NEIGHBOURS IS BACK

And I have questions…

How did this happen? Who is coming back? Was the finale all a dream? Can I get a refund on my farewell tour ticket (kidding, I’m definitely still going)? And most importantly: can a regular soap opera survive on a streaming network with a stupid name?

Yes, thanks to the positive response to the finale in July, Amazon Freevee have swooped in and revived Neighbours. Jason Herbison is carrying on as executive producer, even though pre-cancellation there was a strong argument it was time for new ideas at the top. Stefan Dennis and Alan Fletcher have been called out of semi-retirement/full-time music career, along with Jackie Woodburne and Ryan Moloney. It even seems to have been re-promoted to Network 10’s main channel in Australia, after a decade in digital station wilderness. No one else had a clue this was happening. So to get my fan moment out of the way, here’s my semi-realistic cast hopes for the show’s return:

Essentials: Terese, Mel, Nell & Hugo

New Neighbours means new opportunity for Terese Willis to be acknowledged alongside Paul, Toadie, Karl and Susan as the core of the show. She may have only been around since 2013, but she’s outlasted her entire family and become firmly established as Paul’s forever person. It would be very hard to get over her absence if she vanished now. Plus, there’s that aborted storyline with her mum to resurrect! Toadie’s family is also a must-have: he’s just married Mel in the finale, and Lucinda Cowen’s return after decades away was a delight. She also clearly adores the show. And who wouldn’t want to see Toadie’s kids continue to grow up/shout random nonsense over scenes?

Nice to have: Mackenzie, Amy, Zara, the Rodwells, Levi, Freya, Leo

Mackenzie is the best and I would watch her forever, but Georgie Stone is going places. Have you seen her Netflix film? If she comes back, it won’t be for long, and she was so wonderful in the last months of the show it might well be best to leave it at that. Elsewhere, Amy’s story ended with a sperm donor mystery that would probably be less interesting to solve than it was to pose. But her daughter Zara was just starting to establish a new teenage base for the show, along with Sadie and the Rodwell family. It would be nice to let that continue, but not a must. Levi and Freya could go through the standard early-relationship tribulations, or some new characters could. Leo is the most likely of Paul’s many children to be around long term, and as the show’s been cycling through them for the last fifteen years it would be a shame if the overbearing family man aspect to the character was lost.

Let them go: David, Aaron, Nicolette, Jane, Kiri, Glen, Chloe

The Brennan days are over. Chloe was the only character to go through with selling her Ramsay Street house in the end, and it provided a natural conclusion to her character. Let’s not undo that, even if I’m no Elly Conway fan. Her brother Aaron should also stay in the past, though. One half of the first gay marriage in Australian television, an ignoble end for him and David is the worst case scenario. Yet it seems that, had Neighbours not been cancelled, Aaron was set to continue on the show without his husband. Bringing David back for a short amount of time, or having him absent altogether while Aaron remains on Ramsay Street, would do nothing but undermine their happy ending. And as Nicolette is tied to the boys through their daughter, let’s say they all moved away as a happy family. Then there’s Jane. She’s back with Mike! That was kind of the whole point of the finale. So unless Guy Pearce is going to give up his career to star in a soap full time, I’m afraid she’s done. Off they all go, to Perth or somewhere I guess, and there’s two whole houses to fill with new characters for a new era.

Seems manageable, right? Anyway, now that I’ve got that out of my system: what does Neighbours‘ return really mean? Firstly, it will be fascinating to see how soap production is realised for a streaming service. Does “full production” mean all year round, five episodes a week, or something else? Will it have similar (expensive for a soap) production costs, or more, or less? How many viewers will it need to justify its existence? Is there a danger this will be a sad, short-lived coda, and the beautiful finale we’ve just had should have been left alone?

The most I hoped for before today would be that Neighbours‘ near-9000 episode archive would be made available somewhere or other. If there were to be no more new episodes, I’d take a 35 year loop to keep my morning routine alive. And, hooray, that is happening too. I almost hope the new episodes will be released less consistently, so I have time in my life to watch from the start as well. In fact, it’s surprising old episodes didn’t serve as a trial to test audience appetite for new content. It’s an all or nothing situation for Amazon, and there’s certainly an element of risk there. Will anyone tempted by the Kylie/Jason etc. nostalgia actually be motivated to commit to regular viewing, even if it’s free? Outside of the linear television routine, will Neighbours ever be able to secure a new generation of international viewers?

To sum up: enjoy new Neighbours, because there’s no telling how long it will be around for, and how suddenly it might be taken away again this time. Hopefully it’ll be more than a shadow of its former self, and whatever happens let’s hope those old episodes stay available.