In a rather surprising turn of events, iconic soap ‘Neighbours’ has been saved by Amazon Freevee and Fremantle.
A new series will begin filming in Australia next year and today it’s been confirmed that ‘Neighbours’ legends Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney, and Jackie Woodburne will return to reprise their roles.
The continuation of the long-running daily drama series—about the lives, loves, and challenges of the residents on Ramsay Street in Erinsborough, Australia, a fictional suburb of Melbourne – follows the finale earlier this year, which was watched by millions of adoring fans.
The new series will premiere exclusively for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and U.S. and will include streaming rights to thousands of episodes from the previous seasons, available prior to the new series’ premiere.
The series will also stream on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Production is set to commence in early 2023 with a world premiere slated for the second half of the year.
“’Neighbours’ has captivated its audience for nearly 40 years, building a dedicated and loyal following for the lives and stories of the characters on Ramsay Street,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming, Amazon Studios. “With the power of streaming, we’re able to offer a catalogue of thousands of Neighbours episodes for new audiences to discover this legendary series and current fans to relive their favorite moments. We look forward to immersing the audience in new Ramsay Street experiences when we relaunch the show next year for Amazon Freevee and Prime Video customers.”
“’Neighbours’ is a unique series with a powerful connection with its fans across the world. We cherish the show and all those who have been part of its incredible story over many decades, so we are thrilled that we have found a new home with Amazon Freevee. Thanks to the innovative Amazon Freevee platform, many classic episodes will be available to fans, and Neighbours will go back into full production in Australia early next year, providing our fans with new episodes,” said Jennifer Mullin, global CEO, Fremantle. “This partnership with Amazon Freevee marks an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to collaborating with them, along with our long-term and valued partner in Australia, Network10.”
‘Neighbours’ ran for more than three decades and nearly 9,000 episodes, garnering fans across the globe and launching the careers of many household names.
‘Neighbours’ is produced by Fremantle. Jason Herbison, ‘Neighbours’ executive producer since 2013, will maintain his position on the exciting new chapter of ‘Neighbours’, with Andrew Thompson returning as producer.
Australia’s Network 10, the home of ‘Neighbours’ for 36 years, will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
