How should Neighbours end? A question that has been on the lips of the nation since news of the beloved soap’s untimely axing broke earlier this year.
Wrapping up any series is a tall task for TV producers, given that the final result will likely divide fans, no matter what route is taken.
A serial drama, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish, especially one that spans four decades and has been home to some of the most iconic moments TV has ever seen.
That was the task that Jason Herbison, Neighbours’ executive producer, and his team were faced with when Channel 5 controversially axed the show in February.
Fans wasted little time in theorising about how Neighbours would, and should, end, with some reckoning that a big soapy style disaster was the solution, while others suggested that the whole thing was a dream of Bouncer the dog’s.
Neighbours, however, opted for neither of those routes, instead taking the opportunity to celebrate everything that the show is, and has been over the past 37 years.
And what is that, exactly? What is Neighbours?
Well, it’s a lot of things, as summed up by Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) in the final moments of tonight’s episode. At it’s core however, it’s good neighbours, and ultimately good friends.
And that’s exactly what we got, both over the past few weeks and in the finale. The last month of episodes have been an utter joy, with faces old and new chucked together, creating the perfect blend for both returning audiences, and those who have stuck with the soap through thick and thin.
Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte) staged a deliciously camp comeback which resulted in her locking horns with mortal enemy Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) once more, making for some great TV, reminiscent of the show’s peak noughties era.
Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), meanwhile, video-called pretty much of all of his children, giving us the Robinson clan get-together we’ve all longed for.
Love and family remained central themes throughout, and a number of well-paced and well-written narratives, all involving some sort of finality, set the scene superbly for the last ever episode.
The finale certainly didn’t disappoint, with an hour-long outing that was dripping in nostalgia, but one that ultimately did not get stuck in the past. There was a lot of reflecting, yes, but it was used to help characters make choices for their future – which is exactly what we do in real life.
And let’s face it, nostalgia or no nostalgia, Having Scott and Charlene (Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue) and Mike Young (Guy Pearce) back on our screens, alongside Jane Harris (Annie Jones), was a truly history-making moment!
Neighbours’ heart, however, has always lay in Susan, and she quite rightly took her place at the centre of the show’s conclusion.
The matriarch’s closing monologue, which was cleverly hidden within the show’s universe as an introductory paragraph for the History of Ramsay Street book, summed up Neighbours – and Ramsay Street – beautifully, with a little nod to the viewers at home as well, who’ve watched their journey from afar.
Karl, noticing his wife’s moment of reflection, asked her where she was, in terms of where her mind had wandered to.
‘I was home’, replied Susan.
That’s what Ramsay Street is to audiences. Home. How could it not be? We’ve all popped into Erinsborough for a daily visits at some point in our lives, and some of us have even done so for our entire lives.
Neighbours has been a safe space, and a little slice of escapism for near enough 40 years, and it finished out by doing what it always did best, in putting a smile on our faces.
To answer the question posed at the beginning, that‘s how you conclude Neighbours.
It really is the perfect end.
But you might be wondering why it is ending at all. And that in itself is the million dollar question.
Neighbours, you see, did not just pull it out of the bag for the finale, as this is a show that has been in great shape for a very long time. This year, in particular, it was enjoying some of its best ever storylines, prior to news of its axe.
With intriguing new characters, dripping with potential and incredible plot twists, left, right and centre, the beloved soap was firing on all cylinders before the cancellation pulled the rug out from under it, meaning that some of these wonderful stories had to cut short, and newbies written out just after being written in.
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It’s a rare thing, especially in this day and age, for a show to not only be in such good nick but to also have such a strong committed fanbase, as demonstrated in the wake of the cancellation. This, of course, just makes the whole thing incredibly frustrating, as Neighbours could’ve quite easily could’ve continued for many years to come.
Channel 5’s reasoning for ending the show is that they want to invest in ‘original UK drama’, which the broadcaster claims has a ‘strong appeal’ for audiences.
Neighbours, however, very much still has ‘strong appeal’ for viewers too, given its consistency ratings-wise, not to mention the outcry of support the show received upon its cancellation.
The station’s boss claimed that Neighbours’ money is ‘better spent’ on other projects, but given how well Neighbours still performs, coupled with the fact that it’s a show in extremely good condition, it’s hard to see how funding something new at the expense of this well-established, beloved brand will be beneficial long-term.
In fact, it’s difficult to see Neighbours’ untimely end as anything other than a mistake, and it’s likely one that we’ll look back on for years to come, wondering why it happened, given the mileage it evidently still had left.
But hey, at least we’ve got more ‘original UK drama’ to look forward to, right?
Neighbours: The Finale is now available to stream on My5.
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