[Denver]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

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

Tbf it's still getting 1.5m per episode on CH5 which is kinda in line with the decline of soaps.

The reason Ch5 got rid was because they wasn't making anything from the show at all and it was loss after loss which if your paying £21m a year you want to generate a lot if profits from ads which they don't