''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'' is a long-running Australian television soap opera created by television executive
Reg Watson
Reginald James Watson (27 August 1926 – 8 October 2019) was an Australian television producer and screenwriter. He was executive producer on ''Crossroads (British TV series), Crossroads'' and created Australian media exports serials such as ' ...
. It was first broadcast on the
Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel
10 Peach. Since its inception, several spin-offs have been produced, including books, music, DVDs and internet webisodes. Several annuals and books by pulp fiction writer Carl Ruhen were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Barry Crocker
Barry Hugh Crocker (born 4 November 1935
Official Barry Crocker website) is an Australian character actor, televisio ...
's version of the
theme tune
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
was the first music release from the show, which also has included a Christmas album and the show's
love theme
"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece written by Barry White in around 1965, and recorded and released as a single by White's The Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach No. 1 on ...
. Two potential television spin-offs have reached the pilot stage, while five DVD box sets of ''Neighbours'' episodes from the beginning have been released. In 2013, ''Neighbours'' launched their first
webisode
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
series ''
Steph in Prison''. Several other webisode series' has since been released, with the most recent series ''
SheilaTV'' becoming available from December 2018. Other merchandise includes official video and board games, stationary and clothing.
Books
Several fictional and non-fiction books about the show and its cast and characters have been released. During the 1980s, pulp fiction writer Carl Ruhen penned nine tie-in books. In 2005, four novellas based on characters from ''Neighbours'' were released.
The books were available to buy at
Australia Post
Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post o ...
outlets and on the internet.
Three of the four books focussed on the post-Ramsay Street lives of
Felicity (
Holly Valance
Holly Rachel Candy (; born 11 May 1983), known professionally as Holly Valance, is an Australian actress and singer. Valance began her acting career on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', as Felicity Scully (1999–2002, 2005, 2022). Sh ...
) and
Michelle Scully
Michelle Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Kate Keltie. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 October 1999 when she and her family moved into Ramsay Street ...
(
Kate Keltie
Kate Keltie (born 23 February 1986) is an Australian former actress, best known for her role as Michelle Scully in the Australian television soap opera drama '' Neighbours''.
Biography
Keltie was born in Melbourne. She appeared in a number of ...
),
Libby Kennedy
Libby Kennedy (also Kennedy-Fitzgerald) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Kym Valentine. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1994. Valentine auditioned for the r ...
(
Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine (born 24 May 1977) is an Australian actress best known for her long running intermittent portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera ''Neighbours.''
Early life
Valentine was born in Blacktown, Sydney, and grew up in Granville. ...
) and
Darren Stark
Darren Stark is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Todd MacDonald. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 July 1993 and was originally played by Scott Major. When the character was released from ...
(
Todd MacDonald
Todd MacDonald (born 1973 in British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian Australian actor who is best known for his roles on the soap opera '' Neighbours'' and the drama series ''The Secret Life of Us'' and '' Rush''.
MacDonald graduated in 1996 fro ...
), and
Jack Scully (
Jay Ryan) and
Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw he ...
(
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive week ...
). The fourth novel centred on
Liljana (
Marcella Russo
Marcella Russo (born 4 May 1969) is an Australian actress who is best known for playing Liljana Bishop in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 2003 until 2005, when her character was killed off in the The plane crash (Neighbours), Neig ...
) and
David Bishop's (
Kevin Harrington) early relationship. Of the books, a spokeswoman said "It's different to what happens in the show; it's more like a fantasy of what happens, might have happened, in the show, they would take about an hour to read if you're a quick reader".
Fiction
Non-fiction
Home media
Episodes of ''Neighbours'' have been released on several VHS and DVDs starting in 1989. In 2012, three DVD box sets featuring the early episodes of ''Neighbours'' were released in Germany. From April 2012, Shock Entertainment began releasing DVD box sets of ''Neighbours'' episodes in broadcast order from the beginning.
As of October 2014, five box sets have been released.
VHS
DVD
Internet
''Neighbours official website is located at http://tenplay.com.au/channel-eleven/neighbours and is part of
Tenplay
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
, the official website of
Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
and its sister channels
One and
Eleven
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*'' ...
. The website contains information on the cast and characters, news, interviews, photos and a catch-up service. UK broadcaster
Channel 5 launched
Holy Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas '' Home and Away'' and '' Neighbours'', which are broadcast ...
in June 2010 as the official UK website for both ''Neighbours'' and ''
Home and Away
''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...
''. The website contained information about the cast and character profiles, and exclusive interviews. It also allowed viewers to watch full episodes of the shows. After the closure of Holy Soap, Channel 5 moved ''Neighbours'' to its new home at channel5.com.
In 2009, ''Neighbours'' became the first Australian series to establish
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
accounts for four of its characters;
Declan Napier
Declan Napier is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by James Sorensen from 2007 to 2010, and Erin Mullally from 2010 to 2011. In January 2010 it was announced that Sorensen had quit the role of ...
,
Donna Freedman
Donna Freedman (also Brown) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Margot Robbie. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2008. Donna was initially introduced as a gu ...
,
Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Sam Clark. Clark was given the role after he entered and won a '' Dolly'' magazine competition. He made his first screen appearance during the episode b ...
and
Zeke Kinski
Zeke Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Matthew Werkmeister. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 August 2005. Zeke is the son of Alex Kinski and the younger brother of Katya and Rache ...
.
The accounts sent daily updates to their followers, gave advice and talked to each other. The updates were "complementary to the show's on-air storylines" and
FremantleMedia Enterprises
Fremantle (; formerly FremantleMedia) is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by predecessor company All American Television in ...
vice-president of licensing Ben Liebmann believed it was a good way to get the audience to engage with the characters off-screen.
The messages were overseen by the Fremantle digital team, which integrated with the story department of the ''Neighbours'' production team.
In December 2012, ''Neighbours'' launched ''Amber's Blog'' on the official website. It featured
Amber Turner
Amber Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Jenna Rosenow. The actress, who had previously appeared in the show as an extra, successfully auditioned for the role of Amber and relocated to Melb ...
(Jenna Rosenow) documenting her family's move from
Mount Isa
Mount Isa ( ) is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive single mines in world history, bas ...
to
Erinsborough
Erinsborough is the fictional suburb where the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' is set. The show focuses on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the suburb. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the ...
ahead of their debut on-screen. The website later used the character of
Sheila Canning
Sheila Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Colette Mann. The character was teased by the show's executive producer Richard Jasek in January 2012. The following month Mann's casting was ann ...
(
Colette Mann
Colette Mann (born 17 February 1950) is an Australian actress, singer, TV and radio presenter, choreographer and author/writer and media personality, she has been in the entertainment industry for over 50 years.
Mann appeared in two Grundy Orga ...
) to document the week's events in a feature called "Sheila's Recap".
In 2014, ''Neighbours'' became the first Australian drama series to feature on-screen conversation-starter Twitter questions during each episode's three commercial breaks.
The questions were tweeted during each broadcast from the official ''Neighbours'' Twitter account, accompanied by a relevant photo from the storyline.
Tony Broderick, the head of TV Partnerships Australia, said "It's an impressive innovation from a TV series in its 30th season on air, and shows that the residents of Ramsay Street can still teach the television industry some new tricks."
The on-screen conversation-starter Twitter questions were later removed. On 16 March 2015, in honour of the show's 30th anniversary, Channel 5 released a webisode titled ''Harold Bishop: The Musical'', which sees cast members breaking into song to celebrate Harold's return. On 31 August, ahead of the show's first three-hander episode, a "digital-only bonus scene" was released featuring
Brad Willis (
Kip Gamblin
Kip Gamblin (born 5 July 1975) is an Australian ballet dancer and actor. From 2003 until 2005, Gamblin played Scott Hunter in ''Home and Away''. The part earned him the 2004 Logie Award for Most Popular New Male Talent. After moving to the UK, ...
) and
Lauren Turner
Lauren Turner (born May 8, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter from New Orleans, Louisiana. Turner placed in the top 12 girls on the tenth season of ''American Idol''.
Early life
Turner was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, was raised in ...
(
Kate Kendall
Kate Kendall (born 27 July 1973) is an Australian actress and director. She played Angie Piper in the long-running Nine Network Australian drama '' Stingers'' from 1998 to 2004. Kendall has appeared in television series '' The Librarians'' (20 ...
) discussing their feelings after they had sex.
A new online series, ''Neighbourshood'', was launched on 7 March 2016. It is a behind-the-scenes show presented by former ''Neighbours'' actor
Ben Nicholas. Episodes were uploaded to the official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
at the beginning of the week. A second 22-part series was commissioned in 2017. The format is similar to the previous series, with viewers meeting a different ''Neighbours'' cast member each week and shown various spoilers.
Webisodes
''Steph in Prison''
To coincide with
Stephanie Scully
Stephanie "Steph" Scully (also Hoyland) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Carla Bonner. She made her first screen appearance during the episode that was broadcast on 20 October 1999. Following Bonner ...
's (
Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner is an Australian actress, known for playing the role of Stephanie Scully in the soap opera ''Neighbours'', a role she played from 1999 to 2010. She was also a guest on '' Celebrity Big Brother Australia'' in 2002. Following her de ...
) return to ''Neighbours'' in April 2013, the serial released six webisodes on their YouTube channel that featured Steph talking to a psychiatrist (
Trudy Hellier
Trudy Hellier is an Australian actress, director and screenwriter with many television credits to her name.
Selected credits
She was a main star in the Australian television programs ''Round the Twist'' and ''Frontline''. She appeared on ' ...
) before her release from jail.
Steph talks through a variety of issues and explains that she is returning to
Erinsborough
Erinsborough is the fictional suburb where the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' is set. The show focuses on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the suburb. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the ...
for someone.
The webisodes also provide an insight into Steph's actions upon her return.
The webisodes were directed by former ''Neighbours'' actor
Scott Major
Scott Ian Major (born 4 July 1975) is an Australian actor and TV and film director, best known for his roles as Peter Rivers in the 1994 television teen drama series ''Heartbreak High'' and Lucas Fitzgerald in soap opera ''Neighbours''.
Career ...
.
He explained that being part of Steph's original exit storyline did not influence his approach to directing the webisodes.
He decided to film the webisodes in a different style to show viewers what it was like in Steph's head. He said "I wanted viewers to be a little uncomfortable, make them feel they were intruding on these private conversations."
''Brennan on the Run''
Mark Brennan's (
Scott McGregor) return to ''Neighbours'' in February 2014, was preceded by the webisode series ''Brennan on the Run'', which focused on his time in witness protection.
A trailer for the spin-off was also released.
The webisodes were interactive, with viewers able to choose the outcome of the story and take control of Brennan "as he faces challenges, dodges danger and encounters a little bit of romance".
Each webisode ended with a "yes" or "no" answer, which then took viewers to a different video in the style of a choose your own adventure.
The webisodes were shot using a
Red Scarlet camera by digital producer Ric Forster, which gave them "a different, edgier look and feel" compared to the main show.
Mark's girlfriend in the spin-off,
Sienna Matthews (
Sarah Roberts), was later introduced to ''Neighbours''. While his witness protection handler
Greta Jackson (Alexis Porter) made an appearance in September 2014. In the same month, ''Brennan on the Run'' was shown at the
Raindance Web Fest.
''Neighbours vs Zombies''
In March 2014, a new zombie webisode series was announced.
Digital producer Ric Forster pitched the idea of a zombie series featuring former characters in 2013. Upon learning about
Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
's Skip Ahead programme, which gives help with funding and resources, Forster contacted YouTube vlogger Louna Maroun to join the project.
Maroun commented "There's a huge fanbase for the zombie genre. It's so fresh and amazing that FremantleMedia are willing to do this sort of thing. It's just a fan dream."
Forster wanted ''Neighbours: Zombies on Ramsay Street'' to be different from ''Neighbours'', and said the visuals would reflect the dark nature of the story.
Scenes were shot in both interior and external locations. An abandoned hospital and Kennedy bedroom sets were specially created for the series.
Maroun appears as Hope Gottlieb, a former character who previously appeared in the show as a young child.
The storyline sees Hope teaming up with
Mason Turner
Mason Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Taylor Glockner. The actor previously auditioned for guest roles on the show, but the producers decided to develop a long-term character specificall ...
(
Taylor Glockner
Taylor Glockner (born 30 July 1991) is an Australian actor. Shortly after graduating from the Film and Television Studio International, he was cast as Boges in the television miniseries '' Conspiracy 365''. From 2013 to 2014, Glockner played Ma ...
) to try and stop a zombie invasion.
On 18 September 2014, it was confirmed that
Dan Paris
Daniel Paris (born 15 June 1973) is an Australian actor and photographer. He is best known for playing the role of Drew Kirk in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''.
Personal life
Paris was born in Perth, Western Australia and was raised ...
had reprised his role as
Drew Kirk
Andrew "Drew" Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Dan Paris. Following his decision to move into acting, Paris won the role of Drew after attending his first ever audition. He admitted that he in ...
for the series.
Paris was reunited with his former co-stars
Alan Fletcher and
Jackie Woodburne
Jacqueline Anne Woodburne (born 5 February 1956) is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress, who is notable for her roles in TV soap operas.
Since 1994, Woodburne has played teacher Susan Kennedy in ''Neighbours''. She first became notable for ...
who played Drew's in-laws
Karl Karl may refer to:
People
* Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne
* Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer
* Karl of Austria, last Austria ...
and
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy (also Smith and Kinski) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots ...
.
Of his return, Paris commented "This was just too much fun to pass up and it was great to see Alan and Jackie again, it was as if no time had passed – not unlike how a zombie feels I guess."
On 15 October, it was announced that actors
Ben Nicholas,
Kevin Harrington and Aaron Jakubenko would reprise their roles as
Stingray Timmins
Scott "Stingray" Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ben Nicholas. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 March 2004. Stingray was introduced as Toadfish Rebecc ...
,
David Bishop and
Robbo Slade
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel Eleven. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the soap in 2013, by order of first appear ...
respectively.
Many current cast members appear in the series including, Fletcher, Woodburne,
Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' since 1995.
Career
Moloney's first acting experience was with ...
(
Toadfish Rebecchi
Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi (commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie") is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
),
Josef Brown
Josef Brown (born 8 October 1969) is an Australian actor, dancer and choreographer. Brown attended The McDonald College of the Arts and the Australian Ballet School, where he was promoted to soloist in 1994. He joined the Sydney Dance Company ...
(
Matt Turner), Jenna Rosenow (Amber Turner),
Eve Morey
Eve Morey (born 4 June 1983) is an Australian actress. Her roles have included Lucy Green in '' Pig's Breakfast'' and Sonya Rebecchi in the soap opera '' Neighbours'', the latter role played from 2009 to 2022. She has also appeared in '' All Sai ...
(
Sonya Mitchell
Sonya Rebecchi (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Eve Morey. The actress auditioned for the role and began filming in June 2009. She made her first screen appearance during the epis ...
),
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis (born 30 October 1958) is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed ...
(
Paul Robinson) and Calen Mackenzie (
Bailey Turner
Bailey Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' played by Calen Mackenzie. The actor has previously appeared in the show as Thomas McPhee in 2011. Mackenzie auditioned for the role of Bailey and a week afte ...
). The five-part series made its debut on the ''Neighbours'' YouTube channel on 27 October.
James Brinsford for the ''
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
'' praised the series, saying "it is a fantastic coming together for Halloween and makes you wonder if it will catch on with British Soaps."
''Hey Piper''
Ahead of her first screen appearance on 16 September 2015,
Piper Willis
Piper Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Mavournee Hazel. The actress went through a long casting process, which involved her travelling to Melbourne to audition three times. Months later, s ...
(Mavournee Hazel) was featured in a new series of webisodes, which see her making online video calls to members of her family.
The first episode is set after the Erinsborough tornado (2014) and features Piper meeting her half-sister
Paige Smith
Paige Smith (also Novak) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Olympia Valance. The actress was cast in February 2014 after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs. Series produce ...
(
Olympia Valance
Olympia Montana Valance (born 7 January 1993) is an Australian actress and model, whose roles include Paige Smith in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' (2014–2018, 2020, 2022) and Tahlia Woods in '' Playing for Keeps''. For her role as Paige, Vala ...
) for the first time.
The second episode features a conversation between Piper and her grandfather
Doug Willis
Douglas "Doug" Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Terence Donovan. Doug was introduced by executive producer Don Battye as the patriarch of the newly introduced Willis family. Donovan expl ...
(
Terence Donovan).
The last two episodes feature Piper talking to her father Brad about his affair with Lauren Turner and the state of his marriage.
''Xanthe ♥ Ben''
''Xanthe ♥ Ben'' focuses on the new relationship between
Xanthe Canning
Xanthe Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Lilly Van der Meer. The character's introduction was teased by actress Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, during an interview in October 2015. ...
(Lily Van der Meer) and
Ben Kirk
Ben Ian Kirk (also Kennedy-Kirk and Fitzgerald) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', last played by Felix Mallard. The character was previously played by Noah Sutherland, Sean Berends and Blake O'Leary. He made ...
(
Felix Mallard
Felix Cooper Mallard (born 20 April 1998) is an Australian-American actor, musician, and model. He began his career playing Ben Kirk in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' (2014–2019). He has since starred as Cooper in the CBS comedy '' Happy Togeth ...
) before and after an explosion at Lassiter's Hotel.
The series ran for 20 episodes from 6 to 21 April on the official ''Neighbours''
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account.
Digital producer Ric Forster stated, "''Xanthe ♥ Ben'' gives us an opportunity to tell the ''Neighbours'' story in a way that no other daily drama has done before. It's been both challenging and great fun in using a new medium and has the potential to reach a whole new audience."
''Pipe Up''
In August 2016, a new weekly web series titled ''Pipe Up'' began, which ran until April 2018. The series features Piper Willis discussing the issues that have affected her during the week.
In the first episode, Piper talks about her feelings on
Xanthe Canning
Xanthe Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Lilly Van der Meer. The character's introduction was teased by actress Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, during an interview in October 2015. ...
's (Lilly Van der Meer) assault and how she tried to cheer her friend up.
Further episodes have featured appearances by Xanthe,
Ben Kirk
Ben Ian Kirk (also Kennedy-Kirk and Fitzgerald) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', last played by Felix Mallard. The character was previously played by Noah Sutherland, Sean Berends and Blake O'Leary. He made ...
(
Felix Mallard
Felix Cooper Mallard (born 20 April 1998) is an Australian-American actor, musician, and model. He began his career playing Ben Kirk in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' (2014–2019). He has since starred as Cooper in the CBS comedy '' Happy Togeth ...
),
Tyler Brennan
Tyler Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Travis Burns. The actor was asked to audition for the role in 2014, while he was working in the United States. After winning the role, Bu ...
(
Travis Burns), and
Callum Rebecchi (
Morgan Baker
Morgan Baker (born 11 May 1997) is an Australian actor best known for playing the role of Callum Jones on the soap opera '' Neighbours'' between 2008 and 2014. He briefly reprised the role of Callum in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Career
Baker h ...
).
Ariel Kaplan
Ariel Erin Kaplan (born 4 May 1994) is a South African-born Australian actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her roles as Lisa Atwood in the third season of children's series ''The Saddle Club'' and Imogen Willis in the Australian soap oper ...
reprised her role of Piper's sister
Imogen Willis
Imogen Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Ariel Kaplan. The actress was cast in the role after a quick process, in which she auditioned once and attended a screen test. She began filming he ...
for an episode filmed in London.
''Road Trip''
In September 2016, brothers
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
(
Takaya Honda
Takaya Honda (born 6 September 1987) is an actor and television presenter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Josh in the children's television series ''A gURLs wURLd'', Klaus Thomson in the comedy series ''The Family Law'' and David Tanak ...
) and
Leo Tanaka
Leo Tanaka is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Tim Kano. He made his first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 22 September 2016. The character was introduced alongside his t ...
(Tim Kano) appeared in three webisodes ahead of their introduction to the main show.
The series focuses on the brothers' road trip on the way to Erinsborough, where they were joined by Leo's friend and love interest Milly (Eliza Charley).
The webisodes also give viewers a chance to look at David and Leo's "brotherly dynamic".
''Summer Stories''
''Summer Stories'' (also known as ''Christmas Crackers'') is a webisode series broadcast during the 2016 Christmas period. It fills the gap between the show's 2 December finale and the start of the new season on 9 January 2017.
The episodes are around one to two minutes in length and were released on
Tenplay
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
and the ''Neighbours'' UK Facebook page.
The series follows five storylines, which focus on
Ben Kirk
Ben Ian Kirk (also Kennedy-Kirk and Fitzgerald) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', last played by Felix Mallard. The character was previously played by Noah Sutherland, Sean Berends and Blake O'Leary. He made ...
(
Felix Mallard
Felix Cooper Mallard (born 20 April 1998) is an Australian-American actor, musician, and model. He began his career playing Ben Kirk in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' (2014–2019). He has since starred as Cooper in the CBS comedy '' Happy Togeth ...
) and
Xanthe Canning
Xanthe Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Lilly Van der Meer. The character's introduction was teased by actress Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, during an interview in October 2015. ...
's (Lily Van der Meer) relationship problems after her mother scammed his grandfather,
Amy Williams
Amy Joy Williams, (born 29 September 1982) is a British former skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton in 2002 after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath. Altho ...
' (
Zoe Cramond
Zoe Cramond (born 8 October 1984) is a New Zealand actress. After graduating from Unitec Institute of Technology, Cramond appeared in various theatre productions and television commercials. She made appearances in '' Outrageous Fortune'' and '' ...
) attempts at dating,
Karl Kennedy
Karl Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Alan Fletcher. The actor previously appeared in the soap in 1987 as mechanic Greg Cooper. He made his first screen appearance as Karl during the episo ...
(
Alan Fletcher) receiving help from
Paul Robinson (
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis (born 30 October 1958) is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed ...
) to cook Christmas lunch,
Piper Willis
Piper Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Mavournee Hazel. The actress went through a long casting process, which involved her travelling to Melbourne to audition three times. Months later, s ...
(Mavournee Hazel) and
Tyler Brennan
Tyler Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Travis Burns. The actor was asked to audition for the role in 2014, while he was working in the United States. After winning the role, Bu ...
(
Travis Burns) keeping their relationship a secret while planning to be together on New Year's Eve, and finally
Toadfish Rebecchi
Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi (commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie") is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
's (
Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' since 1995.
Career
Moloney's first acting experience was with ...
) reaction after learning that his wife
Dee Bliss
Dione "Dee" Bliss is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Madeleine West. The actress received the role three days after securing an agent. West deferred her law degree studies to take the part. She ma ...
(
Madeleine West
Melanie Ann Weston (born 26 July 1980), known professionally as Madeleine West, is an Australian actress. She is known for her television roles, having played Dee Bliss and Andrea Somers on the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 2000 to 2003 and on- ...
) could be alive following her presumed death thirteen years ago.
''Mrs Robinson''
''Mrs Robinson'' is four-part series that focuses on the relationship and subsequent engagement between
Paul Robinson (
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis (born 30 October 1958) is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed ...
) and
Courtney Grixti (Emma Lane). The pair meet in an airport bar after they both decide to leave
Erinsborough
Erinsborough is the fictional suburb where the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' is set. The show focuses on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the suburb. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the ...
for a while. Paul and Courtney then choose to go to an island in Queensland together. The actors spent two days filming on
Heron Island.
Dennis admitted that he was excited to film on the island, as he had always wanted to go. He also revealed that the shoot avoided the show's "location filming curse", which causes the weather to turn bad when they film away from their studio in Nunawading.
Dennis added "That's what I love about the web series, even though I'm still playing Paul Robinson and even though it's kind of ''Neighbours'', it's also completely different so you get a chance to play, dipping our toes in something else."
''Neighbours vs Time Travel''
''Neighbours vs Time Travel'' was the second web series released in 2017. It centres on
Paul Robinson (
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis (born 30 October 1958) is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed ...
) who travels back in time to 1985, the year in which ''Neighbours'' began. Paul accidentally changes years worth of history by offering business tips to his younger self, leading to "some alarming results!"
The series also features various other characters whose lives have been changed, including
Toadfish Rebecchi
Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi (commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie") is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
(
Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' since 1995.
Career
Moloney's first acting experience was with ...
), who is now a gangster,
Karl Kennedy
Karl Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Alan Fletcher. The actor previously appeared in the soap in 1987 as mechanic Greg Cooper. He made his first screen appearance as Karl during the episo ...
(
Alan Fletcher), who is a successful musician, but no longer married to
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy (also Smith and Kinski) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots ...
(
Jackie Woodburne
Jacqueline Anne Woodburne (born 5 February 1956) is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress, who is notable for her roles in TV soap operas.
Since 1994, Woodburne has played teacher Susan Kennedy in ''Neighbours''. She first became notable for ...
), and
Tyler Brennan
Tyler Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Travis Burns. The actor was asked to audition for the role in 2014, while he was working in the United States. After winning the role, Bu ...
(
Travis Burns), who is an
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
vlogger
A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...
. Actor
Adz Hunter reprised his role as Paul's son
Robert Robinson, who was last seen in 2007.
Additionally,
Ian Rawlings
Ian Rawlings (born 9 March 1959) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his long-running roles in soap operas '' Sons and Daughters'' and ''Neighbours''. He also appeared in the short-lived serial ''The Power, the Passion''.
Career ''Sons ...
and Julie Mullins returned as 1990s series regulars
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
and
Julie Martin, while
Ben Nicholas reprised his role as
Stingray Timmins
Scott "Stingray" Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ben Nicholas. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 March 2004. Stingray was introduced as Toadfish Rebecc ...
. The first episode of the five-part series was released on 30 October 2017.
''SheilaTV''
''SheilaTV'' was released on 21 December 2018, following the broadcast of the 8000th episode of ''Neighbours''. The series is written by and stars
Colette Mann
Colette Mann (born 17 February 1950) is an Australian actress, singer, TV and radio presenter, choreographer and author/writer and media personality, she has been in the entertainment industry for over 50 years.
Mann appeared in two Grundy Orga ...
and Geoff Paine, who play
Sheila Canning
Sheila Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Colette Mann. The character was teased by the show's executive producer Richard Jasek in January 2012. The following month Mann's casting was ann ...
and
Clive Gibbons respectively.
''SheilaTV'' sees Sheila and Clive answering anonymous questions from their friends and neighbours, as part of a project for Sheila's media studies class.
''Sheila & Clive''
''Sheila & Clive'' is a five-part series that sees Sheila Canning (Mann) and Clive Gibbons (Paine) talking to each other via video call, as they deal with a temporary long distance relationship. The first episode was released early on 22 November 2019.
Music
![Dean Geyer Ana Rivas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Dean_Geyer_Ana_Rivas.jpg)
Several records were released in the 1980s. The
''Neighbours'' theme tune sung by
Barry Crocker
Barry Hugh Crocker (born 4 November 1935
Official Barry Crocker website) is an Australian character actor, televisio ...
was released by
BBC Records
BBC Records was a division of the BBC founded in 1967 to commercially exploit the corporation's output for radio and television for both educational and domestic use. The division was known as BBC Radio Enterprises (1967–1970), BBC Records ( ...
in 1988. It reached a peak of 84 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The
Angry Anderson
Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson (born 5 August 1947) is an Australian rock singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He has been the lead vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976. As a solo artist, he is best known f ...
power ballad "
Suddenly" which was featured in "
Episode 523" was released in 1987, while the show's
love theme
"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece written by Barry White in around 1965, and recorded and released as a single by White's The Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach No. 1 on ...
"
In Your Arms" by
Lynne Hamilton
Lynne Hamilton (born 1950) is an English-born singer, notable for her career in Australia, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s having recorded the single " On the Inside", the theme to the television series ''Prisoner''.
Early life and car ...
was released in 1989. "Suddenly" was later covered by
Sam Clark
Samuel James Clark (born 18 October 1987) is an Australian actor, singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Ringo Brown on the Australian soap opera, ''Neighbours'' and Leo in the Fox/Paramount live musical television special '' Grease: Live. ...
in 2010 for the show's 25th anniversary. ''Christmas With Your Neighbours'' is a collection of classic Christmas songs sung by the cast. It was released in 1989.
In 1999,
Sarah Beaumont
Sarah Beaumont (also Hannay) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Nicola Charles. Shortly after Charles moved to Australia, she was encouraged to try out for a part in the serial by a drama coach. The ...
(
Nicola Charles
Nicola Charles is a British- Australian author and actress, known for her role as Sarah Beaumont in Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''.
Career
Charles trained as an actress and dancer in the UK and started her career in British televisio ...
) and
Peter Hannay
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera created by Reg Watson. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 1999, by order of first appearance. All characters w ...
's (
Nick Carrafa
Nick Carrafa is an Australian actor best known for his television roles as Tony Romeo on the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' and Alfredo on the comedy series ''Acropolis Now''.
Career
Carrafa began his career with a guest role in the se ...
) wedding theme song, "Flowers" by Janine Maunder, was made available to purchase from the ''Neighbours'' website. ''
Neighbours: The Music'' is a compilation album released in 2002, that contains music used on the show as well as the 2002 version of the theme tune. A DVD was also released under the same name, and featured music videos from former ''Neighbours'' actors.
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive week ...
used her role as aspiring singer
Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw he ...
to showcase her song "
Born to Try
"Born to Try" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem, written by Goodrem and Audius Mtawarira and produced by Ric Wake for Goodrem's debut studio album, ''Innocent Eyes (Delta Goodrem album), Innocent Eyes'' (2003). The song was ...
" in the show.
[ Mercado 2004, p.226–7.] Within weeks of it being performed, "Born to Try" became the number one single in Australia.
In 2007,
Caitlin Stasey
Caitlin Jean Stasey (born 1 May 1990) is an Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Rachel Kinski in '' Neighbours''. Previously she played Francesca Thomas in ''The Sleepover Club'', although her breakthrough movie role cam ...
and
Dean Geyer
Dean Stanley Geyer (born 20 March 1986) is a South African Australian singer-songwriter, actor and martial artist who finished third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series ''Australian Idol'', and has had a notable role in the ...
performed a duet titled "Unforgettable" on ''Neighbours'' as their characters
Rachel Kinski
Rachel Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Caitlin Stasey. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 18 August 2005. She is the middle child of Alex Kinski and sister to Ze ...
and
Ty Harper. The track was written by Geyer and made available to download on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
.
In 2013,
Saskia Hampele
Saskia Hampele is an Australian actress. She began her acting career in 1997 with an appearance in children's television series ''The Gift (Australian children's TV series), The Gift''. Hampele worked as a counselor at The Reach Foundation and t ...
performed an original song titled "Letting You Know" on the show as her character
Georgia Brooks
Georgia Brooks is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Saskia Hampele. The actress was travelling through Kakadu with her boyfriend when she received a call from her agent about a regular role on ''Ne ...
and it was also released on iTunes. A new compilation album titled ''Neighbours: 30 Years'' was released in 2015 to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary.
Television
Two television spin-offs have reached the
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
stage. After
Clive Gibbons (Geoff Paine) became popular with viewers, his 1989 return to the show was scripted to set up a spin-off series ''City Hospital''. A pilot was made, but it was not picked up by any television networks.
Following
Caroline Gillmer
Caroline Gillmer (born 1955) is an Australian actress, best known for her roles in various television series, such as ''Prisoner'' as Helen Smart and ''Neighbours'' as Cheryl Stark. During her time off sick from ''Neighbours'', Gillmer was t ...
's exit from ''Neighbours'' in 1996, she filmed a pilot episode for a sitcom based around her character
Cheryl Stark
Cheryl Stark is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Caroline Gillmer. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 July 1993. Colette Mann took over the role for eight we ...
, which was initially called ''In Cheryl's Arms''.
The sitcom's name was later changed to ''In Carol's Arms'', as the networks thought the show needed "a different style" character.
The pilot was well received, but it was not picked up.
In 2000 and 2001, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
produced two series of ''Neighbours Revealed'' in association with Lion Television. The ten half-hour episodes were presented by
, and featured behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew, including
'' aired on Network Ten and Channel 5 to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary. The documentary featured current and former stars reminiscing about their time on the show. It was hosted by
in November 2019.
The series centres on a group of students preparing for final exams, and the issues they are facing, including "bullying, mental illness, sexuality, cultural diversity, parental and peer pressure, and teacher-student relationships."
It features regular characters from ''Neighbours'', as well as new cast members.
), Grace O'Sullivan, and Darius Amarfio-Jefferson. The 22-minute episodes are directed by
and produced by Natalie Lynch.
In 2022, Viacom Studios UK produced two programmes for Channel 5's ''Neighbours'' finale night, with documentary ''Neighbours Made Me a Star: From Ramsay St to Hollywood'' and music clip show ''Neighbours: All the Pop Hits & More, Especially For You'' scheduled by British broadcaster for 29 July 2022.
A board game was released in 1988. The game sees players creating their own ''Neighbours'' storylines as they move around the board collecting story cards. A writer for
named it one of the "weirdest and most wonderful TV board games". Other memoribllia includes, a card game, a series of
trading cards and stationary.
Signed castcards are also available by writing to the cast members. ''Neighbours'' themed t-shirts are sold through the online store Mr Vintage.
In 1991, an officially licensed video game of ''Neighbours'' was created by Ian Copeland and developed by
; it was re-released by Zeppelin in 1992 on budget price. In the game, the player took on the role of
around four courses.
As part of ''Neighbours'' 30th anniversary celebrations, the
released a limited-edition trifold stamp pack featuring some of the show's most popular characters, including
. The stamp pack became available to buy at participating Post Offices and on the Australia Post website from 24 February 2015.