It’s a storyline familiar to any soap opera aficionado: a beloved character meets a dramatic end, only to be resurrected in a shocking twist, and then swiftly killed off again.
Now, one of Australia’s most iconic television programs is facing a similar fate.
The final episode of Neighbours is set to air on Thursday in both the UK and Australia.
While officially the show is “resting,” the dismantling of sets and actors securing new roles suggest a permanent farewell to Ramsay Street.
If this situation feels somewhat familiar, you’re not mistaken.
“The feeling is very deja vu,” executive producer Jason Herbison told the BBC.
In 2022, Neighbours faced cancellation after Channel 5 dropped the show in the UK, a key market for its viewership.
Margot Robbie and Guy Pearce, both Hollywood stars who began their careers in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough, made appearances for the anticipated finale. Fan favorites Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan reprised their roles as Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson, respectively.
TV crews descended upon Pin Oak Court, the real-life suburban cul-de-sac serving as the backdrop for outdoor scenes in Neighbours.
Crowds gathered on a chilly Melbourne night to witness the broadcast of the final episode on a large screen in Federation Square.
The BBC even provided live coverage of the finale, acknowledging its cultural significance and catering to those who grew up watching Scott, Charlene, and Mrs. Mangle on BBC One.
However, shortly after the credits rolled, the show announced Neighbours would return, thanks to a rescue by Amazon MGM Studios.
The swift revival prompted Pearce to jokingly suggest Robbie might want her farewell gift – a crate of champagne sent to the show’s producers – returned.
Yet, as many anticipated, the Neighbours revival has been short-lived.
Earlier this year, Amazon confirmed the series would conclude at the end of 2024 – marking 40 years and over 9,000 episodes since its television debut.
“It was like it was death in stages, I suppose this time,” Jackie Woodburne, who has portrayed Australian icon Susan Kennedy since 1994, told the BBC.
“There was very much a sense of ‘No, this time we’re done’.”
What is it like to say goodbye to a character she has embodied for three decades?
“Oh, gosh. Honestly, I’m going to get emotional thinking about that,” she said, looking up and blinking rapidly.
“She was the heart, you know? She was the mother – and then the grandmother,” Jackie said of Susan. “She was inherently good. But at the same time she… made dreadful decisions.”
Human and relatable, she was exactly the kind of character audiences around the globe deeply connected with.
Set and filmed in Melbourne, Neighbours first aired in Australia in 1985 and premiered on BBC One a year later, quickly embedding itself in popular culture.
It became a “drama school” for rising Australian talent, serving as a springboard for individuals like Russell Crowe, Natalie Imbruglia, Holly Valance, and Liam Hemsworth.
“I would see these kids come, full of hope and promise and talent, and to watch them develop their skills was just an absolute joy for me, and I know Fletch felt the same,” said Woodburne, referring to Alan Fletcher, who played her onscreen husband, Dr. Karl Kennedy.
The show frequently mirrored formative experiences in viewers’ lives – first loves, heartbreaks, births, deaths, and marriages. Woodburne notes that one episode might feature “outrageously stupid,” “slapstick” storylines, while the next could involve grieving over the loss of a stepchild.
In recent years, the show has strived to showcase more diverse characters and storylines, amid questions about its representation of modern Australia. Neighbours notably featured the first same-sex marriage on Australian TV.
“There’s a legacy for its audience, but there’s also a legacy for our culture… It certainly is leaving a void,” Herbison said.
While viewership has declined, dedicated fans are mourning this as they did the deaths of Madge Bishop, Sonya Rebecchi, or Bouncer, the golden labrador who passed away shortly after filming his final scenes.
“I’m devastated,” said Gemma Clement, a Brit who moved to Melbourne inspired by the “sunshine and the sound of the birds” depicted in the soap. “I don’t think there is any coming back. It feels final this time.”
As the saying goes, Woodburne didn’t realize what they had until the show was gone (the first time). Touring the UK on a farewell-turned-celebration tour and meeting fans was a profoundly moving experience.
“I knew that people watched it and enjoyed it and appreciated it, but I don’t think I fully understood,” she said.
“Times are tough for a lot of people, and our show gave them half an hour a day of pure escapism and fun… And to hear them tell us how meaningful that was to them… how much they look forward to it every day was very humbling.”
That a show so iconic and beloved faces cancellation reflects concerning trends in the industry, according to Herbison.
With it, goes around 200 jobs in a sector where work is already scarce.
Viewership has drastically changed, and budgets are shrinking. Woodburne wonders if Neighbours could have even launched in today’s media landscape.
Herbison acknowledges criticism that they should have allowed the show to end more gracefully in 2022, but believes continuing to build its legacy, both on and off screen, was worthwhile.
This finale will be different. Herbison knows it cannot compete with the last one.
“It still has all the heart and all the warmth, but the street is under a bit of threat this time. And it’s left kind of a bit of a question of what will happen and what will become of everyone.”
So is it possible the soap’s ghosts will return to haunt TV screens again?
Herbison doesn’t rule out another twist: “The door is open. You never know what could happen.”
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