Iconic television drama It has been confirmed that Neighbours will be canceled after 37 years on the air.
The revelation was verified by the show’s creators in a tweet from the Neighbours Twitter account on Thursday.
“After nearly 37 years and approximately 9000 episodes broadcast, we have to confirm that Neighbours will cease production in June,” said the Twitter message.
The production costs for Neighbours were covered by UK network Channel 5, but the network announced last month that it would no longer run the show.
On Thursday, Neighbours informed fans that it had been unable to secure funding from another network.
“We simply have no option but to rest the show,” the statement said.
“To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team. We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours.”
The show’s popularity in Australia has been dropping, with only 123,00 viewers nationwide on Wednesday night’s broadcast and only 8,000 in Perth.
Home and Away, on the other hand, continues to be Seven’s most-watched drama, with 552,000 viewers nationwide on Wednesday and 85,000 in Perth.
The show is a “staple” of Australian television, according to Network 10, which broadcasts it.
“Ramsay Street, Erinsborough, is a cul-de-sac recognised all over the world and has been home to Scott and Charlene, Des and Daphne, Dr Karl and Susan, Dee and Toadie, Aaron and David and many, many more neighbours,” the statement said.
“Network 10 thanks the cast, crew, all the production team and Fremantle for bringing the perfect blend of soap and sunshine to audiences in Australia and around the world.”
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