| Neighbours | |
|---|---|
| File:Neighbours.png Neighbours current title card | |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Starring | See Cast section below |
| Theme music composer | Tony Hatch Theme music Jackie Trent Lyrics |
| Country of origin |  Australia |
| No. of episodes | 5240 (as of June 22, 2007) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Reg Watson Don Battye Ian Bradley Stanley Walsh Riccardo Pellizzeri |
| Producers | John Holmes Tony MacDonald Marie Trevor Mark Callan Dave Worthington Sally Anne Kerr Peter Dodds |
| Running time | 22 min |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network (1985) Network Ten (1986 - Present) |
| Release | March 18 1985 – Present |
Neighbours is a long-running Australian soap opera, which began airing 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 'our neighbors'). 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 children and teenagers 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 commercial breaks) episodes a week, shown each week night in an early-evening slot. The 1985 season aired 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 [5]. 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 airs 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,[13] low for Australian prime time television. Neighbours is more popular in the UK, where it screens on BBC One usually attracting an average of 4 million viewers for its lunchtime showing and 3.6 million viewers for its evening repeat[14].
2007 revamp
In 2007 it was decided that Neighbours would be revamped; 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] This revamp includes recording the show in HDTV video, introducing a new family of characters, the departure of several existing characters, and a new version of the show's familiar theme song. In addition, Daniel Bennet, 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; the new theme music and graphics package will debut July 23, 2007 in Australia and in October in the United Kingdom, during episode 5261. [16]
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 aired 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 aired the show at 6:30 p.m. Neighbours is on air for approximately 49 weeks per year. It airs 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 October 27, 1986, the show was brought to the UK by BBC One, where it quickly gained a cult following.
It was originally screened it 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 January 4, 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. [17]
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 over the summer in Australia, for periods of between 2 and 5 weeks, whilst the series originally aired 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 and Bank Holidays.
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 [18]. 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[2]
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.[19]. 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. [20] [21]. 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.[22]. 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.[23].
On 18 May, BBC 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 its current schedule on BBC One during March or April 2008.
This is not the first time a popular import has left the BBC in the UK. In February 2004, The Simpsons was taken from BBC Two's 6.00 p.m. schedule and moved to Channel 4 and was not shown again on terrestrial television until November of that year.
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.[24] It was later revealed that RTL Media company Five had won the UK rights to broadcast the show, Channel 5 is part of the RTLGroup which owns FremantleMedia, therefore the show was finally sold at the inflated price to an 'in house' company.[25] It is not currently known whether there will be a gap in transmission following the end of its broadcast on BBC One and its start on Five although TV magazine Inside Soap has reported that five wishes to ensure no episodes are missed by UK audiences.
Other international broadcasts
Neighbours also airs 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 aired for a six-week trial basis on the American channel Oxygen in March of 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 airing; 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 aired 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 aired 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 aired 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 aired by Television New Zealand and screens twice daily at 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. It was initially aired 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 aired 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 aired 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 airs 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 aired in Barbados on CBC8, Monday to Friday. They are approximately four years behind Australia
Storylines
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, acted as though he owned the street and sustained a feud with more thoughtful business-owner 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. 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 (Peter O'Brien). Disapproving of much of this was Jim's daughter, the puritanical Julie Robinson (Vikki Blanche) - who was Des's neighbour, former girlfriend, and employee.
Max Ramsay's wife Maria (Dasha Blahova) left him and moved to Hong Kong during 1985. Moralistic Julie apparently relaxed her strict morals by taking up with her married boss 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 Ramsay (David Clencie) 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 (Jason Donovan) 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 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 and Phillip Martin, 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 (Stefan Dennis) 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 Helen in Ramsay Street. 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 respectively) 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 she broke up with him hours after the wedding after Paul told Lyn that he cheated on her. Lyn left town after seven years on Ramsay Street.
The 2007 season saw the third wedding of Karl and Susan in London. This story also saw the reappearance of Izzy, who had left the show pregnant with Karl's baby (unknown to Karl and Susan) in 2006. She went into labour at their 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 heard Izzy telling her new boyfriend Pete Gartside (Daniel Schutzmann) 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. 2007 also saw the unexpected death of one of the younger characters, Scott "Stingray" Timmins (Ben Nicholas), the false imprisonment of Pepper Steiger (Nicky Whelan) by Mary Casey (Rowena Wallace), and the arrest and imprisonment of Sky after she was arrested for murder, despite being innocent of the crime. Stephanie (Carla Bonner) and Max Hoyland's (Stephen Lovatt) marriage ended. He moved away and Steph remains on Ramsay Street as the last remaining member of the Scully family.
Cast
Current cast members
- See also: Current characters of Neighbours
Recurring cast members
- See also: Recurring characters of Neighbours
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Joe Clements | Allan Steiger |
| Penny Cook | Prue Brown |
| Fiona Corke | Gail Robinson |
| Nick Russell | Caleb Maloney |
Coming and going cast members
Coming
| Actor | Role | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Hornery | Tom Kennedy | Temp. Returns June 29 | [26] |
| Tessa James | Anne Baxter | Temp. Returns July 5 | [27] |
| Jane Hall | Rebecca | Debuts July 13 | [28] |
| Steve Bastoni | Steve Parker | Debuts July 23 | [28] |
| Nikki Coghill | Miranda Parker | Debuts July 23 | [28] |
| Eloise Mignon | Bridget Parker | Debuts July 23 | [28] |
| Sweeney Young | Riley Parker | Debuts July 23 | [28] |
| Kym Valentine | Libby Kennedy | Returns October 2007 | [29] |
Going
| Actor | Role | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Kane | Lolly Allen | Exits June 29 | [30] |
| Joe Clements | Allan Steiger | Exits July 13 | [31] |
| Nell Feeney | Janelle Timmins | Exits July 13 | [31] |
| Sianoa Smit-McPhee | Bree Timmins | Exits July 13 | [31] |
| Kyal Marsh | Boyd Hoyland | Exits August 2007 | [28] |
| Stephanie McIntosh | Sky Mangel | Exits August 2007 | [28] |
| Claudine Henningsen | Kerry Mangel | Exits August 2007 | [32] |
Before they were stars
| Actor | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Dale | Jim Robinson | 1985-1993 |
| Kylie Minogue | Charlene Robinson | 1986-1988 |
| Jason Donovan | Scott Robinson (#2) | 1986-1989 |
| Guy Pearce | Mike Young | 1986-1989 |
| Russell Crowe | Kenny Larkin | 1987 |
| Craig McLachlan | Henry Ramsay | 1987-1989 |
| Natalie Imbruglia | Beth Willis | 1992-1993, 1994 |
| Jesse Spencer | Billy Kennedy | 1994-2000, 2005 |
| Brooke Satchwell | Anne Wilkinson | 1996-2000 |
| Radha Mitchell | Catherine O'Brien | 1996-1997 |
| Holly Valance | Felicity Scully | 1999-2002, 2005 |
| Blair McDonough | Stuart Parker | 2001-2006 |
| Delta Goodrem | Nina Tucker | 2002-2003, 2004, 2005 |
| Stephanie McIntosh | Sky Mangel (#2) | 2003-2007 |
| Natalie Bassingthwaighte | Isabelle Hoyland | 2003-2006, 2007 |
Deceased cast members
| Actor | Role | Duration | Date of death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myra De Groot | Eileen Clarke | 1985-1988 | 4 April 1988 |
| Francis Bell | Max Ramsay | 1985-1986 | May 1994 |
| Brian Blain | Michael Daniels | 1991 (guest) | 1994 |
| Anne Haddy | Helen Daniels | 1985-1997 | 6 June 1999 |
| June Salter | Bess Robinson | 1985 (guest) | 15 September 2001 |
| Olivia Hamnett | Hilary Grant | 1998 (guest) | November 2001 |
| Esme Melville | Mrs. York Jean Halliday Moina Beresford Rose Belker |
1986 (guest) 1992 (guest) 1994 (guest) 2002-2006 (recurring) |
14 September 2006 |
| Richard Morgan | Damon Gaffney | 2000 (guest) | 23 December 2006 |
Shane Connor's sacking
After being fired from the series in 2003, former cast member Shane Connor (who played character 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[33]. 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[34]. Connor is now living in the UK, where he is appearing in commercials and makes appearances at university students' unions.
Celebrity guest appearances
- 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)
- Robert DiPierdomenico (1999)
- Peter Chapman (1999)
- Human Nature (2000)
- The Wiggles (2001)
- Glenn Wheatley (2002)
- Jude Bolton (2002)
- Brett Kirk (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 (2007)
- David Walliams (2007)
- Daryl Braithwaite (2007)
Theme
The Neighbours theme music was written by Tony Hatch with lyrics by his then wife, Jackie Trent. Since 1985 there have been five 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)
Each version has received during its stint some minor changes to keep it 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 an unedited version.
The opening theme of version two changed frequently: for part of 1990 there was a full length song, however, mid-way through 1990 this changed to a 10-second instrumental piece used in episode 1 for a few weeks, before being replaced by a vocal version of the same short piece until version three debuted in mid-1992.
Version three used a funky 23 second opening song until 1994 when a slightly longer piece was implemented. This piece was used as a closing theme for United Kingdom broadcasts from 1995 onwards, despite the original full version being retained in Australia.
Version four debuted in 1999, again with a shortened theme for UK transmission. The only changes made to the full-length closing theme during this era was the removal of the backing line "that's when good" from mid-2000 onwards, although this remained outside of Australia.
Version five again used a shorter piece of closing music for the UK market, with the rest of the world using the same 76 second variant.
During 2005, producers of the programme suggested there would be a new theme tune the following year with new opening titles to match. Ultimately, only a slightly remixed theme tune debuted, alongside new titles. All markets began transmitting the same 45 second edited version of the closing theme (UK broadcasts retained the previous 35 second arrangement for a few weeks). However, by mid-2006, the UK had received a slightly edited version of the new closing bringing it back in line with the 35 seconds allowed by the BBC, whilst Australia had gone back to a near-full length track, albeit with minor edits at various sections to keep running time to a minimum. The opening theme has remained unchanged throughout this run.
A new theme tune has been confirmed to debut on July 23rd 2007 as part of a revamp of the show.
Locations
Neighbours is taped in Melbourne. Interior scenes are taped at the Global Television studios in Nunawading, 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 has been used for outdoor taping to represent the fictional Ramsay Street through the programme's entire run, including the episodes produced by the Seven Network.
In the story Ramsay Street is situated in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough. Throughout most of the series' run it has not particularly been implied which city of Australia the suburb was set in. Occasionally, however, evidence appears on screen and in dialogue that suggests that Erinsborough is a suburb of Melbourne. In 1997 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 also been several guest appearances by AFL players, and Melbourne landmarks and features can be identified in some scenes outside of Ramsay Street.
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 aired 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, Michael Parkinson, Jonathan Coleman, Julian Clary and Sinitta.
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
- ^ http://televisionau.siv.net.au/2000.htm#2007"
- ^ 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
- ^ Moran, Albert. Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, Allen & Unwin, 1993. ISBN 0-642-18462-3 p 313
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 208
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 208-9
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 209
- ^ 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
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 231
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 218-9
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 223
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 231
- ^ Dowell, Ben (18 May 2007), "BBC loses Neighbours", Guardian Unlimited
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "'Neighbours' ratings a cause for concern." Digital Spy. 18 March 2007. Accessed 19 May 2007. [1]
- ^ http://www.neighboursfans.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=16230 Reviving Ramsay Street, from NF.com
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 211
- ^ Holmworth, Leigh. Neighbours could air on BBC3, Media Guardian 12th July 2006 12:15pm BST
- ^ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/programming/a45467/report-itv-makes-gbp20m-bid-for-neighbours.html. Digital Spy 19 April 2007
- ^ BBC threatens to drop Neighbours. BBC News, 26 April 2007.
- ^ BBC close to losing 'Neighbours' 26 April
- ^ Over 4,000 sign petition to keep 'Neighbours' on the BBC 30 April
- ^ Neighbours To Move? Daily Mirror, 5 May
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6669769.stm
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/programming/a57994/five.html
- ^ Spoilers June 25-29 from NF.com
- ^ Spoilers July 2-6 from NF.com
- ^ a b c d e f g Perfect Blend spoilers
- ^ TV Tonight - Back to the Street
- ^ Spoilers June 25-29 from NF.com
- ^ a b c Spoilers July 9-13 from NF.com
- ^ Claudine Henningsen's departure (Kerry Mangel)
- ^ http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=68113
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4484202.stm