[user104658]

Originally Posted by GoldHeart

Really?? . I thought this was a complete AXE of the soap itself .

It's always been more popular here in the UK than in Australia - they've always needed that funding (traditionally BBC, latterly Channel 5) to make the show so if they don't find another UK broadcaster (or streaming service, I suppose) that can fund the production, it can't continue.

That's also the reason Home and Away is able to survive fine; it's more the other way round. It was always a more popular soap in Australia than Neighbours with OK viewership.. in fact, I think it increased quite a bit in recent years. So basically it can continue with just the funding of the network it airs on over in Australia.

The popularity of Neighbours in the UK was really that it aired on BBC1, and that it aired at lunch and dinner time, so it sort of became family viewing of a sort . It started to decline as soon as it went to Ch5.

I haven't watched it for years but I'd still be quite sad to see it end