Last month it was announced that Neighbours was set to return to our screens after being revived by streaming service Amazon Freevee.
The soap, which aired on Channel 5 in the UK, was cancelled earlier this year after 37 years, with the last episode airing in July.
Now, Amazon Studios’ head of original content Lauren Anderson and head of licensed content for the UK Shahina O’Mahoney have explained why they decided to bring us back to Ramsey Street.
"As time went on, the reaction to the show ending didn’t lessen," O’Mahoney explained to Broadcast Now. "There are very few shows that get a reaction like that.
"People grew up with Neighbours – it's part of the TV fabric of the UK. We can’t save every show, but we chose this one because of how deeply its fans cared about it."
The soap will begin airing on Freevee in the latter half of 2023 and it will continue to air episodically, rather than being released as a boxset.
"First and foremost, we have to keep current fans happy," Anderson explained. "Then we can introduce the series to new audiences."
O’Mahoney added: "We’ve got people on the ground ensuring that Neighbours loses none of the essence that makes it great."
O’Mahoney ended by hinting that Neighbours may not be the only soap to feature on Freevee.
"We’re always looking to surprise our customers and who would have expected a soap on Freevee?" she added. "It’s not going to be the last soap-style show we have."
Neighbours returns in the second half of 2023 with new episodes streaming free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. Network 10 will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
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