Understand, but the way the film and television industry has completely decayed (in Melbourne) in recent years, I think the Victorian Government might want to keep this unique production going. Let’s be honest, it’s not going to be replaced and most staff crew will move to Sydney or go overseas for work.
It really is a production that’s holds the foundation together for the film and television sector in this Victoria. What’s the point in having a massive studio complex (Docklands) to produce big budget films and having no local crews on the ground to tape into. In all goes hand in hand.
It needs to be a wake up call for the entire industry. They’ve been asleep whilst drama has been thriving around the world as broadcasters have had to step up to compete with Netflix etc. and find new funding models too. Meanwhile Channel 10 get to late October and air an “original” drama which had aired in the UK months earlier as their first scripted outing of the year and then wonder why nobody watches it.
If this forces Ten to fund higher profile series on the main channel, even though it will likely be significantly less hours, it might not be a bad thing.
As for how Neighbours ends - as I think this is being framed as production ending in the hope that subsequently a deal can be done to restart I don’t think they’ll be any finality to it - people won’t be moving out, getting killed off or houses being blown up, so it’ll probably be low key. They need though to concentrate on the cast and viewers of today, not those who quit it 30 years ago.
A pretty nonsensical article based around some quotes from someone clearly stuck in the TV landscape of the 90s.
ITV itself aren’t going to mess with their highly successful and highly rated afternoon schedule to accomodate an over priced low rated Australian soap, whilst ITV2 has just last months ditched the repeat airings of the ITV soaps and gets over half the audience Neighbours gets at 6pm with much cheaper repeats of Celebrity Catchphrase. Even if they halved the £21m that C5 pay that is still a significant chunk of any digital channels budget which could go alot further in primetime.
Similarly with BritBox, the susbcription on demand service co-owned by ITV and the BBC, that money can go on a handful of higher quality drama series which will not only do more to bring in subscribers but can also sit on their platform around the world, unlike Neighbours.
Apologies if this has already been posted, I searched but couldn’t find anything, but Brisbane’s B105 are doing a ‘All of Australia at the same time ’ watch party on the 17th Feb to save Neighbours.
Let’s save Neighbours!
On Thursday the 17th, everyone switch your TV to 10 Peach at 6:30pm
Haven’t watched in years? No problem, we’ll catch you up!
Not home that night? No stress, just leave the TV on!
Make sure you invite all your friends, and we’ll see you all there!
I actually get the feeling that the show may get some sort of reprieve. Even if it’s just an extra year or so, after 37 years the show deserves the chance to fully wrap up the storylines rather than just end them without proper conclusion. With the publicity this is generating I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else steps in. Well I hope so anyway. With the new outdoor scenes showing various places around Melbourne I really think more people in the UK will watch.
Very little point in letting it run on another year or two on an even tighter budget. Let it go out with some dignity rather than just delaying the inevitable.
I suspect even if the entire country watched on the 17th the final decision will have been made by then.
The tv industry should have a telethon to save neighbours tv stars even home and away ones ,sportstars newsreaders radio hosts could could do a whole day telethon reminiscing about the show doing dares funny stuff and interviewing fans to raise money for one of the best Australian shows ever not enough of them any more
