Amazon’s resuscitation of Neighbours: can Aussie TV become good friends with streaming?
In this cross-posting from The Conversation, Monash University’s Tessa Dwyer and The University of Melbourne’s Radha O’Meara explore if classic Australian TV can make a good alliance with streaming companies.
Many were shocked by the announcement last Friday that Australian soap opera Neighbours would return to screens in 2023, courtesy of a new deal between production house Fremantle Australia and multinational digital streamer Amazon. Significantly, this announcement overturns many expectations about television in the age of streaming.
When news of Neighbours’ cancellation broke earlier this year, streamers declined to offer a lifeline, with veteran cast member Stefan Dennis (aka Paul Robinson) lamenting that soaps seemed out-of-kilter with the demands of streaming.
Back in February, journalist Michael Idato noted streamers were focused on “short-order, very high quality” blue-chip programming, with long-running, continuing soaps like Neighbours presenting a less attractive option despite loyal fans and healthy audience numbers. After all, when axed by UK Channel 5, Neighbours was still attracting 1 million daily viewers in the UK alone.
