Shane Withington from Home and Away has expressed his support for the cast and crew of Neighbours following rumors that the show may be canceled unless production company Fremantle can find a new home for the show.
In response to a tweet by Dan Bennett, a former Home and Away writer, who sent a link to a TV Blackbox report indicating that Neighbours had lost its UK broadcasting deal, Withington said: “All those jobs, oh my goodness! On Australian television, it was a very sad day.”
Sending thoughts and solidarity to our comrades in Ramsay Street.
— Shane Withington. (@ripperriver) February 6, 2022
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“Sending thoughts and sympathy to our comrades in Ramsay Street,” wrote Withington, who portrays John Palmer on the serial.
After bumping the show from its 5.30 pm time in July last year, TV Blackbox announced that Channel 5 will not extend its arrangement to air the long-running soap Neighbours.
Channel 5 issued the following statement: “After this summer, Channel 5 will no longer broadcast Neighbours. We’d like to congratulate the cast, Fremantle, and the entire production crew for their excellent work on this landmark series, which has been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade.”
“We’d also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.”
Despite the fact that Neighbours might continue without Channel 5, the show is dependent on a UK broadcaster and the financial incentives that come with the arrangement, which means Fremantle will have to find a new home for the show very soon.
However, given the soap’s recent decline in viewership, there’s no certainty that this will happen, implying that it will be canceled.
Without a new UK broadcaster, Fremantle’s executive producer Jason Herbison indicated that “production must halt, effectively resting the show.”
“It is our goal to continue our partnership with Neighbours if another broadcast partner comes forward,” said Channel 10, which airs Neighbours in Australia.
“Channel 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast, and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available.”
Fans of the show have also launched a petition to save the show, which has been running for almost 37 years, writing: “Neighbours is more than just a TV show – it is a source of comfort and entertainment for generations of fans who have watched it for decades.”
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