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Neighbours reportedly axed - XIII - 06-02-2022
It does sound like ViacomCBS decided to walk. The contract for Neighbours isn't cheap and Channel 5 can use the money freed up from not paying for Neighbours for more original drama.
Home and Away is a life of series contract so Channel 5 has to air it but I suspect that they may end up making it a 5Star exclusive in the future.
Neighbours reportedly axed - This is UTV - 06-02-2022
The Network 10 quote is very interesting...
“Network 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available.”
Or in other words this is Network 10 saying in a round about way, (just like I said up thread),
"Network 10 has a forced commitment to make local Aussie drama, and rather than having to start from scratch on something else we’d rather continue with the status quo and Neighbours just as long as a UK broadcaster can fund the majority of its production for us"
Neighbours reportedly axed - Brekkie - 06-02-2022
That's a bit unfair This is UTV. Most drama is co-funded across countries nowadays - in the UK out of the soaps channels will rarely fund anything 100% nowadays.
adamiow post_id=67250 time= user_id=1277 Wrote:Given the schedule in Australia, I wonder if any potential new deal will be for 4 episodes a week rather than 5 to cut costs.4 episodes a week makes sense now as 10 clearly knew C5 may give up mid-year and 4 episodes stretches out the episodes a bit further and gives them more time to find a solution.
The drama quota won't worry Ten too much - they seem to have more local drama than Nine, who have no soap, already.
Neighbours reportedly axed - Jez_CymruWales - 06-02-2022
Sad news but I'm not surprised. I don't think Chanel 5 have been happy with it for a while. Something didn't seem right the last time Neighbours contract came up for renewal and there was a last minute deal to keep it on air? Also they dropped behind the Australian broadcasts for the best part of 2 years before catching up and now are ahead of Australia.
The story of Neighbours facing the axe seems to do the rounds every few years, but this time it really does seem like its true with Channel 5 not renewing the contract and dropping Neighbours from this Summer. As Channel 5 pay a huge amount of the production costs and the show would not be able to survive without them I cant see where they can go from here. Unless they can find another broadcaster to take on the show which would be a big ask as its not just buying the show its taking on production of a show that appears to be making a loss.
Neighbours is a shadow of the show it was in the late 80s and early 90s when it gave the UK soaps a run for their money in terms of quality and ratings. Until Neighbours came along the Aussie soaps were just used as cheap fillers in the UK mostly by ITV in the afternoons, the BBC did the same with Neighbours until they discovered how popular it was moved the repeat to 5.35pm. Unfortunately over time it has been a victim of its own success.
Home and Away has a lifetime deal with Channel 5 so they themselves cant axe it. It does okay in the ratings and they are probably quite happy to keep it on 5* and then at lunchtimes on channel 5 just to fill a slot (what the Aussie soaps were used for back in the day on ITV and BBC I think) I cant see it returning to 6pm on Channel 5 either.
Neighbours reportedly axed - This is UTV - 06-02-2022
Brekkie post_id=67264 time= user_id=976 Wrote:That's a bit unfair This is UTV. Most drama is co-funded across countries nowadays - in the UK out of the soaps channels will rarely fund anything 100% nowadays.
But it's unfortunately true. Network 10 have said in a round about way "We can't afford it pay for it on our own, but want it to continue" with fingers crossed behind their back as they speak.
10 are stuck between a rock and a hard place. It's almost like a cry for help by 10 to find a new UK sugar daddy to fund the show.
For what it's worth, I seriously think the BBC should be the fall back for this if no one else comes forward.
The death nail for Neighbours is not C5 axing it, the thing that will really kill it off is if the Aussie regulator drops its quotas for local Aus made drama. At that point Network 10 will charge its stance on the show.
Neighbours reportedly axed - Brekkie - 06-02-2022
There must be some sort of get out of the Home and Away contract if needed surely. Nobody signs a contract you can never ever get out of - not even on their wedding day.
Although gutting for Neighbours this is good news for British drama. There is no doubt that C5 have been punching above their weight with their entry into the drama market over the last couple of years with both critical and ratings success - just read that The Teacher this week has outrated The Responder on BBC1. Makes much more sense for a channel to throw money at 9pm than 6pm.
Neighbours reportedly axed - GaryMcEwan - 06-02-2022
If C5 do look to drop it, I wonder if some of the streaming services like Prime Video or Apple TV could step in, especially if 10 are looking for a new production partner seeing as Amazon already produce their own content.
Neighbours reportedly axed - Jez_CymruWales - 06-02-2022
Brekkie post_id=67268 time= user_id=976 Wrote:There must be some sort of get out of the Home and Away contract if needed surely. Nobody signs a contract you can never ever get out of - not even on their wedding day.
Although gutting for Neighbours this is good news for British drama. There is no doubt that C5 have been punching above their weight with their entry into the drama market over the last couple of years with both critical and ratings success - just read that The Teacher this week has outrated The Responder on BBC1. Makes much more sense for a channel to throw money at 9pm than 6pm.
Im not sure if there is a get out for Home and Away. From what I understand, as long as the show remains in production Channel 5 are obliged to screen it even if they were to show it at 4am! At the time getting Home and Away from ITV was a big thing, it was one of the most popular soaps on tv in the late 1990s, did very well on ITV. Channel 5 may have signed the contract assuming it would be as big a success for them, which to be fair for a good while it was very popular on Channel 5.
Channel 5 pay a lot less for Home and Away than they do for Neighbours. They probabaly see Home and Away as something which costs very little to fill a slot a day on Channel 5 and also on 5* .
Regarding Neighbours, i cant see the BBC being interested again. They have Doctors and plenty of other short term dramas for the afternoons. Pointless seems to do well at teatime. Its a big ask to effectively ask a UK broadcaster to fund an Aussie soap when there is very little in it for them.
Neighbours reportedly axed - lobster - 06-02-2022
There is absolutely no way on gods earth this should be on the BBC and propped up by a public service broadcaster in the UK.
In many respects, Neighbours and Home and Away were zeitgeists - in the late 1980s to mid 1990 Australian culture seemed hip and curious to us in the UK - a bit like us, but better weather, better scenery and well, just everything looked better, and cooler than the rather wet feeling emmerdale or other early evening uk soaps had, and the programmes had a healthy cult following of teenagers, even breaking some boundaries at the time - but just how long can these things last without recycling the same old storylines or wondering into the absurd?
I think sometimes shows just come to a natural end, it’s been a good run, but I can’t see how it will ever gain more viewers, it’s too bland and banal, we live in a different world now. Just needs putting out of its misery.
Neighbours reportedly axed - AJB39 - 06-02-2022
Home and Away is in a very different position in Australia then Neighbours . Home and Away is on the main Seven network and still gets decent ratings for its six episodes a week. It would be able to continue regardless of whether C5 decided to pay to show it. Neighbours on the other hand is on a digital offshoot channel, has a much smaller audience in Australia and as we know is heavily dependent on C5 to fund it’s production costs.
Neighbours reportedly axed - This is UTV - 06-02-2022
lobster post_id=67279 time= user_id=890 Wrote:I think sometimes shows just come to a natural end, it’s been a good run, but I can’t see how it will ever gain more viewers, it’s too bland and banal, we live in a different world now. Just needs putting out of its misery.
The exact same phrase can and should be said about Eastenders too, which started in 1985 just like Neighbours, however it seems to be 'at any cost' to the BBC it will continue.
I find it intriguing that this week THREE said it was looking for a new soap, about young people and Neighbours fits the bill.
Why take the 'Night & Day risk' of starting a soap from scratch only for it to flop in spectacular style.
A new soap you are starting from 0 viewers. Neighbours you are starting from over 1 million from the get go.
Channel 4 at 5:30pm might be a good punt also. Will defo steal eyeballs away from Channel 5's excruciating painful hour long news. With an E4 first look at 6pm?
As for poor old Rte in all of this. Innocent bystanders
while Channel 5 are creating a hole in both Rte one and two and Rte have just to accept it.
Neighbours reportedly axed - James2001 - 06-02-2022
No other UK channel is going to pick up Neighbours, the interest isn't there any more. Doubly so because they'd need to pretty much fund the production out of their own pockets.
Neighbours reportedly axed - Humphrey Hacker - 06-02-2022
I can't see a streaming service taking up Neighbours TBH. I don't know how many UK viewers the show gets but I can't see many forking out extra just to keep up.
Neighbours reportedly axed - lobster - 06-02-2022
What is the demographic breakdown of Neighbours viewers though? I was always of the opinion that a great many of them were GenXers who used to watch it as teenagers, rather than actual teenagers?
Neighbours reportedly axed - RDJ - 06-02-2022
Now being reported by the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60277939