that left the series in the red.
MellBee (30-11-2022)
Senior Member
DS article:
Neighbours could pave way for more streaming soaps as Freevee explains revival
The soap is being revived by Amazon's free streaming service.
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...eevee-revival/
Last month it was announced that Neighbours was set to return to our screens after being revived by streaming service Amazon Freevee.
The soap, which aired on Channel 5 in the UK, was cancelled earlier this year after 37 years, with the last episode airing in July.
Now, Amazon Studios? head of original content Lauren Anderson and head of licensed content for the UK Shahina O?Mahoney have explained why they decided to bring us back to Ramsey Street.
"As time went on, the reaction to the show ending didn?t lessen," O?Mahoney explained to Broadcast Now. "There are very few shows that get a reaction like that.
"People grew up with Neighbours ? it's part of the TV fabric of the UK. We can?t save every show, but we chose this one because of how deeply its fans cared about it."
The soap will begin airing on Freevee in the latter half of 2023 and it will continue to air episodically, rather than being released as a boxset.
"First and foremost, we have to keep current fans happy," Anderson explained. "Then we can introduce the series to new audiences."
O?Mahoney added: "We?ve got people on the ground ensuring that Neighbours loses none of the essence that makes it great."
O?Mahoney ended by hinting that Neighbours may not be the only soap to feature on Freevee.
"We?re always looking to surprise our customers and who would have expected a soap on Freevee?" she added. "It?s not going to be the last soap-style show we have."
Neighbours returns in the second half of 2023 with new episodes streaming free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. Network 10 will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
MellBee (03-12-2022)
Senior Member
Variety.com article:
Amazon Freevee Executives on Saving ?Neighbours?: ?We?re Going to Do Everything We Have to Do to Deliver a Consistent Series?
https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/n...ls-1235453012/
Amazon Freevee executives have vowed that their new season of ?Neighbours? will maintain the same quality and production values of its long-running linear predecessor.
?We?re going to do everything we have to do ? in front of and behind the camera ? to make sure that we?re delivering a consistent series,? Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming for Amazon Studios, tells Variety.
?A few signals are that cast members are coming back, so we?re able to welcome what the show has been from a production value standpoint, from a casting and talent standpoint, and producers behind the scenes,? says Anderson, noting that cast members Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodburne and Ryan Moloney will all return.
?We are continuing the show to at least the same level of what audiences have loved for 37 years. The most important thing to us is to make sure that those who love the show already continue to love the show.?
Amazon dropped a bombshell in November when it revealed that the iconic Australian soap had found a new home on the streamer?s AVOD platform Freevee.
News of ?Neighbours?? cancellation broke in March after its primary funder, U.K. broadcaster Channel 5, pulled out of the show citing a scheduling shake-up. Though the show?s producer and distributor Fremantle had been holding talks with prospective new partners, a frontrunner had yet to materialize by the time the series finale aired in late July. The Freevee pick-up came almost four months after the show ended, as many fans had just about lost hope that the soap would ever return.
?At that point that the show ended, we did not know that we could save it,? says Shahina O?Mahoney, head of licensed content for Amazon Freevee U.K. ?In an ideal world, maybe you do announce something like that before it ends, but that wasn?t an option for us.?
The London-based O?Mahoney describes ?quite a shock? back in March upon hearing the show was ending. ?[It aired for] 37 years and was such a stalwart of the U.K. broadcast landscape. I was really surprised. Then we saw the fan and customer reaction, and it just grew and grew and grew.?
The outpouring among grieving fans was enough to convince the Freevee team that they should look into saving the program, says O?Mahoney. ?It was almost irresponsible not to look into it.? she quips.
Yet launching a soap on a streaming service is ?no small matter,? admits the long-time Amazon executive. Though Freevee has some experience launching a daily show on the service thanks to ?Judge Judy? spin-off ?Judy Justice,? which premiered in November 2021, a scripted proposition is vastly different.
Freevee, which plans to air ?Neighbours? in the second half of 2023, will premiere the show exclusively, for free, in the U.K. and U.S. The platform has also bought streaming rights to 2,000-plus episodes from the previous seasons, which will be available prior to the new series? premiere. ?Neighbours? will also stream on SVOD counterpart Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. (Australia?s Network 10, the home of ?Neighbours? for 36 years, will retain first-run rights in the country.)
So, why is ?Neighbours? launching on Freevee and not Prime Video? Anderson explains that there are ?two realities? at play.
?[It was about] understanding that a show like this is obviously huge in the U.K. and Australia but we know there?s an opportunity elsewhere, so how do we bring the whole of Amazon together to make this work for customers globally?? she says. ?That was the beauty of having a service that?s both in front of and behind the paywall: we could offer it both to Freevee customers who may have a Prime Video subscription but may not, and also offer the show to customers in territories where Freevee hasn?t launched yet.?
Freevee is currently up and running in the U.K., U.S. and Germany.
The new season is currently in pre-production, with more concrete story details set to be worked out by the end of Q1 next year, promises Anderson.
?What we?re moving through is what do we want the arc of the first season to be? How do we create a world that?s at once a continuation and also the start of something new?? says the executive. ?Because that?s essentially it: the storyline in a lot of ways is going to mirror what?s happening with the series. It?s a continuation, but it?s in a new place.?
MellBee (10-12-2022), Ruffed_lemur (08-12-2022)
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