'''Neighbours''' is a long-running
Australian
soap opera, which began its run in March
1985. Created by
Reg Watson, it has a
G classification, signifying that its content is suitable for viewers of any age.
The series follows the daily lives of several families who live in the six houses at the end of
Ramsay Street, a quiet
cul-de-sac in the fictional, middle class suburb of
Erinsborough (an anagram of 'Neighbours' with an extra O and R added for fluency). Storylines explore the romances, family problems, domestic squabbles, and other key life events affecting the various residents. More than most serials, ''Neighbours'' features a large proportion of young actors amongst its ever-rotating cast. ''Neighbours'' celebrated its twentieth
anniversary in 2005 with some special episodes which featured appearances from several former members of the cast.
The series is produced by
FremantleMedia Australia, which was formed in January
2007 [1] by the merger of
Grundy Television with
Crackerjack Productions.
History and popularity
Through its entire run, ''Neighbours'' has screened as five 22-minute (excluding advertisement breaks) episodes a week, shown each week night in an early-evening slot. The 1985 season was broadcast on the
Seven Network, at 5.30 p.m. in
Sydney and at 6.30 p.m. in
Melbourne and other regions. The
Melbourne-produced programme had underperformed in the crucial
Sydney market
[2] leading to the Seven Network cancelling the
series at the end of that
year. ''Neighbours'' was immediately picked up by the rival
Network Ten [3] [4]. Network Ten began broadcasting the series 20 January
1986 [2]. On Ten, it initially attracted low ratings
[6]. The Network worked hard to publicise the series
[7]; they revamped the show, adding several new, younger
cast members including
Kylie Minogue and
Jason Donovan as Scott and Charlene, while a concerted publicity drive largely focused on these new
actors
[8] in a ''star''-focused campaign recalling that of the Hollywood star system where stars were packaged to feed into a fan culture
[9]. This paid off for the series and by the end of 1987 it was attracting high ratings
[10]. Australian audiences waned considerably by the early 1990s
[11], although viewing figures had recovered slightly by the end of the decade
[12].
In the 2000s rival soap opera ''
Home and Away'' emerged as more popular than ''Neighbours''. ''Home and Away'' is broadcast at 7.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and averages 1.2 million viewers in Australia. As of 2004 ''Neighbours'' was regularly attracting just under a million viewers per episode,
[10] low for Australian prime time television. ''Neighbours'' is more popular in the
UK, where it screens on
BBC One usually attracting an average of 3 million viewers for its lunchtime showing and 2.6 million viewers for its evening repeat
[14].
2007 revamp
A major revamp of ''Neighbours'' occurred in 2007. In Australia the show's viewing figures had in early 2007 dropped to fewer than 700,000 a night and the attitudes among long term fans of the show to storylines was negative.
[15]
The revamp includes now recording the show in
HDTV video, introducing a new family of characters, the departure of several existing characters, a new version of the show's familiar theme song, a new style of opening titles and, after three years, the ditching of episode titles. Daniel Bennett, the new head of drama at Network Ten, announced that the crux of the Ramsay Street story will go "back to basics" and follow a less sensational path than of late with the emphasis on family relations and suburban reality. These changes will come into effect over several months in 2007;
July 23,
2007 saw the introduction of the new theme music and graphics. Ratings for that episode averaged 1.05 million viewers in the 6.30pm slot. It is the first time that the soap's viewing figures have topped 1 million in 2007.
[14] ''Neighbours'' was also made available for viewers to watch online via Network Ten's website
[17].
Broadcast schedule
Australian broadcasts
Through its entire run in Australia it has screened as five 22-minute episodes a week, shown each weeknight in an early-evening slot. The 1985 season was broadcast on the
Seven Network, at 5.30 p.m. in
Sydney and at 6.30 p.m. in
Melbourne and other regions. From its second year the series switched to
Network Ten. Between 1986 and 1991 the series was screened by Network Ten at 7.00 p.m., and from 1992 they have broadcast the show at 6:30 p.m. ''Neighbours'' is on air for approximately 49 weeks per year. It is broadcast from early January to late December, and goes off air for three weeks during the Christmas/New Year break.
United Kingdom broadcasts
1986 - 2008
Beginning on Monday
October 27,
1986, the show was brought to the
UK by
BBC One, where it quickly gained a cult following.
It was originally screened at 1.25 p.m.-1.50 p.m. until moving it to 1.50 p.m.-2.10 p.m. before moving it to 1.40 p.m.-2.05 p.m. with a repeat the next morning at 10.00am. The repeat episode was later moved to 5.35 p.m.-6.00 p.m. on
4 January,
1988 by controller
Michael Grade on the advice of his daughter. In
1994 during
Wimbledon it was shown at 7.00 p.m.-7.20 p.m.. In the late 1980s it regularly had a UK audience of over eighteen million and was watched by more people than the population of Australia.
[18]
In the UK, episodes are currently shown around three months after their original Australian broadcast. The length of time between both broadcasts has decreased significantly from the original 18 months of 1986 due to Neighbours being taken off air at Christmas in Australia, whilst the series was originally broadcast every weekday year round on the BBC. As a result since
October 2000 the BBC has frequently removed the show from its schedule during major sports tournaments such as
Wimbledon,
Bank Holidays and Christmas.
Accounting for the duplication of viewers across its two UK showings a day, the show rates on average over five million viewers a day, making it the highest rated Commonwealth import on British television and one of the most popular
international acquisitions, rating higher than
US programmes such as ''
Desperate Housewives'' and ''
Lost''. Rumours circulated that the BBC planned to give 'first-look' ''Neighbours'' on the broadcaster's digital channel
BBC Three in order to boost that channel's ratings.
[19] Many
UK fans were disappointed and some angry that in late 2006 BBC were facing losing the show to rival channel
Five who screen new episodes of ''
Home and Away'' every night immediately after ''Neighbours'' has finished its repeat on
BBC One.
[3]
2008-
In April
2007, it was reported that ITV had made a bid of £80,000 per episode; an offer that valued ''Neighbours'' at over £20 Million a year. A contract between ITV and Fremantle was just days away from completion, but could not be finalised due to issues regarding
Video on Demand and
Broadband rights.
[20]. On
26 April 2007 it was reported that the BBC had told ''
Broadcast magazine'' that an agreement would need to be reached in the "very, very near future" otherwise their offer would be withdrawn.
[21] [22]. News of the possible change in broadcaster was poorly received by viewers of the programme, and an online petition against the show's move away from the BBC garnered very strong support.
[23]. On
5 May, it was reported that the BBC could drop out of bidding for the show, after Fremantle raised the price to £100,000 per episode in a bidding competition between
ITV and
Five.
[24].
On
18 May, BBC One controller
Peter Fincham announced on the ''
One O'Clock News'' that the BBC had pulled out of negotiations for ''Neighbours'' due to the £300m asking price over eight years (three times the price currently paid by the BBC) and that it would end on BBC One during March or April 2008. The same day it was later announced that
RTL Media company
Five had won the UK rights to broadcast the show. It expected that there will be no gap between transmission ceasing on the BBC and commencing on Five.
This is not likely to affect old repeats being shown on
UKTV Gold for the time being. UKTV Gold are currently screening episodes from 2003/4.
[25]
Other international broadcasts
Neighbours is also broadcast every evening on
Republic of Ireland state TV station
RTÉ Two at 5:30 p.m., and is repeated the following day at around 7.00a.m on
RTÉ One. These episodes are at the same pace as the episodes shown on BBC.
The show has also been sold to television networks in many other countries. Episodes from 1999 were broadcast for a six-week trial basis on the American channel
Oxygen in March 2004. At first, it was shown in the afternoon opposite higher-rated American soaps such as ''
The Young and the Restless'' and ''
All My Children'', which gave the show anemic ratings from the first broadcast; the people who would be most interested in the show were watching other, more established serials. After a couple of weeks, the show moved to a late-night time slot and eventually left the air entirely. It was not the first Australian soap opera to be broadcast in the United States: ''
The Sullivans'', ''
Prisoner'', ''
Home and Away'', ''
The Young Doctors'', ''
Paradise Beach'', and ''
Pacific Drive'' had also been previously shown.
The show was broadcast in Canada on regional television channel 47,
Toronto-based
CFMT (now part of the
OMNI network owned by
Rogers Communications Inc.), for a period of about five years in the early to mid-
1990s, starting in September 1990. The channel started the series right from the beginning and broadcast two episodes back to back for the first several months. It never achieved the audience that youth-oriented cable network
YTV saw at the same time with ''
Home and Away'' and was dropped.
It has been long broadcast by
Television New Zealand and screens twice daily at 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. It was initially broadcast by TVNZ when ''Neighbours'' started showing in New Zealand in 1988, but by 1996 it had been removed from the schedule. Canwest's TV4 (now C4) picked it up and broadcast it from 1997 to 2000. They dropped it in 2000, and it returned to TV2 in 2002, where it stayed till early 2007, until moving to TVOne in February 2007, and screens at the time of 3:50.
''Neighbours'' is broadcast in
Belgium on the
VRT at 5:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The show has been broadcast in Belgium since 1988; they are one year behind Australia. In
Kenya, ''Neighbours'' is broadcast on the
KTN network at 12.30 p.m., Monday to Friday with an omnibus on Sunday mornings. They are approximately three years behind Australia. ''Neighbours'' is also broadcast in
Barbados on CBC8, Monday to Friday. They are approximately four years behind Australia.
Storylines
Main articles: Storylines of Neighbours
In the beginning, the show mainly focused on two families, the Robinsons and the Ramsays, neighbours in
Ramsay Street. The loud and fiery
Max Ramsay (
Francis Bell), after whose grandfather the street is named, ruled his household with a iron fist, and had a turbulent relationship with wife
Maria (Dasha Blahova) while clashing with his sensitive son
Danny Ramsay (David Clencie). Max had more time for his athletic oldest child
Shane Ramsay (
Peter O'Brien), involved in competitive
diving. Max acted as though he owned the entire street and sustained a feud and rivalry with his more thoughtful, business-owner neighbour
Jim Robinson (
Alan Dale). Jim's wife had died in 1975, after which mother-in-law
Helen Daniels (
Anne Haddy) moved in to help raise Jim's four children. These were
Paul Robinson (
Stefan Dennis), studying engineering at university, bank teller
Julie Robinson (Vikki Blanche), high school student
Scott Robinson (then played by
Darius Perkins, later recast with
Jason Donovan), primary school student
Lucy Robinson (
Kylie Flinker).
Another resident of Ramsay Street was bank manager
Des Clarke (
Paul Keane). The engaged Des was jilted in the earliest episodes of the show. When he took in a lodger the applicant was
Daphne Lawrence (
Elaine Smith), the stripper from his
stag party. She moved in and began a romance with neighbour Shane Ramsay. Disapproving of much of this was Jim's daughter, the moralistic Julie Robinson - who was Des's neighbour, former girlfriend, ''and'' employee.
Max Ramsay's wife Maria left him and moved to
Hong Kong during 1985.
Puritanical Julie apparently relaxed her strict morals by taking up with her new boss, the married
Philip Martin (
Christopher Milne). Julie and Philip moved away in late 1985. Max's sister
Madge Mitchell (
Anne Charleston) moved into the Ramsay home in early 1986 and quickly became a key character in storylines. Madge's daughter
Charlene Mitchell (
Kylie Minogue), an energetic tomboy, soon moved in, while Max moved away to
Queensland. Max's son Danny settled into his new job of bank teller moved away soon after, and Madge's son
Henry Mitchell (
Craig McLachlan) moved in to the house after his release from prison. Charlene began a romance with neighbour Scott Robinson and their
Romeo and Juliet-style
romance storyline was one of the show's most popular. Scott and Charlene's close friends were Des's latest lodger
Mike Young (
Guy Pearce), and the plain and studious
Jane Harris (
Annie Jones). Jane and her grandmother, the meddling
Nell Mangel (
Vivean Gray), had moved in to Ramsay Street in mid-1986. Mike and Jane later started a romance. Scott and Charlene's wedding was a key event in the series. Meanwhile Madge took up with
Harold Bishop (
Ian Smith) and they later married. Platonic housemates Des and Daphne eventually fell in love, and later married. After leaving to care for her sick father, Daphne was badly injured in a car accident. She very briefly returned for her death scene in hospital where her final words were the whispered 'I love you, Clarkey'. It was the first death of a main character.
With Shane Ramsay's departure in 1987, all of the original Ramsay family members had all gone. Henry and Charlene also departed in the late 1980s, leaving Madge as a main character through much of the 1990s. She endured the disappearance of Harold, but was reunited with high-school sweetheart
Lou Carpenter (
Tom Oliver). The Robinson family was in turmoil when
Lucy Robinson (
Melissa Bell) started a sexual flirtation with her half brother
Glen (Richard Huggett) - whom her dad had fathered during the Vietnam War - despite both knowing that they were related. Julie Robinson (now played by Julie Mullins) and Phillip Martin (now played by
Ian Rawlings), and their children, returned in 1992. The various Robinson family members were gradually written out through the 1990s. Scott was last seen in 1989 after moving to Queensland, scheming businessman Paul Robinson fled to South America to escape legal problems in 1993, Jim died in 1993, Julie died in 1994.
During the 1990s the storylines were dominated by the various members of the Willis family, who took over the house vacated by Des in 1990. After they left in 1994, the
Kennedy family moved in, and became central to many of the program's storylines. Madge moved away in 1992 and
Cheryl Stark and her various family members moved in to the former Ramsay residence. Cheryl and her family members departed in 1996. In late 1996 Harold, who was believed drowned but was actually missing and suffering amnesia, was spotted by Marlene Kratz in Tasmania. She called Madge and Harold and Madge were reunited, and they returned to live in Ramsay Street. In the late 1990s Philip Martin and his children lived with Helen Daniels in the Robinson house. Helen died in 1997. Philip and the children all moved away in 1999, and that year the Scully family moved in to the vacant Robinson house. Madge and Harold lived as a couple until Madge's death in 2001.
Toadie Rebecchi (
Ryan Moloney) joined the storyline in the mid 1990s and he emerged as a key character in the show's storylines. Through the late 1990s and the 2000s many members of the extended Rebecchi family figured prominently in storylines.
Stuart Parker (
Blair McDonough) was a key character throughout the early 2000s.
Max Hoyland (
Stephen Lovatt) and his family moved to Ramsay Street in 2002. Harold's son
David Bishop (
Kevin Harrington) and his family moved to the street in 2003. After more than a ten year absence Paul Robinson returned as a regular in the final episode of
2004. In 2005 Toadie's aunt
Janelle Timmins (
Nell Feeney) and her brood of children moved in to Ramsay Street for an extended stay.
In the late
1990s, ''Neighbours'' gained the reputation as being a somewhat conservative soap with topics such as
sex generally not being included in the storylines due to its early evening timeslot (Earlier storylines involving controversial topics such as
incest and teenage sex were often censored by the BBC in the UK, which may account for the reluctance on the part of producers to depict controversial issues). Starting
2004 racier elements were included in the storylines. Teenage characters began discussing issues such as sex and
contraception in a manner which has not been seen on the show since the mid 1990s. In late 2004, the show depicted a
lesbian storyline involving
Sky Mangel (
Stephanie McIntosh) and
Lana Crawford (
Bridget Neval). In early
2006, a relationship started between the 18-year-old
Stingray Timmins (
Ben Nicholas) and 14-year-old
Rachel Kinski (
Caitlin Stasey), although the two did not actually sleep together.
Serena Bishop (
Lara Sacher) and Luka Dokich (Keelan O'Hehir), embarked on an intimate relationship, blissfully ignorant of the fact that they were half-siblings - sharing a mother
Liljana Bishop (
Marcella Russo). Stuart's fiance
Sindi Parker (
Marisa Warrington) was involved in
stripping and
prostitution. In 2006 there were strong indications that
Katya Kinski (
Dichen Lachman) had been involved in the
pornography industry and had taken hard drugs. She was also shown stealing cars for shady associates from her past.
In 2004 the break up of long time married couples
Karl and Susan Kennedy (
Alan Fletcher and
Jackie Woodburne) and soon after
Joe (
Shane Connor) and
Lyn Scully (
Janet Andrewartha) led to much turmoil and many story twists.
Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland (
Natalie Bassingthwaighte) duped Karl into believing that he was the father of her unborn child, continuing the charade long after she tragically miscarried in
November 2004. After over a year of manipulation, Izzy's lies came to light in a spectacular fashion, and despite a last ditch attempt by Izzy to gain Karl's sympathy by falsely claiming that she was raped, Karl finally dumped Izzy for good.
Late in the 2005 season came the dramatic
plane crash storyline in which a large contingent of Ramsay Street residents join a joyflight on a
Douglas DC-3 aircraft over
Bass Strait. A time bomb had been planted in the plane's undercarriage. During the flight Izzy discovered a note in her seat pocket addressed 'To my one and only' which read 'Think about your life and everything you've done.' The bomb went off, sending the plane down into the Bass Strait. Most of the passengers were rescued, although Liljana and Serena Bishop were missing, presumed dead. David Bishop died in the crash and his body was later recovered.
The 2006 season featured several highly dramatic storylines and the introduction of several new villains. It was learned that the bomb on the plane had been planted by Paul Robinson's son
Robert (
Adam Hunter) in an attempt to kill his father, his sister
Elle (
Pippa Black), and Izzy. Also shown for the first time was Robert's comatose twin brother
Cameron (also played by Adam Hunter). Robert remained on the loose, continually plotting Paul's murder. This vendetta led to
Max Hoyland (
Stephen Lovatt) accidentally killing Robert's twin Cameron after mistaking him for Robert. Max was then intentionally
driven insane by Elle for revenge. The other key villain in 2006 was
Guy Sykes (
Fletcher Humphrys), an old acquaintance of
Katya Kinski who was heavily involved in the Robert/Cameron storyline. Katya was shot and arrested after being blackmailed by Guy. The 2006 finale week marked the wedding of Paul and
Lyn Scully, however he broke up with her hours after the wedding after revealing that he cheated on her. Lyn left town after seven years on Ramsay Street.
In early 2007 came the third wedding of
Karl and
Susan, this time in
London. Appearing at the ceremony was
Izzy, who had left the show pregnant with Karl's baby (unknown to Karl and Susan) in 2006. She went into labour at the wedding, though she never confessed the truth to them. Karl and Susan left London, with Susan knowing the identity of the baby's father, as she overheard Izzy telling her new boyfriend that the baby is Karl's. Susan told Karl back in Australia, and he returned to London for several weeks to spend time with his new daughter
Holly. The first six months of 2007 also saw the unexpected death of one of the younger characters,
Scott "Stingray" Timmins (
Ben Nicholas), the stalking and kidnapping of
Pepper Steiger (
Nicky Whelan) by
Mary Casey (
Rowena Wallace), the arrest and imprisonment of Sky after she was arrested for murder, despite being innocent of the crime and
Steph (
Carla Bonner) and
Max Hoyland's (
Stephen Lovatt) marriage ending. He moved away and Steph remains on Ramsay Street as the last remaining member of the Scully family.
Mid-2007 saw the introduction of the Parker family:
Steve (
Steve Bastoni),
Miranda (
Nikki Coghill) and
Bridget (
Eloise Mignon), as well as several other new characters, such as
Ned's (
Daniel O'Connor) illegitimate son,
Mickey Gannon (Fletcher O'Leary) and
Oliver's (
David Hoflin) long-lost mother and brother,
Rebecca (
Jane Hall) and
Declan Napier (
James Sorensen). Also in July 2007 was the much-anticipated wedding of
Frazer Yeats (
Ben Lawson) and
Rosetta Cammeniti (
Natalie Saleeba).
Cast
:
Current cast members
:''See also:
Current characters of Neighbours
Recurring cast members
:''See also:
Recurring characters of Neighbours
Comings and goings
Coming
Going
Before they were stars
The following actors garnered international fame following their stints on ''Neighbours''.
Deceased cast members
Shane Connor's dismissal
After being fired from the series in
2003, former cast member
Shane Connor (
Joe Scully) filed for wrongful dismissal. Evidence presented in court in October
2005 described alleged on-set problems such as arguments with the cast and crew, lateness and absenteeism. This behaviour has been connected to the actor's period of drug use, after the death of his brother
[37]. Connor admitted that he'd had problems in that period, prior to receiving a final warning in April 2003, but contested Grundy's claims that he had acted unprofessionally immediately before his dismissal in September 2003. He won the case and was awarded AUD $196,709 plus interest and costs
[38]. Connor is now living in the UK, where he is appearing in commercials and makes appearances at university students' unions.
Celebrity guest appearances
★
Red Symons as Gordon Miller (1985)
★
Warwick Capper (1986)
★
Molly Meldrum (1986)
★
Grant Kenny (1986)
★
Derek Nimmo as Lord Ledgerwood (1990)
★
Darryl Cotton (1990)
★
Mike Whitney (1994)
★
Chris Lowe of The
Pet Shop Boys (1995)
★
John Hinde (1995)
★
Iain Hewitson (1995)
★
Clive James as a
postman (1996)
★
Barry Sheene (1997)
★
Dave Graney (1998)
★ Peter Chapman (1999)
★
Robert DiPierdomenico (1999)
★
Human Nature (2000)
★
The Wiggles (2001)
★
Glenn Wheatley (2002)
★
Jude Bolton (2002)
★
Brett Kirk (2002)
★
Renton Millar (2002)
★
Karl Kruszelnicki (2004)
★
Shane Warne (2006)
★
Rove McManus (2006)
★
Brodie Holland (2006)
★
Andrew G (2007)
★
Emma Bunton (2007)
★
Michael Parkinson (2007)
★
Julian Clary (2007)
★
Neil Morrissey as a priest (2007)
★
Jo Whiley (2007)
★
Jonathan Coleman (2007)
★
Sinitta (2007)
★
Matt Lucas as
Andy Pipkin (2007)
★
David Walliams as
Lou Todd (2007)
★
Daryl Braithwaite (2007)
★
Robyn Loau (2007)
★
Damien Leith (2007)
★
Marcia Hines (2007)
★
Ian "Dicko" Dickson (2007)
Theme Song
The ''Neighbours'' theme music was written by
Tony Hatch with lyrics by his then wife,
Jackie Trent. Since 1985 there have been six distinctly different renditions of the theme broadcast on television. They were sung by the following artists:
★ Version One:
Barry Crocker (1985-1989)
★ Version Two:
Barry Crocker (1989-1992)
★ Version Three: Greg Hind (1992-1998)
★ Version Four: Paul Norton & Wendy Stapleton (1999-2001)
★ Version Five:
Janine Maunder (2002-2007)
★ Version Six: Sandra de Jong (2007-present)
Each version of the song has received some minor changes during its tenure to keep it feeling fresh. For example, version one received a few edits following the ''# day #'', ''# away #'', ''# blend #'' and ''# friends #'' climaxes during its run on Channel Seven in 1985. The following years on Network TEN used a slightly longer unedited version.
The opening theme of version two changed frequently. From the introduction of the revised song until mid-way through 1990 there was a full length opening song, however, mid-way through 1990 this changed to a 10-second instrumental piece. This was used for a few weeks before being replaced by a vocal version of the same short piece. This lasted until version three of the theme debuted in mid-1992.
Version three used a funky 23 second opening song until 1994 when a slightly longer piece was implemented. Incidentally, this longer piece was used as a closing theme for BBC broadcasts from 1995 onwards, despite the original full closing version being retained elsewhere in the world. The full-length closing theme differed significantly from the previous two arrangements in that it concentrated solely on repeating the second verse of the song to make up the song's length, thus discarding such familiar lyrics as ''# Just a friendly wave each morning... #'' and ''# Next door is only a footstep away #''.
Version four debuted in 1999 essentially as a re-record of the 1992 theme with new singers Wendy Stapleton and Paul Norton. The opening theme reverted to 23 seconds and replaced ''# Everybody needs good neighbours #'' with ''# Should be there for one another #''. Once again there was a shortened closing theme for UK transmission. The only changes made to the theme heard in Australia during this era was the removal of the repeated backing vocal ''# That's when good... #'' from mid-2000 onwards, although this remained on episodes broadcast outside of Australia and the UK.
Version five was launched in 2002 and once again a shorter piece of closing music was edited for the UK market, with the rest of the world using the same 76 second variant. The opening and closing songs followed the same lyrical and verse arrangement introduced in 1992.
In 2006 a very slightly remixed version of the same closing theme debuted. The intention was for all territories to begin transmitting the same 45 second version at the end of their episodes, however UK broadcasts retained the previous 35 second arrangement for a few weeks until they received a newer batch of episodes with the revised theme attached. Despite a brief period of uniformity, by mid-2006 the BBC had requested further edits to be made to their version of the song to bring it back in line with the 35 seconds allowed by the BBC. Australia then reverted to an almost full length track, albeit with minor edits at various sections to keep running time to 55 seconds, whilst other markets, including New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland, continued to receive the original 45 second arrangement launched at the start of 2006. This meant that for over a year between 2006-2007 there were three different edits of the closing theme tune being broadcast around the world as well as three different closing credits designs to accompany them!
Despite the many edits made to the 2002-2007 closing song, the opening theme remained unchanged for the duration at 23 seconds.
A new version of the theme tune sung by Sandra de Jong debuted on July 23, 2007 as part of a revamp of the show. The opening song was available for preview briefly on the official Neighbours website in the days leading up to the revamp, although it is believed that this was unintentional. The opening song is noticeably longer than in recent years at 30 seconds - largely to accommodate the additional new characters in the titles. It is also notable for re-introducing ''# Everybody needs good neighbours #'' to the opener after an eight year absence. The closing theme as broadcast in Australia continues to solely use the second verse of the Neighbours song, as has been the case since 1992. The new version does not repeat the verse however, using instead a repetitive technique applied to the ''# That's when good neighbours become good friends #'' line and an additional instrumental piece to make up the theme's length which remains unchanged at 55 seconds.
Locations
''Neighbours'' is recorded in Melbourne. Interior scenes are taped at the Global Television studios in
Forest Hill, Victoria in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. These studios were previously the Network Ten studios; Ten moved to South Yarra selling their previous studios but continued to tape some of their programmes there, leasing the facilities from the new owners. Pin Oak Court in nearby
Vermont South is been used for outdoor taping to represent the fictional
Ramsay Street through the programme's run.
In the story Ramsay Street is situated in the fictional suburb of
Erinsborough. Throughout most of the series' run it was not emphatically stated which city of Australia the suburb was set in. Occasionally evidence appears on screen and in dialogue that suggests that Erinsborough is a suburb of Melbourne. In 1996 much was made of a group of residents leaving for a day trip to attend the
Melbourne Cup, and several of the characters show their support for
AFL teams (a sport endemic to Melbourne), there have been several guest appearances by AFL players, and Melbourne landmarks and features can be identified in some scenes outside of Ramsay Street. In a July 2007 episode where
Janelle Timmins evaluates visits to her children now residing in Queensland she explicitly names her current residence as being in "Melbourne".
In the story, Erinsborough is often contrasted with the neighbouring, and equally fictitious, suburb of Eden Hills. Other locations often mentioned (and sometimes seen) in the show include West Waratah, Waratah Heights, Elliot Park and Anson's Corner, as well as real towns in the state of Victoria (the capital of which is Melbourne) such as
Colac,
Shepparton, and
Oakey in Queensland.
Filming in the United Kingdom
''Neighbours' second UK-shot storyline was broadcast in Australia during the weeks commencing
19 and
26 March 2007 and was broadcast in the
UK in late
May/early
June 2007. In the story Susan and Karl visit the UK on holiday and accidentally meet Izzy, who had moved there after leaving Ramsay Street. Karl also proposes to Susan in the
London Eye, and they were married for a third time, with
Neil Morrissey acting as a priest. This story also featured many
celebrity cameos such as
Emma Bunton,
Jo Whiley,
Michael Parkinson,
Jonathan Coleman,
Julian Clary and
Sinitta.
DVD
The first ''Neighbours''
DVD, ''Defining Moments'', was released in late
2002, and chronicled the major births, deaths and marriages of the show's first 17 years. During ''Neighbours' 20th anniversary celebrations in
2005, there was some talk of another similar release, however the distributors,
Shock Records, repeatedly pushed the release date back, before eventually cancelling the project altogether. Shock has confirmed it will release ''Neighbours - The Iconic Episodes: Vol.1'' on
September 17,
2007.
''Neighbours - The Iconic Episodes: Vol.2'' has been announced for release on
October 22,
2007.
[39]
Awards
The show and some cast members have won several
Logies in its time. Winners of the
Logies are listed below:
★ 1986:
Peter O'Brien, for Most Popular New Talent.
★ 1987:
Peter O'Brien, for Most Popular Actor
★ 1987:
Kylie Minogue, for Most Popular Actress
★ 1987: Most Popular Drama Series
★ 1988:
Kylie Minogue, for the Most Popular Personality (
Gold Logie)
★ 1988:
Peter O'Brien, for Most Popular Actor
★ 1988:
Kylie Minogue, for Most Popular Actress
★ 1988: Most Popular Drama Series
★ 1989:
Craig McLachlan, for Most Popular Actor
★ 1989:
Annie Jones, for Most Popular Actress
★ 1989: Most Popular Series
★ 1990:
Craig McLachlan, for Most Popular Personality (
Gold Logie)
★ 1990:
Craig McLachlan, for Most Popular Actor
★ 1990:
Rachel Friend, for Most Popular Actress
★ 1990: Most Popular Series
★ 1991:
Richard Huggett, for Most Popular New Talent
★ 1998:
Brooke Satchwell, for Most Popular New Talent
★ 1999:
Daniel MacPherson, for Most Popular New Talent - Male
★ 2003:
Patrick Harvey, for Most Popular New Talent - Male
★ 2003:
Delta Goodrem, for Most Popular New Talent - Female
★ 2005:
Natalie Blair, for Most Popular New Talent - Female
★ 2005:
Hall of Fame (the series)
References
1. http://televisionau.siv.net.au/2000.htm#2007"
2. Clarke, David and Steve Samuelson. ''50 Years: Celebrating a Half-Century of Australian Television'', Random House: Milsons Point, NSW, 2006. ISBN 1-7416-6024-6 p 151-60
3. Moran, Albert. ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', Allen & Unwin, 1993. ISBN 0-642-18462-3 p 313
4. Clarke, David and Steve Samuelson. ''50 Years: Celebrating a Half-Century of Australian Television'', Random House: Milsons Point, NSW, 2006. ISBN 1-7416-6024-6 p 204
5. Clarke, David and Steve Samuelson. ''50 Years: Celebrating a Half-Century of Australian Television'', Random House: Milsons Point, NSW, 2006. ISBN 1-7416-6024-6 p 151-60
6. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 208
7. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 208-9
8. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 209
9. Bowles, Kate. ''Soap opera: 'No end of story, ever' '' in ''The Australian TV Book'', (Eds. Graeme Turner and Stuart Cunningham), Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW, 2000. ISBN 1-86508-014-4 p 127
10. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 231
11. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 218-9
12. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 223
13. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 231
14.
15. Kilkelly, Daniel. "'Neighbours' ratings a cause for concern." ''Digital Spy.'' 18 March 2007. Accessed 19 May 2007. [1]
16.
17. [2]
18. Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 211
19. Holmworth, Leigh. ''Neighbours could air on BBC3'', Media Guardian 12th July 2006 12:15pm BST
20. [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/programming/a45467/report-itv-makes-gbp20m-bid-for-neighbours.html. Digital Spy 19 April 2007
21. BBC threatens to drop Neighbours. BBC News, 26 April 2007.
22. BBC close to losing 'Neighbours' 26 April
23. Over 4,000 sign petition to keep 'Neighbours' on the BBC 30 April
24. Neighbours To Move? Daily Mirror, 5 May
25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6669769.stm
26. Sunday Herald Sun, 8th July 2007, page 119
27. TV Tonight - Back to the Street
28. Who's Coming and Going Thread - NeighboursFans.com
29. Who's Coming and Going Thread - NeighboursFans.com
30. Who's Coming and Going Thread - NeighboursFans.com
31. Daily Telegraph - Sydney Confidential, 13th July 2007, page 32
32. [4]
33. [5]
34. http://perfectblend.net/news/spoiler/ Perfect Blend Spoilers
35. http://perfectblend.net/news/spoiler/ Perfect Blend Spoilers
36. http://perfectblend.net/news/spoiler/ Perfect Blend Spoilers
37. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=68113
38. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4484202.stm
39. http://perfectblend.net/news/ Perfect Blend News (no spoilers)
External links
★
''Neighbours'': The Official Site
★
''Neighbours'' at Network Ten
★
''Neighbours'' at TV.com
★
★
The Official Tour Site
★
The Official ''Neighbours'' Night
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