The long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours has been saved by Amazon’s Freevee after it was axed June following its funding being pulled.
Thousands of episodes from prior seasons will also be available on the streamer before the new season premieres.
The upcoming season is a continuation of the daily drama series about the struggles, loves and lives of the people who live on Ramsay Street in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough, Australia. Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney and Jackie Woodburne are expected to reprise their roles in the continuation of the season finale of the show.
After 37 years, the daily program ended in June on Channel 5 in the U.K. and Network 10 in Australia after U.K.’s Channel 5 network withdrew its funding. Network 10 and Fremantle relied on a British co-funder to keep it going because running a daily drama is expensive.
“Neighbours has captivated its audience for nearly 40 years, building a dedicated and loyal following for the lives and stories of the characters on Ramsay Street,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming for Amazon Studios. “With the power of streaming, we’re able to offer a catalogue of thousands of Neighbours episodes for new audiences to discover this legendary series and current fans to relive their favorite moments. We look forward to immersing the audience in new Ramsay Street experiences when we relaunch the show next year for Amazon Freevee and Prime Video customers.”
“Neighbours is a unique series with a powerful connection with its fans across the world. We cherish the show and all those who have been part of its incredible story over many decades, so we are thrilled that we have found a new home with Amazon Freevee,” said Jennifer Mullin, global CEO for Fremantle. Thanks to the innovative Amazon Freevee platform, many classic episodes will be available to fans, and Neighbours will go back into full production in Australia early next year, providing our fans with new episodes. This partnership with Amazon Freevee marks an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to collaborating with them, along with our long-term and valued partner in Australia, Network 10.”
