Neighbours will return in 2023 on Amazon Freevee

Screen OD staff

You can’t keep a good soap down, it seems – and just months after the “final” episode of Australian soap Neighbours saw many of the biggest names from the show including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pierce return to Ramsay Street to say goodbye to the show that made them global superstars, Neighbours has been handed a life line by streaming service Amazon Freevee.

The service, which until recently was known as IMDB TV, has announced the show will be returning in the “second half” of 2023 and will feature many of the characters that fans know and love, including Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney, and Jackie Woodburne.

Neighbours will air exclusively on Freevee in the UK and the US and will stream on Amazon’s Prime Video service in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. However, in Australia, Network 10, which has been the home of Neighbours for 36 years will retain the first-run rights to the show.

In addition to new episodes of the show, Amazon Freevee is also promising “thousands of episodes from the previous seasons” for viewers to enjoy before the new episodes hit the streamer. So if you’re. fan of Bouncer and Madge Bishop, Des and Daphne and a lot of dubious haircuts from the 1990s – you are going to have a lot of TV to watch in 2023.

Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming, Amazon Studios said: “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,”

She added: “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, global CEO, Fremantle said: “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. 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,” 

Adding: “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, Network10.”

The Australian soap began in 1985, telling the story of the lives of the people of Erinsborough, a fictional suburb of Melbourne. In 1986 the show swapped channels to Network 10 and was introduced to the UK on the BBC where it quickly became a huge hit with British audiences, first at lunchtime and later in an additional teatime slot. In 2018, the show moved from the BBC to Channel 5 in Britain, but in February 2022 the British network, which had been significantly funding the show said they were dropping Neighbours. A starry final episode aired in July of this year which many thought would be the final chapter in the 36-year-old soap’s history.

Neighbours will return to our screens in 2023 on Amazon Freevee.