Fans are outraged that the Neighbours finale would show on Station 10’s digital spinoff channel 10 Peach.
Following the loss of its main UK broadcast partner Channel 5, the Australian soap, which started aired in 1985, was abruptly cancelled in March of this year.
The final episode will premiere on August 1, and it will run on 10 Peach in Australia, where the show was transferred in 2011.
Since 1986, when Channel 10 took over the soap from Channel Seven in its second season, it had broadcast on Channel 10.
Some fans expected Neighbours to return to 10 for the finale, but that was not to be.
‘Surely, if this programme was so liked, it wouldn’t be being cut in the first place?!’ wrote one fan on a Neighbours message board.
‘I’d be the first to suggest it should be on 10 if they showed it and then a major two-hour special, but for now, with the information we have, it’s just concluding on Peach as usual with a normal episode.’ ‘There was no fanfare,’ claimed another.
‘Final should always be on the main channel.’ It was an institution in Australia. If 10 won’t sponsor the show, the least they can do is finish it in HD rather than subjecting viewers to the poor quality of the SD channel,’ someone else added.
‘I agree… they could even make the last episode into an hour and air it on the main channel at 7.30 on a Sunday night.’ Another agreed that the send-off will be watched by a large number of people.
The last episode will air in Australia in sync with the UK, according to TV Tonight.
From June 13, 10 Peach will broadcast double episodes to keep Australians up to date with the UK air dates and avoid spoilers.
To commemorate the final season of Neighbours, fans of Ramsay St can tune in to double the fun, double the excitement with double episodes starting Monday, June 13. The ultimate series finale will run on Monday, August 1st, according to a Channel 10 spokesperson.
