Neighbours: Australia's Most-Watched Tv Show?

Neighbours is Australia's longest-running soap opera and has been sold to more than 60 countries. However, its popularity in Australia has been questioned, with some sources claiming that its rival show, Home & Away, has long been preferred by Australian audiences. Neighbours' final episode topped Australian TV ratings, but the show's survival relied on UK viewership, with Channel 5 providing funding for over a decade.

Explore related products

Australian Botanical Soap, 6.6 OZ, Triple Milled Bars with Pure Plant Oil, Natural Soap Base, Enriched with Organic Shea Butter, for Men, Women, All Skin Types, Variety Pack of 8, Packaging May Vary

$37.99 $39.95

Australian Botanical Soap 6.6 OZ, Pack of 8, Goat Milk Soap Bars with Soya Bean Oil, Enriched with Organic Shea Butter, Suitable for All Skin Types, Packaging May Vary

$33.99

Australian Botanical Goat Milk Soap, 6.6 OZ Bars Eucalyptus, Sandalwood, Coconut, Oat Milk, Aloe Vera, Lemongrass, and Tea Tree, Goat Soap Enriched with Organic Shea Butter, Variety Pack of 8

$37.99 $39.95

Australian Botanical Soap 6.5 OZ Pack of 4, Goat Milk Soap Bars with Soya Bean Oil, Enriched with Organic Shea Butter, Suitable for All Skin Types

$20.99

Australian Goat Milk Soap,Helps Moisturize,Smooth & Cleanse Skin,Triple-milled Bar Soap with Cocoa Butter,Aloe Vera and Pure Plant Oil,Body Soap Bars 6.3 oz for Adults & Babies,Pack of 4

$19.99

Australian Goat Milk Soap,Helps Moisturize,Smooth & Cleanse Skin,Triple-milled Bar Soap with Cocoa Butter,Aloe Vera and Pure Plant Oil,Body Soap Bars 6.3 oz for Adults & Babies,Pack of 1

$9.01 $9.49

Neighbours is Australia's longest-running soap

The show revolves around the lives of the people living and working in Erinsborough, a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The series centres on the residents of Ramsay Street, a dead-end street, and its neighbouring area, the Lassiters complex, which includes a bar, hotel, café, police station, lawyers' office, and park. While it has provided a training ground for several actors who have gone on to achieve international fame, including Russell Crowe and Margot Robbie, the show has faced declining ratings over the years, with its final episode airing in 2022.

Neighbours' long-standing success in the UK can be attributed to its formulaic soap opera elements combined with the exoticness of sunny Australia for British viewers. It gained a loyal audience, particularly among younger viewers, with up to 16 million viewers in the UK alone. In 1988, Neighbours became the only television show to have its entire cast flown to the UK to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen.

The soap opera has been sold to over 60 countries and has had an international remake, Komşular, which has been screened in Turkey since 2017. Despite its success abroad, Neighbours failed to find an audience in the US market due to its wholesome content and American audiences' struggles with understanding Australian accents and idioms.

Explore related products

Australian Botanical Soap Goats Milk Bars, 6.6 oz Each, Pack of 8, Triple Milled with Soya Bean Oil & Organic African Shea Butter, Cleansing Bar Soap, Packaging May Vary

$34.49

Australian Botanical Soap Sea Salt with Ocean Minerals 6.6 oz Triple Milled Luxury Soap Bar Enriched with Shea Butter, Suitable for Men, Women and All Skin Types, Pack of 1

$9.99

Australian Botanical Soap Variety Pack Includes 4 Valencia Orange and 4 Sea Salt Soap for Face, Hands and Body, Enriched with Shea Butter, Ocean Minerals and Vitamin C

$34.49

Soap Works Emu Oil Soap Bar 110G One Bar

$6.99

SOAP WORKS Emu Oil Soap Bar, 6 Count

$18.99

Australian Botanical Soap, Goat Milk Soap with Shea Butter, 6.6 oz. Bars, Triple Milled Body Cleanser, Made in Australia with African Shea Butter and Native Goat Milk, All Skin Types, Pack of 8

$35.49

Neighbours failed to find an audience in the US

Despite its popularity in Australia and the UK, Neighbours failed to find an audience in the US. When the show was syndicated in Los Angeles and New York in 1991, it was expected to be a success as Australia's longest-running serial. However, American audiences found the show too "wholesome," and it struggled to attract high ratings. The Los Angeles broadcaster even received complaints about the Australian accents and idioms used in the show, which US viewers found difficult to understand.

The show's ratings dropped from 4% of LA TV sets in the first week to 1% in the fifth week. Plans to expand to other major cities were scrapped, and Neighbours was dropped by LA's KCOP and New York's WWOR after just 13 weeks. While Hulu and Oxygen Network attempted to revive the show in 2014 and 2004, respectively, they were ultimately unsuccessful.

The challenges Neighbours faced in the US market highlight a common issue for Australian TV exports. The success of Australian shows often relies on international distribution rather than local ratings due to the small domestic audience. However, the distinctively "Australianness" of Neighbours may have been a barrier to its success in the US.

While Neighbours struggled to find an audience in the US, it has enjoyed long-term success in the UK. The show's combination of formulaic soap opera tropes and the exotic setting of sunny Australia resonated with British viewers. Neighbours also benefited from a shift to a late afternoon time slot in 1988, attracting larger audiences and eventually peaking at over 21 million viewers in 1990. The show continued to perform well in the UK, frequently achieving high ratings outside of news bulletins.

Explore related products

BELA Soap Variety Pack 3.3 OZ, Pack of 6, Long Lasting, French Triple Milled Bar Soap with Organic Shea Butter, Hand, Face and Body Wash Bar Made in Australia

$19.99

Australian Botanical Men's Soap Bars, Duo Pack Luxury Body and Beard Bars, Eucalyptus and Goats Milk Soap, Gift for Men, 6.6 oz. 4 Bars of Each, 8 Pack

$31.99

Australian Botanical Goats Milk Soap with Soya Bean 6.6 OZ Luxury Soap Bars Enriched Shea Butter, Luxury Face, Hand and Body Bars Suitable for All Skin Types, Pack of 4

$27.49

Australian Botanical Goats Milk Soap with Soya Bean Oil, Net Wt. 3.4 lb, 6.8 Ounce Bar Soap, Suitable for all Skin Types Pack of 8, Packaging May Vary

$34.49

Simple Scents Australia Eucalyptus Scented Natural Soap Bars (12 Bars), 3.5oz Moisturizing French Triple Milled Soap Bars Enriched with Shea Butter - Pure Plant Oil Bath & Body Soaps

$39.95

Wavertree & London Havana Scented Natural Soap (2 Bars), 7oz Moisturizing French Triple Milled Soap Bars enriched with shea butter - Pure Plant Based Bath & Body Bars for All Skin Types

$17.95

Neighbours was more popular in the UK than Australia

The Australian soap opera Neighbours has been a huge cultural export, launching the careers of some of Australia's biggest stars and providing employment for swathes of the country's TV industry over more than three decades. However, it has been more popular in the UK than in Australia.

Since 2008, Neighbours had been largely funded by the UK's Channel 5, which is Network Ten's partner station. In 2022, Channel 5 decided to pull its partnership and funding, and Fremantle Australia failed to secure a new UK partner. This spelled the end for the show, as Ten declined to fund the production alone. Neighbours reportedly drew around 1 million viewers a day in the UK, compared with around 400,000 for its Australian rival Home & Away.

The show's long-standing success in the UK has been attributed to its adaptation of formulaic soap opera conventions, combined with what British viewers have seen as the exoticness of sunny Australia. Neighbours' familiar and unthreatening tone, with its themes of love and family, feel-good characters, and a lot of melodrama, has been a winning formula for UK audiences.

In contrast, Neighbours has not travelled well to the US market. American audiences have found it too 'wholesome', and have struggled with the Australian accents and idiom. The show's original US broadcaster received complaints, and it was soon dropped.

Neighbours' final episode topped Australian TV ratings, with the return of superstars who launched their careers on the program, including Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, and Guy Pearce. However, the show's cancellation was seen as a devastating loss for the Australian screen production sector, and a sad end to one of the country's longest-running soaps.

Explore related products

Montana Emu Ranch - Montana Calendula Handmade Soap 3.5 Ounce Bar

$9.19 $9.99

Emu Oil Soap Bar 110G One Bar (Pack of 2)

$13.98

Bad Neighbours 2 (DVD + Digital Download) [2016]

$6.99

Bad Neighbours [DVD] [2014]

$8.88

What Will The Neighbours Say? Live In Concert

$29.99

Neighbours: From the Beginning - Volume 2 [DVD] [UK Import]

$240

Neighbours' lack of originality was key to its UK success

Australia's longest-running soap opera, Neighbours, has been sold to over 60 countries. However, its success in the UK is notably distinct from its failure to capture American audiences. This discrepancy can be attributed to several factors, including the UK's cultural familiarity with Australian soap operas and the exotic appeal of Australia as a setting.

One key reason for Neighbours' success in the UK is its lack of originality. The soap opera formula, with love and family as central themes, feel-good characters, and a mix of melodrama and safe teen sex appeal, resonated with British viewers. This combination of the familiar and the exotic struck a chord, ensuring its popularity for over 32 years.

Neighbours' adherence to well-worn tropes and stereotypes, such as the "Brazen Blonde Homewrecker" character of Isabelle Hoyland, contributed to its longevity. The show's commitment to these traditional soap opera conventions, rather than innovation, was a significant factor in its appeal to UK audiences.

The familiarity and predictability of Neighbours' storylines and characters may have been a comfort to British viewers. While the show lacked originality, it offered a blend of the familiar and the exotic, providing a sense of escapism to a sunny Australian setting.

In contrast, American audiences found Neighbours too "wholesome," and the show faced challenges due to cultural differences and difficulties understanding Australian accents and idioms. The failure of Neighbours in the US market highlights the challenges of adapting content for different cultural contexts and the importance of balancing national quirks with international conventions.

Explore related products

Good Neighbours

$11.39 $14.95

New Neighbours (Season 1) - 3-DVD Box Set ( Nieuwe Buren Season 1 ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]

$30.98

Bad Neighbours & Bad Neighbours 2 [DVD] [2015]

$11.06

DVD - Bad Neighbours 2 (1 DVD)

$27.39

Inspector Morse - Death Is Now My Neighbour [DVD]

$13.99

The Neighborhood

$2.99

Neighbours' final episode topped Australian TV ratings

The iconic Australian soap opera Neighbours has enjoyed a long-standing success in the UK, but it failed to capture American audiences in the same way. When the final episode aired in Australia on 28 July 2022, it topped the TV ratings, drawing in 1.2 million overnight viewers nationally. This was the highest rating for an episode of Neighbours in 13 years.

The show's popularity in Australia is evident, with its long-running status and cultural impact. It is Australia's longest-running soap opera, having aired since 1985, and was created by Australian TV executive Reg Watson. Neighbours has become a staple of Australian television, with its familiar formulaic soap opera tropes and the exotic setting of sunny Australia.

The final episode of Neighbours was a highly anticipated event, with the return of superstars who launched their careers on the show, including Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, and Guy Pearce. The episode drew in viewers from across the country, with the highest number of viewers in its home city of Melbourne, where 343,000 people tuned in. The ratings for the final episode were significantly higher than the lead-up episodes, with Monday's episode drawing 156,000 viewers, Tuesday's 139,000, and Wednesday's 163,000.

The show's impact extended beyond entertainment, with Paramount ANZ's senior vice president of content and programming, Daniel Monaghan, expressing sadness over its end. Neighbours provided a platform for Australian talent and contributed significantly to the Australian screen production sector. The show's finale marked the end of an era for Australian television, and its impact and legacy will be long-lasting.

Frequently asked questions