The Neighbours Thread

[Simon R]

How blatant a quick replacement character is Will's brother? You can bet your bottom dollar that he's been given all of Will's lines and storylines and was probably second in-line to play Will in the first place.

[Milky Tears]

Rumours kicking about for months, but it looks like Neighbours could be leaving BBC1 soon.

"The BBC is on the brink of withdrawing from negotiations to buy Neighbours and has labelled distributor Fremantle Media's demands as "unrealistic and greedy".

"BBC director of acquisitions George McGhee said: "If a deal is not reached in the very, very near future, we will withdraw the money and move it elsewhere...

"It has been reported that the BBC, which currently pays around 25,000 an episode, offered in the region of 70,000 an episode and hoped to spin the show out on to BBC3. This was rejected by Fremantle...

"ITV has made an offer said to be 80,000 an episode, but is also understood to be frustrated with the terms Fremantle has come back with...

"Five is also said to be interested.

"McGhee said: "The ball is in Fremantle's court. If the other offers had worked out better for them, we would have heard. We've made a good offer which is about to be withdrawn."

"A Fremantle spokesman said: "Fremantle Media's contract with the BBC is coming to an end and renegotiations are ongoing. Because of this we are unable to comment further."

I hope the BBC are as petty as ITV were when Home and Away went to Five. Looking forward to Neighbours being axed within 18 months.

More about it on The Stage TV Today blog thingy as well:

http://www.thestage.co.uk/tvtoday/20...xpensive_1.php

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...065867,00.html

BBC close to losing Neighbours
Ben Dowell
Thursday April 26, 2007
MediaGuardian.co.uk


The BBC is on the verge of losing its daytime ratings banker Neighbours, with corporation insiders attacking the show's distributor for "unrealistic and greedy" demands.

BBC executives are understood to be seething with Fremantle, the RTL subsidiary that distributes Neighbours, and admit that contract renewal negotiations for the long-running Australian soap are on the verge of collapse.

Fremantle is believed to have demanded an increase on the current rate of around 25,000 for each episode of Neighbours to more than 70,000 during six months of talks with the corporation.

The BBC is understood to have told Fremantle that they are free to talk to other broadcasters, insisting that their UK rivals would be "foolish" to agree to the distributor's "unrealistic and greedy" demands.

"Fremantle have fannied about for so long and this has been highly unprofessional," a BBC source said.

"What they don't appear to understand is that this is a daytime soap opera, not a peak time drama, and if they can get the money they want then good luck to them but it would be damaging to them," the insider added.

"They may get that money but they have damaged their credibility with the way they have behaved.

"They also don't seem to realise that one of the reasons the show has the status it does in Australia is that it is shown on the BBC. Let them see what happens if it goes elsewhere."

The loss of Neighbours would be a huge blow to the BBC1 schedule, where it pulls in around 3 million viewers for its 1.35pm lunchtime repeat and around 2.6 million for its 5.35pm episode.

Love the "fannied about" quote.


Is Michael Grade still stuck in the late 1980s? He'll be poaching Brucie, offering Wogan a chatshow and bringing back Albion Market to fill that tricky Tuesday/Thursday 7:30pm slot next.

[Pip Madeley]

They could show old episodes of Doctor Who in the 5.35pm slot after Newsround, kids would love it.

[Milky Tears]

I think you should get in touch with Points of View, Pip. 'The Krotons' after Newsround would be awesome.

[Pip Madeley]

'The Dominators' would fit the weekday schedule better. Si Hart would love that.

[SiHart]

I wouldn't be rushing home from work to watch that.

Si xx

[Simon R]

It'll be a real shame if it leaves BBC 1 though I don't blame them for not wanting to pay that much for it! Channel 5 would be better than ITV. They seem to treat Homo & Gay alright. Don't they do an omnibus too?

[Simon R]

We just stumbled across a Neighby-dayby-do-dahs spoiler by mistake when looking for "Sons and Daughters" on you tube. We didn't look in detail or watch the clip and it might not be genuine as you get all kinds of trickery fakery on there but if true then there's a death looming in Erinsborough...

[Pip Madeley]

Everybody needs good Neighbours... even the BBC. But its contract with the Australian soap expires at the end of 2008, and the broadcaster could soon withdraw from negotiations after publicly denouncing the show's producers, Freemantle Media, for trying to up the price. BBC currently pays 25,000 per episode of the iconic soap, but Fremantle is allegedly demanding 100,000 per show, a figure which the BBC calls "unrealistic and greedy". ITV is believed to be in advanced negotiations to poach to soap, which means it could soon be moving over to meet its new neighbours in ITV's daytime line-up.

But it's not a done deal just yet - the show’s 22-year legacy means that just about everyone in the UK has watched at least a few episodes and has good memories of Neighbours on the BBC – whether its rushing home from school to watch early episodes, or crying over classic moments like Scott and Charlene's wedding, Harold Bishop's disappearance or Helen Daniel's death. Neighbours also introduced UK audiences to classic Aussie phrases like 'sanga' (that's a sandwich, non-Neighbours fans), 'ute' and 'rack off', and everybody knows the theme tune. In short, Neighbours belongs at the BBC.

The broadcaster will lose much more than a tired Aussie soap that's seen better days if it doesn't renew it's contract - it'll lose 22 years of memories and the goodwill that goes hand in hand with a long-running, feel-good show like Neighbours.

100,000 for a 25 minute programme? That's silly money!

[Milky Tears]

Nice kiss in Friday's episode.


Latest news from The Mirror (through Digital Spy):

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcas...otiations.html

BBC pulls out of 'Neighbours' negotiations?
Saturday, May 5 2007, 10:33 BST
By Daniel Kilkelly

BBC chiefs have pulled out of negotiations for Australian soap Neighbours, according to a report in The Mirror today.

The show will now leave BBC screens next year after distributor Fremantle refused to accept the corporation's offer of 70,000 per episode, instead demanding that executives match ITV's bid of 104,000.

It is now believed that the bidding war for the soap will continue between ITV and Five. ITV are keen to secure a daytime hit after struggling since Paul O'Grady defected to Channel 4 in 2006, while Five are hoping to create an Aussie soap hour by running Neighbours and Home and Away back-to-back.

A BBC insider told the newspaper: "We made a very generous offer and we were very disappointed when they went off in search of more cash. It shows how greedy they are. There is no hope of us keeping the programme in the face of such fierce competition from the commercial channels.

"We can't pay over the odds for it because it is licence fee money - but what we did offer was very reasonable given the current market rates. It is very sad."

[Dave Tudor]

I saw a bit of yesterday's episode and caught what appeared to be top lady love action going down.

[Milky Tears]

Pepper's baps were on display again, weren't they?

[Dave Tudor]

I know! I was shocked to my pervy core!

Norks in Neighbours? Whatever would Mrs. Mangel have said?

[Milky Tears]

Loads of "lesbian" and young folk in skimpy underwear in today's episode.

[SiHart]

Naughty Boyd. I'm so disappointed in him.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

The character of Boyd, well disguised by his enviable good looks and physique, is actually that of an absolute pig, and this latest storyline isn't out of character for him. I can't believe Janae has effectively given him license to spend two weeks f**king that bird with big lips and then resume his happy marriage! It should be a trap - at the end of it she should say "no. If you loved me, you wouldn't have gone near her".

And then he'll be gone. But we'll always have that episode where Boyd taught Dylan self-defence and they wrestled around topless for a whole scene.




Sorry, where am I again?

Si.

[Captain Tancredi]

I gave up when Bryony left- it just wasn't the same.

On reflection, I'm not sure her name was Bryony, but it was something like that. Trouble is, the moment you try to describe any of the younger cast of Neighbours- blonde, twentysomething, etc., you're describing them all...

[Captain Tancredi]

Bronwyn! That's who it was!

Three hours of subconscious thought, that took. Oooh, Bronwyn was nice...

[Milky Tears]

Breaking News from Media Guardian:

1.30pm: BBC1 controller Peter Fincham has confirmed that the BBC has lost Neighbours after 21 years. More follows...

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...083026,00.html

BBC loses Neighbours
Ben Dowell
Friday May 18, 2007
MediaGuardian.co.uk

The BBC1 controller, Peter Fincham, has confirmed that the BBC has lost its daytime ratings banker Neighbours after 21 years on the network.

Mr Fincham broke the news that the corporation had lost the soap on BBC1's One O'Clock news bulletin today.

The loss of Neighbours will deal a huge blow to the BBC1 schedule, where it pulls in around 3 million viewers for its 1.35pm lunchtime showing and around 2.6 million for its 5.35pm repeat.

It also marks the end of an era - Neighbours has been broadcast on BBC1 since 1986.

The announcement follows heated negotiations between the BBC and Fremantle, the RTL subsidiary that distributes Neighbours.

Corporation have insiders attacked the show's distributor for "unrealistic and greedy" demands during the negotiations.

A senior BBC insider said today: "They were asking for 300m over eight years. It's just too much. We couldn't justify that price tag."

It is not yet clear where the soap will end up, but ITV and Channel Five are understood to be bidding for the show.

Neighbours would plug a hole in ITV1's afternoon schedule, which has struggled since the loss of Home and Away to Five and the defection of Paul O'Grady to Channel 4.

Neighbours could also be used on ITV2, which is also looking for a "teen-oriented soap".

ITV could follow the lead of Five, which runs Home and Away on its main network at 6pm, then gives viewers a first look at the next episode immediately afterwards on digital channel Five Life.

Great day for Fincham and BBC soaps. EastEnders hit its second lowest audience last night as well.

[SiHart]

Oh my.

Si xx

[Matthew T]

It's gone to Channel 5.

[Simon R]

What a shame.

We all saw it coming but I for one hoped there'd be a "it was never in doubt that we'd secure Neighbours" sort of comment from the Beeb and the whole thing would be a publicity stunt.

It took about a year between "Home and Away" finishing on ITV and starting on 5. If that happens with "Neighbydeighbydo-dahs" it'll be like the olden days when the UK was 18 months behind Australia.

I don't blame the Beeb for turning it down at that price but it's a shame. 21 years...

[Milky Tears]

Gives me an excuse to finally stop watching it.

[Martin Penny]

If Five do an omnibus I'm all for the move, I never get to see Neighbours anymore.

[Pip Madeley]

The viewing figures have dropped so much (from 19m to a combined 5m), you can understand the Beeb's reluctance to pay so much for it...

Scott and Charlene's wedding (1988) - 19.1m
Charlene leaves (1989) - 18.4m
Henry Robinson leaves (1991) - 16.6m
Jim Robinson knocks the fruit bowl over and dies (1994) - 15.1m
Harold Bishop returns from the dead (1997) - 10.3m
Helen Daniels dies while watching Scott and Charlene's wedding video (1998) - 10.1m
Susan and Karl divorce (2004) - 5.8m
Lassiters plane crash (2006) - 6.75m
Izzy leaves, hiding her pregnancy (2006) - 5.6m

Only 700,000 people actually watch it in Australia...