Neighbours, the iconic soap beloved by Aussies and international folks and helped launch the careers of now-bonafide stars like Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce and Delta Goodrem, has been cancelled for a second time after it was initially renewed by Amazon two years ago.
The original Neighbours first premiered in 1985 on Seven (before shifting over to Ten) and ran for 37 years before being axed in 2022, with the streaming giant creating a revival series for a multi-year deal shortly after.
However the television production company behind the Neighbours revival series, Fremantle, failed to agree on a new deal with Amazon to help keep the show in production, leading to its second cancellation.
Amazon, who pushed the series onto the now-defunct service Freevee, told Fremantle that the Aussie soap opera “hasn’t worked” and pulled funding, as reported by The Sun UK.
An anonymous source allegedly told The Sun that the show just “didn’t get” the views Amazon was hoping for, leading to its second cancellation.
“Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn’t get the viewers,” the source told the UK outlet.
“It’s a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne.”
Neighbours executive producer, Jason Herbison, said that he is “very proud” of the revival in a media statement.
“As this chapter closes, we appreciate and thank Amazon MGM Studios for all that they have done for Neighbours – bringing this iconic and much-loved series to new audiences globally.
“We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future.”
A spokesperson for Network Ten thanked the cast, crew, and fans of the show.
“We are grateful to all those who worked so hard to keep Neighbours on air for more than 400 episodes,” the spokesperson said.
“The program will be missed by the fans and the people who have been part of this amazing journey. We wish them well.”
The news comes just before the show will celebrate its 40th anniversary next month, with final episodes of the series set to be released at the end of 2025.
