Shane Withington from Home and Away has expressed his support for the cast and crew of Neighbours following rumours that the show may be cancelled 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 sympathy to our comrades in Ramsay Street,” wrote Withington, who portrays John Palmer on the serial.
After bumping the show from its 5.30pm 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.”
“Of course, we’d like to thank the fans for their unwavering support of Neighbours over 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 maxi fen 10 av maxtreme i norge tamoxifen citrate 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 cancelled.
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 is committed to the show, its cast and staff, and hopes that Fremantle can find a new production partner. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.”
“Neighbours is more than just a TV programme – it is a source of comfort and amusement for generations of fans who have watched it for decades,” fans wrote in a petition to save the show, which has been running for almost 37 years.
