Fans of Neighbours are determined to save their beloved show from cancellation, and their voices have been heard, as the show’s signature theme song has topped the Amazon and iTunes music charts.
Yes, really!
The original Neighbours theme, delivered by Barry Crocker, is currently ruling supreme on both music platforms in 2022!
The survival of the Australian serial is in doubt when Channel 5 announced controversially that it will be eliminating it from their schedules later this year.
The broadcaster’s reasons for removing the show boil down to a desire to invest in ‘original UK drama,’ with a spokesperson telling Metro.co.uk that such a thing has strong appeal.’
However, with Channel 5 funding most of the Neighbours‘ production, there’s a fair chance the program, which launched the careers of Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie, could be canceled permanently.
Well, not if devoted fans have anything to do with it!
Viewers, heartbroken at the idea of losing Neighbours forever, lost no time in campaigning to save the show from cancellation, seeking to demonstrate how popular the show is in the hopes that another broadcaster will step in to save it.
Their most recent stunt was to rally fellow Ramsay Street fans to show their support for the show by purchasing the signature theme song on a variety of music platforms.
On Tuesday (February 8), one Twitter user proposed the idea, writing: ‘What if we all downloaded Barry Crocker’s original Neighbours theme from iTunes and Spotify and tried to get it in the charts to show how much we love it!
‘Maybe that could help to raise more attention to how much we love and need @NeighboursTV in our lives.’
Fellow viewers dubbed the concept “brilliant,” and it quickly gained traction, with admirers purchasing and streaming the renowned theme.
The Neighbours theme song had climbed to No. 27 on the iTunes chart when we last checked in on it. However, it has now dethroned Ed Sheeran, who previously shared the top spot alongside The Joker and The Queen.
Meanwhile, the classic Barry Crocker track is also resting pretty at the top of Amazon Music’s homepage, telling a very similar story.
What if we would all download the original Neighbours theme from Barry Crocker on iTunes & Spotify and try to get it in the charts to show how much we love it! Maybe that could help to raise more attention to how much we love and need @NeighboursTV in our lives. #saveneighbours pic.twitter.com/FtI1oxDtwc
— Corine (@FloatingIsland) February 8, 2022
This outpouring of appreciation from Neighbours fans is only the latest in a long line of amazing achievements.
At the time of writing, almost 43,000 people have signed the petition.
Despite common belief, Neighbours continues to be a hugely successful show in the United Kingdom, with 1.5 million viewers per day between the two daytime shows.
Some may have overestimated how popular it still is – let alone how good it is – but perhaps now another broadcaster will pay attention.
Network 10 in Australia is keen to keep their relationship with the show going, with a representative telling TV Tonight that they are ‘hopeful’ Freemantle will find a new broadcast partner.
