Australian soap opera Neighbours is to return to television after producer Fremantle struck a deal to revive the iconic series with Amazon Freevee.
Neighbours ceased production in the summer after Channel 5 dropped the soap to focus on original drama, with millions tuning in to watch what was assumed to be the final ever episode.
The brand-new series will begin filming in Australia early next year, and will premiere exclusively for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US and will include streaming rights to episodes from previous seasons, available prior to the new series’ premiere.
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Neighbours ran for more than three decades and nearly 9,000 episodes, launching the careers of many household names, including Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Jason Donovan, and Margot Robbie.
Jason Herbison, Neighbours’ executive producer since 2013, will maintain his position on the new chapter of Neighbours, with Andrew Thompson returning as producer.
Australia’s Network 10, the home of Neighbours for three years, will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new series.
Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming at Amazon Studios, said: “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 favourite 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.”
“Jennifer Mullin, Group CEO of Fremantle said: “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.”
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