SOAP SHOCK Neighbours axed AGAIN as Amazon pulls plug on Australian soap’s revival after two years
NEIGHBOURS is being axed again – after production company Fremantle failed to agree a new deal with Amazon.
The beloved Australian soap will stop production this summer with the final ever episode being aired at the end of the year, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
It is just two years since Amazon brought the soap back to life after it was axed by Channel 5 after 37 years.
Amazon announced at the end of 2022 that it was bringing the iconic programme back in a multi-year deal.
The soap’s final episode saw the return of the likes of Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce in the emotional goodbye.
But months later, Amazon offered the show a lifeline and brought it back to life with a revamped production.
It started filming in 2023 and was shown on Amazon Freevee worldwide.
However, last year Amazon axed the service and folded it into its Prime Video streaming offering.
And now, after two years streaming, the show will come to an end once more.
The Sun can exclusively reveal that Amazon have told Fremantle that their venture into soaps hasn’t worked and they are pulling funding.
A source said: “Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn’t get the viewers.
“It’s a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne.
“This really is the end of Neighbours just as it’s celebrated it’s 40th birthday.”
It is not known whether the cast and crew have been told about the development.
The revival was nominated for its first two Emmy Awards last year for best daytime drama series and best guest performance for Guy Pearce.
Neighbours was first shown on BBC1 in 1986, a year after its Australian debut.
Nearly 20million UK viewers tuned in two years later to see Scott, played by Jason Donovan, and Charlene, played by Kylie, get wed.
Amazon has been contacted for comment.
Neighbours axe is a warning to all other soaps
The Sun’s Soaps Editor Carl Greenwood reveals why soap fans should be very nervous about Amazon axing Neighbours.
NEIGHBOURS revival sent shockwaves through the TV industry back in 2022 when Amazon swooped in to save the beloved soap.
After 37 years it had become victim of an increasingly expensive and hostile TV industry when Channel 5 pulled the plug.
Budgets had spiralled out of control and there was a £5m hole in production costs that the UK channel couldn’t justify spending.
Now it seems Amazon, the multi-billion dollar company has learned the same lesson.
Spiralling costs are making it more and more difficult for shows – especially soaps that produce a huge number of episodes – to continue to go on.
If even Amazon with its mountains of money are struggling – what hope is there for the rest of the industry?
Soap fans should be incredibly concerned about the crisis enveloping their favourite shows.
Hollyoaks has already slashed its episodes by 40 per cent, now airing just three times per week.
ITV have taken the decision to cut an episode per week of Emmerdale and Coronation Street starting next year.
The only one that appears safe is EastEnders with its significant licence fee money budget – but in this economy, how long will that last?
One thing is clear – the industry has to get a grip on this crisis because there’s no big money streamer coming to save the day anymore.
