Neighbours has been saved – just four months after its final episode aired, proving to be a ratings hit in both the UK and Australia.
The beloved soap came to an end in July after 37 years, with the last episode airing on Channel 5.
But in a shock announcement on Thursday, Amazon Freevee and Fremantle revealed the show will be returning.
A new series will begin filming in Australia next year and will see the likes of Stefan Dennis, [Paul Robinson] Alan Fletcher, [Dr Karl Kennedy], Ryan Moloney, [Toadfish] and Jackie Woodburne, [Susan Kennedy], returning to reprise their leading roles.
However, castmembers were left bemused as only those four actors were told the news and the rest of the cast found out at the same time as the rest of the world.
Takaya Honda who played David Tanaka tweeted: ‘Apart from these three and Stefan, the rest of the cast are finding out with you. Please give us time to process. We don’t know anything more.’
Matty Wilson, who played Aaron Brennan took to his Instagram Stories to say: ‘Did not see this coming.’
Production is set to commence in early 2023 with a world premiere pegged for the second half of the year
The Neighbours Twitter account announced the news on Thursday, as Dr Karl, Susan and Toadie all gathered to reveal the show was coming back in a hilarious clip.
The trio all excitedly hugged each other and called up Paul, who was sporting a beard and longer hair.
Toadie asked him: ‘Hello mate, what’s that all over your face?’
‘Oh, well it’s nice to see you too!’ Paul replied.
Telling him the show will be returning the second half of next year, Paul playfully says he will check his diary to see if he is free. ‘I will make myself available,’ he jokes.
Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming, Amazon Studios, said: ‘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 favourite 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.’
Read more:
Neighbours is saved with Iconic soap to return on Amazon Freevee months after final episode aired