The residents of Ramsay Street have been saved from eviction as Freevee will revive the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 2023.
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In a surprise announcement on Thursday, Amazon’s ad-supported streaming service Freevee announced it would be reviving Neighbours. The 37-year-old Australian soap ended on July 28 of this year in an emotional goodbye that included cameos from notable former cast members such as Margot Robbie.
The new episodes will begin production in 2023 to debut later that year. Freevee will be the home for the series in the U.S. and the U.K., while in Australia, they will debut on Channel 10 before moving to Prime Video. Former stars Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney, and Jackie Woodburne are so far confirmed to be reprising their roles.
In addition to the new episodes, Freevee will also begin streaming thousands of older episodes before the debut of the new ones.
Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming, Amazon Studios told Deadline, “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.”
“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,” said Jennifer Mullin, Global CEO, Fremantle. “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. 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.”
While the series is an Australian production, the majority of its funding had come from British network Channel 5 where it had been airing since 2008. After a change in its programming goals, it canceled the series, effectively ending the series.
