From Scott and Charlene to Madge’s ghost, here are the top ten Neighbours memories… With the Australian drama finally coming to an end, we look back on the top moments from its 37-year run, which included plenty of twists, weddings, even a tornado.
Neighbours had nice buddies once upon a time. However, after producers Fremantle failed to secure a new UK investor to salvage the Australian serial, Neighbours is slated to conclude its 37-year run in June.
It debuted on the Seven Network in 1985 and was quickly taken over by Channel 10 four months later, transforming it into water cooler fodder and a Logies award-winning machine. More than one million Australians turned in each night at its peak to follow the escapades of four “typical” Australian families living in a cul-de-sac in suburban Melbourne.
The British then went on board. The ratings skyrocketed. The wedding of Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene (Kylie Minogue), one of the show’s most popular storylines, drew nearly 20 million viewers in the United Kingdom.
However, in the 2000s, Ramsay Street’s lights began to dim. Home and Away lost a significant portion of its following, and by the beginning of 2010, the show’s ratings had plunged. In 2008, it was transferred to the UK’s “cheap” Channel 5, and three years later, the Ten network in Australia moved it from a post-nightly news time on its main channel to one of the broadcaster’s auxiliary channels. Even when it was revealed that Neighbours was on the verge of being cancelled due to Channel 5’s departure, the show was still attracting 1.5 million viewers over the UK’s two daily screenings.
Let’s take a stroll down Ramsay Street and reflect on the ten memories and experiences that defined Neighbours.
1. The wedding of Scott and Charlene (1987)
The “royal wedding” as it should be. It was watched by 19.6 million people in the UK and sent baby’s breath supplies soaring. Kylie Jenner’s career took off, and a homegrown celebrity was born. Kylie and Charlene are now the names of a generation of Australians and Britons.
2-Harold Holt did a Harold Holt when he was washed out to sea in 1991.
Was he truly no longer alive? No way. After being picked up by an unidentified boat, he developed amnesia. Actor Ian Smith’s resignation was really prompted by contract issues. In 1996, 2008, 2011, and 2015, he returned to and departed Ramsay Street on several occasions.
3- Helen Daniels’ death (number three) (1997)
Helen, the Mother of Neighbours, was one of the first Ramsay Street characters. When the Erinsborough matriarch died in her sleep on her sofa after watching a 10-year-old video of her grandson Scott and Charlene’s wedding, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Given the character’s centrality to the show, no credits were aired at the end for the first time.
4- Madge was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had septicaemia shortly after her death — with Harold by her side (2001). Her real love Harold was by her side as she died in bed. Finally, it’s over. No way! As a ghost, she returned to Ramsay Street to assist Harold at difficult times. Harold made his way to Port Douglas in the end (almost every character written out of Neighbours moved to Queensland). He didn’t take her spirit along.
5. Toadie and Dee get to the altar, but she passes away (2003)
The beast and the beauty are two sides of the same coin. Toadfish married Dee, a beautiful angel. Is there a happy ending? Obviously not. On the way to the reception, Toadie unintentionally drove their car off a cliff and into the water, ending the union in tragedy. Dee’s body was never located, and Toadie had no choice but to accept that she had died. It’s hardly surprising, then, that Dee returned, or that she had an evil doppelganger named Andrea who tossed Dee down a cliff near Byron Bay. (No, that wasn’t the end of Dee; she later relocated to Alaska.)
6. The romance between Karl and Izzy (2004)
Dr. Karl couldn’t keep it contained in his pants any longer. He was back at it with “homewrecker” Izzy, played by pop chanteuse Natalie Bassingthwaighte, just a few years after his tumultuous relationship with young Sarah. Susan, his unfortunate wife, was once again forced to take up the slack. A pregnancy, paternity questions, and a miscarriage were all part of the storey. Soap fodder that has been around for a long time.
7. The tornado hits Erinsborough (2014)
The strange weather event is a typical soap opera plot: all of the death and devastation perfectly sets up a slew of stories centred on desperate sexual encounters, proposals, and missing people. Paige and Mark gave way to their desires as the tornado reached Erinsborough, Daniel proposed to Amber after they rescued Paul, and Susan performed an emergency tracheotomy. She was a schoolteacher, but she was married to a doctor, so she’s more than qualified in soapland. Lauren kissed Brad on the lips. It was possible to save a wombat. Someone got stuck in a porta-potty.
8. The first same-sex marriage on Australian television following the legalisation of same-sex marriage (2018)
Since Scott and Charlene’s wedding, this was the most memorable Neighbours wedding. When David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) went down the aisle in Neighbours, it was the first same-sex wedding to ever telecast on Australian television. Magda Szubanski, a notable marriage equality advocate, served as the couple’s celebrant in this historic occasion. During the wedding moment, the duet Especially For You by Minogue and Donovan was performed.
9. With five marriages and three deaths, the 35th anniversary was a blockbuster week (2020)
When there’s never enough Neighbours. In March 2020, Neighbours celebrated its 35th anniversary. The special week included five normal weekday episodes as well as five bonus episodes from the Neighbours: Endgame series. There were five weddings, three fatalities, baggage bombs, exotic islands, a mineshaft, a body in a boat, a storm, a deadly snake, and much, much more.
10. Those who created it (1985-2022)
Despite its waning popularity in recent years, Neighbours is responsible for the worldwide careers of a slew of Australian celebrities, including Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, and Guy Pearce. One of our most successful worldwide exports is Kylie Minogue. Robbie has been nominated for an Academy Award twice. Pearce has also received a Screen Actors Guild award, an Emmy nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination. The children performed admirably.