Neighbours

[adamiow]

Just seen that Neighbours is reducing to 4 days a week in Australia to allow the UK to catch up and in light of the current COVID 19 situation in Australia.

Woman's Day have also suggested that the show may be under threat with ratings concerns and the cast on short contracts in light of the uncertainty.

The figures are a bit off in the article - currently, the lunch time airing on Channel 5 is averaging around 800k to 900k.

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/t...ding-68463

[Meridian MR]

Apparently it's also because the programme rates very low on Fridays on Ten Peach.
Home and Away has only aired Mondays to Thursdays in Australia for a while now, for the same reason of low Friday ratings (although they show 2 episodes on Thursdays instead, so there are still 5 a week).

Yes, a bonus is that it gets the UK closer to Australia broadcasts - after Channel 5 let us slip behind by about a month last year - but I'm sure that won't be Ten's main reasoning for making this change.

There is always speculation that Channel 5 won't be renewing it. I hope they do, as it's my favorite soap! I've watched it since I was a young child and I've done the Ramsay Street tour twice. :!:

[Brekkie]

He was more famous as Shane in Home and Away in the 90s but also featured on Neighbours a few years back - sad and shocking to read about the death of Dieter Brummer aged just 45.

https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/07/vale-di...ummer.html

[TomJ]

After several months without a sponsor, a new deal with Specsavers has started today, with ads appearing on My 5.

They're pretty impressive, with an actor added into archive scenes from the '80s and '90s. And the 4:3 footage isn't even stretched or squashed!

https://youtu.be/MHrAg8OjvnU

https://youtu.be/aWb53u4q1Lc

[JasonB]

Very cleverly edited together. Makes you wonder how they obtained those scenes from those era’s, as I thought BBC had rights up to 2008?

[This is UTV]

Very good idea of Specsavers to use 'classic' Neighbours clips! As well as the 2 above, there's also a Madge bumper, and Lance and Phil Martin answering the front door.

I'm hoping for a Mrs Mangle peeking through the net curtains at the Specsavers woman on her driveway!

The only trouble with these classic clips, even in these quick 10 seconds or so, it just shows how worlds away modern day Neighbours is compared to the good old days!! It's like a different programme altogether now.

Since the UK Gold/UKTV Gold/G.O.L.D (go on laugh daily) days, we've not seen a run of classic eps...maybe Drama or Great! TV should start back from 1985 again?

[JasonB]

The set Harold is in is the original Number 32 living room which seems to no longer exist these days.

[Brekkie]

As a non-regular viewer certainly since C5 took it over whenever I do catch it now none of the sets look familar as supposedly being the same place as the houses from the 90s.

[JasonB]

As a non-regular viewer certainly since C5 took it over whenever I do catch it now none of the sets look familar as supposedly being the same place as the houses from the 90s.

When watching episodes from the 80’s and 90’s, they positioned windows and doors on the sets in place to match the exteriors of the houses, nowadays I don’t think they do that. The set of Number 32 has changed a lot and they made out that Troy was responsible for the changes when Jane first came back.

[Brekkie]

I think many were changed when production moved to a new backlot, as were the rear gardens which are noticeably smaller. Not sure if previously they filmed in the real gardens.

[DJ Dave]

Yeah they use to use the real garden back in what 2002 when Harold lived their with Sky and Boyd etc all using the pool, I think Susan and Karl's hasn't changed much apart from the décor? I haven't seen it in years, apart from channel hopping.

[JasonB]

Yeah they use to use the real garden back in what 2002 when Harold lived their with Sky and Boyd etc all using the pool, I think Susan and Karl's hasn't changed much apart from the décor? I haven't seen it in years, apart from channel hopping.

I think Karl and Susan’s was the recent refurbishment in 2018 or 2019 when Karl’s sister came to stay. There was a scene with Harold standing on the deck of Number 3 Pin Oak Court (Number 30) in 2015 which was filmed from the inside of the property, it had just sold then so it may have still been empty.

[This is UTV]

This appears to be the full set of 'Classic Neighbours' Specsavers sponsorship ads. Only the first 4 have been seen on Channel 5 so far I believe.

Lots of repetition of characters opening the front door to the Specsavers woman!

https://mobile.twitter.com/rapsta84/stat...7765244932