It's the news soap fans around the world have been waiting for — Neighbours has been saved just months after airing its final episodes and will be returning to our screens next year.
The news was announced today (Thursday, November 17) by Amazon Freevee and Fremantle in a statement that read: "Neighbours will be returning to television with a brand-new series to begin filming in Australia next year.
"Upon seeing the fanfare for the ending of Neighbours, Amazon Freevee started conversations with Fremantle to discuss a possible future for the series, which brings us to today's announcement.
"The revitalized series will premiere exclusively for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and U.S. and will include streaming rights to thousands of episodes from the previous seasons, available prior to the new series’ premiere."
And to make the news even better, it has been confirmed that Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy), Ryan Moloney (Toadie Rebecchi), and Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy) will return to their leading roles.
The news that Neighbours had been axed by Channel 5 came as a huge blow to fans around the world earlier this year, with tens of thousands signing a petition to save the show.
The final episodes of Neighbours were aired in August, drawing in millions of fans and bringing back some of the soap's most iconic characters from years gone by, including Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue as the show’s all-time golden couple Scott and Charlene, and Guy Pearce as Mike Young.
It has also been confirmed that Jason Herbison, Neighbours’ executive producer since 2013, will maintain his position on the exciting new chapter with Andrew Thompson also returning as producer.
The announcement was also shared on the official Neighbours Twitter page, with Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney and Jackie Woodburne back in Erinsborough sharing the news in a video, which you can watch below...
🚨 Breaking News from Erinsborough! 🚨Neighbours will return for a brand-new series next year exclusively on @AmazonFreevee, alongside thousands of episodes from previous seasons to stream as you please. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/1Qq2fIPgogNovember 17, 2022
It has also been confirmed that filming of the new episodes will begin in the new year and the soap will return with a world premiere that will air in the second half of 2023.
A new trailer has also been released by Amazon Freevee, promising that we will be seeing all our favourite Erinsborough locations in the new season...
Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming at Amazon Studios said of the return: “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. 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 will premiere exclusively for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and U.S. The series will also stream on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
