Neighbours has been brought back to life less than four months after its last episode aired. How would producers revive a show whose finale is still so vivid in fans’ thoughts when the soap returns to television in the second half of 2023?
The Sun reported the news that Channel 5 had abandoned Neighbours in February 2022, which resulted in the show’s discontinuation. The news gave producers a few months to wrap up numerous continuing stories and end the 37-year run of the programme.
Now, it’s up to Executive Producer Jason Herbison and his group to restart the show.
In the second half of 2023, the first episodes are anticipated to appear on Channel 10 and the streaming site Freevee, which means that the show will return about a year after its “last ever episode.”
Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy), Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Ryan Moloney (Toadie Rebecchi), and Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson) are the only actors who have so far confirmed that they will play the characters in the rebooted show. The four actors also appeared in the video announcing the show’s shocking return.
The news broke at 10 a.m. UK time on November 17th, and actors Takaya Honda (David Tanaka) and April Rose Pengilly (Chloe Brennan) revealed on social media that they learned of it at the same moment as Neighbours fans around the world.
As a result, it is still unknown which characters besides the “big four” will make a comeback. While acknowledging that some of the youthful cast members have already moved on to other things, Jason Herbison recently stated to Digital Spy that he expects there would be “many familiar faces.”
What happened afterwards when the final episode aired at the end of July? Who still resides in Erinsborough, who relocated, and will any historical events need to be changed in order for us to be able to walk along Ramsay Street again?
Jason stated to Digital Spy, “I don’t see us having to undo any work.” “Rather, the question is, what might come next? There are many great things, is the response.
Susan and Karl
The golden couple of Erinsborough appeared to be on the verge of divorcing just a few episodes before the finale.
Unaware that Montana Marcel (Tammin Sursok), a businesswoman, was in problems with the taxman and just seeking the investment to save her own skin, Karl fell for her charms and invested $200,000 in her cosmetics company.
Susan evicted Karl after learning that he had stolen $200,000 from their superannuation, which is how Australians refer to a pension plan. Their ability to enjoy a decent retirement depended on the money, and Karl’s actions ensured they would have to continue working for many more years.
If Hendrix’s (Ben Turland) untimely passing hadn’t shown Susan that life was too brief, it might have been the last of them. She had no choice but to forgive Karl because the show Neighbours couldn’t finish with its beloved lead pair divorcing.
Karl and Susan’s “I love you too” and Susan’s “Karl, I love you” were some of the last “genuine” lines of the show before Susan’s heartfelt monologue, serving as a reminder that they are “endgame” and will be together for a very long time.
Now that the return of Karl and Susan has been confirmed, we can’t wait to see what the upcoming years hold for them, whether or not they have that $200,000 in their bank.
Melanie and Toadie
While many Ramsay Street residents planned significant movements abroad in the closing weeks, newlyweds Toadie and Melanie (Lucinda Cowden) were only considering moving somewhere in the area.
This year, Melanie moved into No. 30, but she struggled with the persistent thoughts of Toadie’s ex-girlfriend Sonya (Eve Morey). While Melanie first believed she could handle residing in the home where they had built a life together, it finally got the better of her. Toadie was sincere when he said he would always love Sonya.
When Toadie revealed he was selling No. 30 in the last week, he gave Mel the best wedding present ever. Toadie gave up, though, after Karl and Susan showed them a collection of video messages from former acquaintances pleading with them to remain in Ramsay Street:
Right, I suppose we won’t be going anywhere, do we? Mel, who happily nodded tearfully in agreement, questioned.
Will Lucinda Cowden play Melanie once again if Ryan Moloney joins the reboot cast now? We truly hope the producers can keep Melanie in Toadie’s life because he has already had three unsuccessful marriages.
There are also the kids. Will someone kindly consider the kids? From 2013 to 2002, Scarlett Anderson played Nell Rebecchi, and starting in 2018, John Turner played Hugo Rebecchi.
Toadie’s existence revolves around Nell and Hugo, and Erinsborough life would cease to exist without any of them.
Nicolette, Aaron, David, and Leo
Much of Neighbours’ last year was devoted to David (Tayaka Honda) and Aaron’s (Matt Wilson) journey into parenting with Nicolette (Charlotte Chimes).
To start their family, David and Aaron decided to travel to Canada in search of a surrogate mother. However, Nicolette suggested that she have their child and that the three of them “co-parent” it in Erinsborough one drunken night just before David’s trip.
When Nicolette later fled after learning that her fiancé Chloe (April Rose Pengilly) had cheated on her with David’s brother Leo, David and Aaron grew to regret their choice (Tim Kano).
There was a lot of drama and misunderstanding that followed. Paul found Nic in Canberra and bought the kid for $1 million, but it wasn’t the right baby because it was Leo’s child with Britney (Montana Cox).
David and Aaron’s kid was attempted to be taken back by Britney, which prompted Nicolette to go back to Erinsborough with the genuine baby and reveal Paul’s baby-buying scandal. Leo struggled as a single father, Britney passed away after being struck by a collapsing telegraph pole, and suddenly David and Aaron found themselves caring for two infants.
Holding on?
Following his refusal to intervene to save Gareth, David was detained by the police and sent to a maximum security prison where he is currently being held in anticipation of his trial.
David was freed once Andrew Rodwell (Lloyd Will) realised that he was helping the police by gathering evidence against them. How we’ve missed you, Unmissable Drama.
David initially chose to travel to New York with Leo and Paul because he wanted to leave Erinsborough and start over. Nicolette had intended to follow suit, but she ultimately opted to stay and try her luck with Kiri (Gemma Bird Matheson), forcing David and Aaron to abandon their plan.
While the three would easily reintegrate into life on Ramsay Street, actor Takaya Honda earlier stated that he intended to leave at the conclusion of his contract.
His prison plotline would probably have resulted in David’s exit if Neighbours hadn’t abruptly ended, but events were changed and the pace accelerated so that David and Aaron could have a happy ending.
While co-parenting baby Isla, it would be challenging for Aaron and Nicolette to stay on Ramsay Street without David. However, this is Neighbours, and there will always be a way.
What about Leo, then? It was anticipated that Tim Kano’s second appearance as Leo would only last until early 2022. He stayed until the very last episode, but who knows how much longer he might have stayed had the show not been cancelled.
Leo has family in both Erinsborough and New York, and we are confident that he would be content in either place. Is he really ready to abandon the vineyard, though, after spending months turning it into a successful enterprise and having just introduced his own line of gin?
Elly Conway and Chloe Brennan
Nearly every home on Ramsay Street was listed for sale during the last few weeks, practically causing a mass exodus. Only Karl and Susan had chosen to remain, while all of their pals had decided it was time for a new beginning.
In the end, almost everyone on the street changed their minds and chose to stay in Erinsborough. Except for Chloe Brennan, that is (April Rose Pengilly).
Chloe decided to go to Sydney in order to try things out with her ex-boyfriend Elly Conway (Jodi Gordon). The two had an affair a few years ago, and because of the positive audience response to “Chelly,” the producers decided to bring them back together in the climactic episodes.
As a result, Chloe listed No. 24 for sale, where it was purchased by none other than Guy Pierce’s portrayal of Mike Young from Neighbours.
As we previously stated, none of the Neighbours cast members outside of the big 4 knew if they would be called back when the show’s return was announced. April Rose Pengilly expressed her desire to return to Neighbours in an Instagram Q&A, but added that “it depends on other projects and the circumstances.”
Additionally, she stated that she didn’t want to return to “something like previously,” calling it “all-encompassing and stressful.” She wanted to join “something like a normal show, where we’d shoot for just a few months of the year and have some freedom.”
She continued, “I also think me coming back might mean Chelly breaking up.” “I don’t want to ruin our happy ending,” she said.
If Chloe does make a comeback, will the producers separate Elly and Chloe once more, or might Elly even be prepared to go back to Ramsay Street with her real love?
Levi, Freya, Glenn, Kiri, and
In the final weeks, when Levi made a major love gesture on Ramsay Street, their will-they-won’t-they romance with Freya Wozniak (Phoebe Roberts) finally became a “they will.”
However, neither has a residence on Ramsay Street as things stand in the last episode. After Sheila sold No. 26 to the Rodwells, Levi was no longer living on the streets, but Freya was in danger of losing her home when Chloe chose to sell No. 24 to Mike.
If Chloe continues with her relocation to Sydney, No. 24 will be free because Mike is most likely not going to return for the reimagined show.
Could it be the ideal setting for the two young lovers to call home?
Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett) and Kiri Durant (Gemma Bird Matheson), an estranged father and daughter, also made up their minds on their relationship.
When Glen befriended Kiri at River Bend, she was unaware that he was her father; nevertheless, with a little assistance from Paul Robinson, Kiri finally learned the truth.
Kiri pushed Glen away after making it plain that she didn’t need another father—Alan, the person she had always considered to be her real father, was all she needed.
They ultimately came to the conclusion that a close friendship was the best course of action, and they made plans to relocate to River Bend once Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) acquired the hotel. When Terese and Paul reconciled, she ultimately opted against purchasing River Bend, casting doubt on Glen and Kiri’s future.
After deciding to give things a try with Nicolette, Kiri would be happy to stay in Erinsborough, and we’re confident they could make place for her in No. 32. However, now that Glen’s brother and ex-girlfriend have reconciled, would Glen want to stay in Erinsborough?
Jane Harris and Mike Young
The final episodes included a heartwarming reunion for 1980s icon Mike Young and Jane Harris (Annie Jones), who had not seen one another in three decades.
When they ran into each other at the Lassiters complex, Jane’s box of wedding decorations fell to the ground. It became immediately obvious that their previous attraction still existed as their eyes met as they both reached for the box.
To Clive Gibbons’ dismay, Jane gave Mike a tour of every old Ramsay Street residence (Geoff Paine).
When Clive unexpectedly showed up in Ramsay Street in the final episodes, there was just enough time for one last Neighbours brawl because Jane and Clive had recently broken up after Jane learned that Clive had been getting too close to an ex-patient.
The show’s beautiful reunion with Jane and tour of the Ramsay Street homes linked together many aspects of the past and present, and it was wonderful to see Mike Young return for the finale.
Despite how much we’d like it, it doesn’t seem probable that Hollywood actor Guy Pierce will make a long-term comeback to Neighbours.
Will Jane participate in the reboot of Neighbours now that she’s probably realised that her and Mike’s lives are incompatible after three decades apart? Time will only tell.
Young Sam
The conclusion also revealed that Sam (Henrietta Graham), who had been Chloe’s assistant at Lassiters for the previous few months, was the child of Mike.
Sam was given the name Sam Ellis when her character was first revealed. She was first given the name Sam, but after it was revealed that she was Mike’s daughter, her name was changed to Sam Young.
If Sam returns to Neighbours in 2023, there will be some rewriting since the original plan called for Sam and Mike to move into No. 24.
Terse and Paul
Terese Willis had a really difficult final season on the show.
The Lassiters power couple managed to make their unorthodox relationship—which she and Paul had always had—work. Terese may have even harboured feelings for Paul’s son Leo at one point, but their eventual union was always a matter of when, not if.
In Queensland in 2019, they got married, but by 2021 they were on the verge of divorcing. Terese said that Paul’s choice to pay $1 million for Nicolette’s kid was the last straw.
Terese didn’t make the decision lightly, and she was frequently tempted to return to her relationship with Paul, but even after marriage counselling came dangerously close to uncovering Paul’s underlying problems, Terese knew she deserved better.
In the closing weeks, Paul made the decision to relocate to New York, while Terese made the decision to use the proceeds from her divorce to purchase River Bend and embark on her own new adventure. They weren’t brought back together until the very last episode, when they shared a kiss and decided to give things another shot.
The final several months saw Paul’s antics get worse and worse, even manipulating Terese’s mother Estelle Petrides (Maria Mercedes), and many fans thought that Terese needed a fresh start. However, the producers demanded a joyful conclusion, and they received it.
After the big 4 debuted in 2013, Rebekah Elmaloglou’s portrayal of Terese was one of the show’s most enduring characters.
We just hope that if Terese and Paul’s relationship does continue in 2023, things go a little more smoothly for them. We would be shocked if the producers weren’t knocking on Rebekah’s door to get her to return.
Izzy Hoyland and Shane Ramsay.
Paul Robinson received a welcome surprise when Shane Ramsay (Peter O’Brien) unexpectedly made an appearance. Due to his approaching divorce from Terese, he was having financial difficulties, therefore Shane’s offer to purchase half of Lassiters was the ideal solution.
Shane intended to donate his millions of dollars in bitcoin to the neighbourhood where he was raised.
He was more cruel than he first appeared, and after learning that Paul had committed some very heinous crimes over the years, he went even farther and forced Paul to sell the entire hotel to him.
Paul had no choice but to say yes in the face of certain devastation. Prior to his last-minute reunion with Terese, he made the decision to abandon his plans to sell everything, go to New York, and begin a new life there with David, Aaron, Leo, and Nicolette. However, this decision was later reversed.
Shane didn’t depart with nothing at all. After kissing him, Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte) realised she wasn’t really with her new boyfriend Malcolm Kennedy (Benjamin McNair) for love after all. She had fallen for his attractions, or rather, his money.
Izzy and Mal fell out, but despite her vile deeds, she still made the decision to go to the street party that followed Toadie and Mel’s wedding, when she was spotted leaning on Shane.
We hope that New Neighbours continues long enough for Isabel Hoyland to continue causing Karl and Susan problems in the future, although we would be astonished if either Shane or Izzy returned in 2023.
Robinson, Harlow
Harlow Robinson is one character who is unlikely to return (Jemma Donovan). In the closing weeks, Paul’s granddaughter moved from Erinsborough to the UK to be with her Aunt Harriet (Amanda Holden), who had suffered at the hands of the Restoration Order.
The actress Jemma Donovan has also returned to the UK, in addition to Harlow.
Recently, it was revealed that she would be joining the cast of the British soap opera Hollyoaks as Reyne, a “outgoing party girl” with “star status” on social media.
Robinson, Scott and Charlene
It was widely assumed that Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene Robinson (Kylie Minogue) would return to Ramsay Street to purchase one of the vacant homes when it was first revealed that they would appear in the final episode of Neighbours. This was especially the case when so many of the vacant homes began going up for sale.
The fact that their comeback scenes were shot before the scripts for the final episodes were completed contributed to the fact that the real cause for their return was never revealed in the end.
Despite Charlene’s declaration that they were “home sweet home,” it appears that they had only come to see Paul and enjoy the festivities at Toadie and Melanie’s wedding reception.
Despite the fact that Amazon is known to have some financial support, I don’t believe we should be so fortunate as to have Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue return for the recently revived show.
What is certain is that Jason is happy to have Neighbours back.
He tweeted that “Neighbours has helped put a light on Australian culture, created numerous chances for our industry, and entertained people for decades! I’m overjoyed to learn that @neighbors will return in 2023 via @AmazonFreevee.
Family Rodwell
The show’s final new family consisted of Andrew, his wife Wendy (Candice Leask), and their daughter Sadie (Emerald Chan).
Sergent Andrew Rodwell had been around for a while, showing up at the police station when needed for the plot, but it wasn’t until the last few months of the show that his wife and daughter were introduced, making the three of them regular characters.
The family moved into No. 26 after Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) sold it, making them the newest Ramsay Street residents.
In order to frame the school’s newest student Zara Selwyn, Sadie and her best friend Aubrey Laing (Etoile Little) started starting fires throughout Erinsborough High (Freya Van Dyke).
Hendrix had to hurry in and save Mackenzie when her broken arm prevented her from pulling herself into an air vent to escape the largest of the fires that trapped her and Zara within the structure.
Hendrix’s body was carrying a condition that had been dormant until the toxic vapours were inhaled; when he started coughing, a trip to the doctor confirmed that he had pulmonary fibrosis. Although a donor was found in time for the transplant, the new lung was rejected by the patient’s body.
Sadie and many others held themselves responsible for Hendrix’s passing; as a result, she endured weeks of rejection from her neighbours on Ramsay Street, to the point where Andrew and Wendy discussed selling their just acquired house.
In the last few episodes, they listed their house for sale, but in the conclusion, they decided not to.
The family had a lot of potential, and when the producers learned that the show was coming to an end, they decided against adding a younger son. If the programme hadn’t been cancelled, the Rodwells would have had plenty more drama ahead of them, and we hope they’ll be back when Neighbours returns in 2023.
Zara Selwyn and Amy Greenwood
Approximately 20 years after leaving Neighbours, Amy Greenwood (Jacinta Stapleton) made a brief comeback. She made another appearance in 2021, this time playing a regular role, and was around until the very end.
When her daughter Zara was first presented in January 2022, it took them several months to become close. At first, Zara was concerned that Amy’s polyamorous relationships with Leo and Ned (Ben Hall) and later her Drinks Diva business were taking up too much of her mother’s time.
Zara grew to believe that Amy was in love with Toadie during the last few months. After confessing her feelings to Toadie and Mel, Amy eventually fled because of her persistence in making her believe it.
Fortunately, she came back in time for Toadie’s wedding after realising that she wasn’t in love with him after all and that all she wanted was the happiness Melanie and he shared.
It’s possible that she needs to be reminded of Toadie’s tragic love life; if he can ultimately find joy after so much misery, we’re sure Amy can too.
Although Amy’s pregnancy was made known in the last episode, the father’s name remained a mystery. Joel Samuels (Daniel McPherson), who had located her and persuaded her to go back to Erinsborough, was seen sharing cocktails in a flashback. Joel might be the father.
Then, in the final episode’s video messages, we watched Andrew Bibby’s portrayal of Lance Wilkinson, Amy’s ex-boyfriend, who said that although they had never been able to walk down the aisle together, “there could still be time.”
Could there have been a reunion of Lance and Amy?
The father’s name was kept purposefully ambiguous, and we believe that Jason Herbison is one of the few individuals that is aware of who it is. Will we ultimately find the truth if Amy remains on the recently revamped show?
Maddy Hargreaves
The choice to split up Mackenzie and Hendrix in the last weeks, especially since Hendrix passed away just a few days after their wedding, drew a lot of discussion.
In her years in Erinsborough, Mackenzie overcame a lot of hardship and had eventually found her sense of self as a successful, content trans woman who was pursuing a legal career, was married to a supportive husband, and had a father who could now accept her for who she truly was.
While some fans were disappointed that there wouldn’t be a happy ending for the couple, Georgie Stone stated that Hendrix’s demise had been planned for some time due to Ben Turland’s contract expiring.
During the last several weeks, Mackenzie struggled with her grief while those close to her gradually assisted her in picking up the pieces. One of the first indications that there was light at the end of the tunnel was a tender exchange between her and Harold Bishop (Ian Smith), who has also gone through his fair share of loss.
She and Hendrix had discussed moving in together, and Pierce Hendrix (Tim Robards), Hendrix’s father, had offered to purchase them an apartment. After Hendrix passed away, she made the decision to stay on Ramsay Street, but with Chloe opting to sell No. 24, it was uncertain if she would accept Pierce’s offer.
There are several ways to keep Mac around, including the possibility of her relocating to No. 28 to live with Karl and Susan, so perhaps, we’ll see a lot more of her when Neighbours returns in 2019.
Executive Producer Jason Herbison of Neighbours may expect a very hectic few months before production resumes because there are so many unknowns.
When Neighbours returns in 2023, we can’t wait to see who returns and what new faces we’ll encounter.
