As the residents of Ramsay Street get ready to say their goodbyes on-screen, so too do the cast and crew who have worked on Neighbours over its 37-year history.
After 8903 episodes, countless disasters, and one of the most iconic slaps in television history, the final episode of Australia’s longest running drama will be simulcast on 10 and 10 Peach on Thursday, July 28 at 7:30pm, in a 90-minute finale.
Mediaweek spoke to Neighbours EP Jason Herbison about wrapping up a show with such a huge legacy, and how he hopes the show is remembered.
“It’s a very sad time, but it’s also a time of huge pride. It’s a celebration,” says Herbison.
“It’s incredible that the show has gone on for 37 and a half years, almost 9000 episodes – we just want to go out on a big high.”
The sheer longevity of Neighbours is only part of the story. Having launched careers of people like Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, and Guy Pearce, Herbison says that losing the show will also mean losing a vital launch pad for people working in all aspects of Australian TV.
“We think of this as a university here, it’s such a training ground for the industry. People speak about six degrees of Neighbours, but I think it’s really two degrees of Neighbours.
“So many people in this industry have a connection to it – whether they worked here, or were mentored by someone that learned their craft here. It’s just a very important part of the industry.”
The impact of Neighbours can be felt in every corner of Australian pop culture, and the effect doesn’t stop here either.
“Neighbours completely changed the landscape here and in the United Kingdom,” says Herbison. “Very few shows can claim to be part of the popular culture in two countries, and this show can – it can claim that around the world as well, but particularly in Australia and the UK.”
Keeping audiences entertained for 37 years requires a lot of storylines, and since hitting the screen Neighbours has seen over 100 kidnapping and hostage situations, 35 natural disasters, 115 car accidents, 64 deaths, 40 weddings, 17 births, and around 15 characters returning from the dead.
No matter where in the timeline people have jumped on board with the show, Herbison is grateful for their being there.
“We have a very broad audience. Some people have been with us since the beginning. Some people have come to the show at a certain point – often in their teenage years – and have stayed with the show. Others have gone away and returned.
“People have so many different entry points to Neighbours, and we’ve seen just how much it’s a benchmark in people’s lives. They don’t just think about when Toadie and Dee got married, they think about what was happening in their own lives when that happened. It really brings back a lot of memories.”
The Neighbours cast gathers to say farewell to the show, with Herbison centre
As the show wraps up, Herbison has taken the time to reflect on some of his proudest moments at the helm. After speaking about his pride in the diverse, progressive show Neighbours has become, he says there was one period of time that stands out.
“I’m incredibly proud that we got the show back up and continuing during Covid.
“As anyone from Melbourne knows, it was an incredibly difficult, stressful time, but we managed to find a way to keep working. We managed to find a way to keep people employed. Our industry was not very well looked after when it comes to the government during Covid, so I’m very proud that we kept people employed, kept the show on the air, and entertained viewers during a really dark time.”
As Neighbours leaves the airwaves for good, the show is assured a place in television history. When people go back through the archives in years to come, Herbison hopes that people look back at the show with love.
“We have seen since the news of the show ending that it is in people’s hearts and people think of it very fondly. I want it to be remembered as a show that made them feel something, that ultimately made them feel happy and kept them entertained.”
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