The Neighbours Thread

[Captain Tancredi]

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...



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

In a country with a 14-16 million population- the equivalent would be about 3 million over here.

[Carol Baynes]

How the mighty have fallen. "Neighbours" was the programme circa 1988, and even before then it had seriously cool cult status amongst us school kids).

Does Paul Robinson ever mention his family by the way? I saw it last night when I got back from work a bit earlier and it looks like his daughter is in it (again) as a grown up.

[Si Hunt]

Yes, Paul's family (and wife Gail) are mentioned and appear from time to time. There was a big recent storyline with his rogue son and his daughter is currently a regular. Gail is also returning again shortly.

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...

Sorry, but this is not a very fair comment at all Pip! The top figure you cite was from an era when not only were viewing figures higher than today (twenty years later) but "Neighbours" was also briefly a nationwide phenomenon. You couldn't ever get a show keeping up that kind of profile for twenty years.

"Neighbours" gets brilliant ratings for its timeslot, and the BBC fought very hard to keep it. The BBC are happy with paying millions for Doctor Who to get 7m for thirteen weeks a year - well "Neighbours" wins them half that EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, and is completely unpromoted and unpublicised. They don't trail it, they don't act as if they are proud of it, when the 20th anniversary came round it was barely mentioned! And yet it still gets half Who's rating every day in a slot when most people are at work!

To say the ratings arn't what they were is like saying Doctor Who gets half what it did in the Hinchcliffe Years - because you just can't get ratings like that today. The reason the BBC pulled out, after trying very hard to renew it, was that Freemantle wanted 300m, over three times what they currently get for it! It was simply unjustifiable to license fee payers. That was why they were reluctant to pay for it.

Si.

[SiHart]

It's odd that the owners of Freemantle who distribute it are also the owners of Channel 5... Could it be a coincidence? Hmmm?

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

It's odd that this story is being reported on DS today:

Neighbours' storylines are to be "refocused" after the Australian soap suffered a rating dip down under.

The popular soap is pulling in fewer than 700,000 viewers in its 6.30pm slot on Australia's Network Ten.

Network Ten's drama executive Dan Bennett told Australia's Daily Telegraph: "Certainly, the figures we're getting now aren't a great basis for our night-time schedule.

"Storylines are going to be refocused on what has quintessentially been at the heart of Neighbours: relationships and family dynamics."

However, Neighbours' executive producer Ric Pellizzeri insisted that the soap's future is secure, saying: "No, it's not broke. I think that's being a little over-dramatic. You're constantly trying to bring life to the programme. It's a process of evolution, not a process of panic where we're trying to fix things up.''

It seems to be a re-hash of a story they ran a few months ago. Anyway, surely "Neighbours" CAN'T be axed now, without someone losing a lot of money - Five have just pledged 300m to show it for seven years. Us Brits must surely be paying for its entire production by now - Oz must be getting it free. If it got axed, it must be financially favourable for them to keep making it just to sell to us!

Si.

[SiHart]

Perfect Blend have been asking Five some questions about their recent aquisition of the show:

This week, we were given the opportunity to put some of those questions to Five's Managing Director of Content, Lisa Opie. As we suspected, it's still very early days in the whole process, but Lisa has kindly answered some of the most common queries for us...

Do you anticipate any kind of gap between the conclusion of Neighbours' broadcasts on the BBC, and their debut on Five?
We certainly hope not - we will start screening Neighbours as soon as we are contractually able, but we can't comment on the BBC's plans to schedule their remaining episodes.

Neighbours has been shown at 1:40pm and 5:35pm for almost twenty years now. Do you have any idea whether these timeslots will continue on Five?
Sorry but we can't tell you yet how we will be scheduling Neighbours because we don't get the programme until 2008. That said we know that a lot of Neighbours fans like to watch it in those slots so we will certainly take that into account.

Are you anticipating having any input into the content of storylines, as the BBC has been given in recent years?
We want the series to continue to flourish, we are looking forward to getting close to the production process and contributing ideas. But we will let the team continue to do the job that they do so well.

Will you be showing Neighbours on your digital channel Five Life, in the form of either 'day ahead' episodes or an omnibus? We will be playing Neighbours on Five Life but we haven't decided on the order or the slot. As soon as we can we will let you know what our plans are.

Do you intend to edit the episodes, either for content or to shorten the closing credits?
We have no specific plans for this. However the show will contain a central ad break - as it does when shown on Network Ten in Australia.

What are your plans, if any, to promote Neighbours, both in the weeks leading up to its arrival on Five, and once you're showing it, during important storylines?
We are really excited to have been able to acquire the programme and Neighbours will be much cherished by Five. At this stage we can't comment on specifics about promotion - but it is likely that when the show launches on Five it will be supported with a high-profile on- and off-air marketing campaign.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Says a lot but nothing!

I think it'll all be okay. We should fear more the onset of HD and hideous 'film' look, which is imminent (but would have been had it stayed on BBC1 too).

Si.

[Milky Tears]

They're pissing about in London right now. I fear that Bunton is imminent.

[SiHart]

It was really odd seeing them wandering round London, and even weirder meeting Emma. How often does that happen? I've been to London loads of times and I've never run into her!

Si x

[Si Hunt]

How did she know that ring was Karl's? It was obscure!

Si.

[Dave Tudor]

I've just heard a rumour that Nicky 'Pepper' Whelan is starring in this year's panto at the Shrewsbury Music Hall!

Get me front row seats!!!

[Si Hunt]

Sinitta's much-anticipated cameo appearance was a let down. In our dreams she wandered on in a bikini, big sunglasses and a hat with a metre-wide brim and delivered Izzy's baby while singing "Toy Boy".

Si.

[SiHart]

That was Sinitta? I never realised!

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

She was eclipsed by the gigantic shadow of Jono Coleman.

Si.

[Milky Tears]

Dear Points Of View,

These London episodes really are a pile of bloody toot, aren't they? I'm glad the BBC are no longer wasting my TV Tax on this nonsense, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc...

[Si Hunt]

It's a shame for womankind that the real experience of labour isn't as easy as on "Neighbours". Ooh, her waters broke! Five minutes later, a clean four-year old child has joined the world. None of that seventeen hours of sweating and trying to force a screaming ten pound mass of placenta covered baby through her fanny for Izzy.

Si.

[Simon R]

Is that Dylan gone then? He's due to leave and you could see him not coming back. Why on earth did they ever invent the other Timmin's brothers if they're never actually going to be brought into the show? You can see why they have to make lame excuses when departed cast members won't come back (like Malcolm Kennedy being away in Paris during Karl and Susan's wedding) but as if Stingray's brothers wouldn't come to his funeral. Where was the Grandmother who's name I can't remember? A very "Neighbours" moment with the silly skateboarders.

[Fatso the wombat]

The only viable solution is to have the funeral happen off-screen, as happened with either Jim or Helen's (I forget which), so that you can refer to a character having been there in dialogue - Scott, Charlene & sprogs in that case - but that it "was a shame they had to go back so quick".

[SiHart]

I hope Si enjoyed the arrival of iconic Rowena Wallace today!

Si xx

[Simon R]

Neighbours Night on BBC3...

BBC Three is set to screen five half-hour documentaries on Neighbours, with input from cast members, past and present, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.

The special can be seen on Saturday 14th July from 8.30pm, and details of the five, individually-themed episodes are as follows:


..

"In ‘Everybody Needs Good Neighbours’ the story of Neighbours is told from the very beginning, how the series came to the UK, and looking at just why the series has become such a global hit.
‘The Talent of Ramsay Street’ recalls all the eye-catching and head turning totty who have graced Erinsborough over the years, and takes an exclusive Neighbours-eye view into unique acting classes held by the production to further their acting talent.
‘Neighbours Rule UK’ catches up with some familiar faces of the past such as Craig McLachlan and Anne Charleston have lived and worked in the UK, but for whom Neighbours is never far behind…
‘Here’s to You Mr Robinson’ joins the legendary Paul Robinson (aka Stefan Dennis) for a day in his marital life, joining him on set on the day of his fateful marriage to Lyn and wondering just why this loveable rogue is such a hit with the ladies.
And finally, ‘Life, Death and Neighbours’ recalls the biggest, the best, the sad and the shocking moments of over 20 years of Ramsay Street, that has seen more death, disaster and heartache than you have had hot barbies."

Bit of random timing but better than a smack in the face with wet salmon.

[Milky Tears]

They probably made them when those rumours of BBC Three exclusives/"they're showing the 'London episodes'" were kicking about months ago. The Paul and Lyn one must've been recorded last year.

Shame Five nabbed the rights and spoiled it all.


More info at the link below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/listin...ervice_id=4288

[Si Hunt]

Did anyone watch the 5.35pm edition of "Neighbours" yesterday (Thursday)? If so, can you confirm whether or not transmission switched to BBC2 for 5 minutes mid-episode? It was either the BBC or our DVD recorder at fault, I'm only hoping it was the former!

Si.

[SiHart]

As it happened here too, I'd guess the BBC were at fault. I looked round the regions on our Sky box too, and they all had the same fault too. You can stop worrying now Si!

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Hurrah! I feared the wretched thing would have to go back to Comet!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

Rowena Wallace's big reading glasses and stroke-victim acting have had me glued! I'm recording every scene!

Could this be the final end to the 'classic' logo after 22 years?



There was an outrageously rude scene last night where Zeke had to run away because he oggled Lolly in her bikini and was clearly having to "hide" something!

Si.