The cast of Neighbours was spotted in tears just a few weeks ago after Channel 5 said it would no longer fund the show, putting its existence in jeopardy.
However, it appears that one guest star, who had only been on set for a month or so, failed to consider this when filming their final scenes for the Australian soap recently.
According to The Herald Sun, the mystery actor didn’t’read the room’ and arranged a farewell party for the cast and crew, despite the fact that the bulk of them were already distraught over the idea of losing their jobs.
‘Surely it can’t be true… that someone who gets a few weeks of work on the struggling soap Neighbours expects the production to give them a farewell party?’ The Rundown, a gossip publication, reported on the situation.
‘What’s wrong with a bouquet of flowers and a thank-you note on the way out?’
‘It seems like someone is stuck in the past and isn’t reading the room very well, with the large cast and crew already emotional about losing their jobs in July.’
In 2008, Channel 5 in the United Kingdom purchased the rights to the 37-year-old soap and agreed to cover the majority of the production costs.
However, the network just stated that Neighbours might be cancelled, putting the show’s future in peril.
Instead, starting this summer, the network will focus on “original UK drama.”
Because it was not commercially viable for Australian broadcaster Network 10 to pay the Freemantle Media-produced show alone, Channel 5 covered the majority of the production expenditures.
‘As mentioned in the email to Neighbours cast and crew, it is our aim to maintain our affiliation with Neighbours if another [UK] broadcast partner comes forward,’ a Network 10 spokeswoman recently said.
‘Network 10 remains committed to the show, its cast and crew, and hopes that Fremantle will find a new production partner.’ We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.’
It comes after Jackie Woodburne predicted that Neighbours will leave a “huge void” in television programming.
The 66-year-old actress, who has played Susan Kennedy on the legendary soap opera since 1994, equated the show’s termination to the “loss of an icon.”
‘It doesn’t matter how conscious you are of the fans that watch the programme and how much they appreciate it,’ she remarked in an interview with Studio 10, ‘but this week, it’s like a floodgate has opened and I’ve had the most beautiful comments from people.’
‘People are going to miss the show, and it will leave a huge hole in the landscape of not only Australian television, but also worldwide television, particularly in the United Kingdom.’
‘It’s the end of an era, the death of a legend, and we’ll never see another show like Neighbours,’ says one fan.
