It’s a series woven into the fabric of Australia’s identity, that has stolen the hearts of many across the world. But sadly, after 40 years, Neighbours has officially called it quits – again.
While it is incredibly bittersweet to farewell the iconic series, its 40th anniversary marks a huge milestone to be celebrated for the talent it has produced and the fans it has impacted.
TV WEEK speaks exclusively with Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne – who play Dr Karl and Susan Kennedy – about how the news has affected them.
“The first time the show was cancelled it was utter devastation,” Jackie, 69, recalls of the series initially getting the axe in 2021, before its surprise renewal in 2023. “The second time we were a bit more prepared – but it’s still very sad for all of us.”
Married couple Susan and Karl moved to Ramsay Street, Erinsborough in 1994, with the actors having appeared on our screens for 30 years and sharing a wide range of memorable storylines together – from poetic to downright ridiculous.
“Susan having a relationship with a Catholic priest and defrocking him – I really had to dig deep for that one,” Jackie jokes. “I thought that might’ve been a bridge too far, but I got through it.”
“For me, it was Susan’s amnesia,” Alan, 67, adds. “Jackie was presented with an enormous challenge where she had to play Susan as not remembering anything after the age of 16 but having to deal with the fact that she is apparently married. It was a delicate, sensitive story.
“It gave us an opportunity as Karl and Susan to almost fall back in love with each other again, which culminated in Karl and Susan renewing their vows and Susan remembering her original wedding vows at that ceremony. It was a very poignant, beautiful story.”
Executive producer and former series writer Jason Herbison, 54, wants to ensure those storylines are remembered in a unique way in the celebratory final year of Neighbours.
“While nostalgia is always part of our celebration, this time around we wanted to tip our hat to the storytelling themes of the past four decades,” Jason tells TV WEEK. “The big classic twists and turns that the viewers love.”
Neighbours is not just known for its creative story arcs, but also for producing some of the country’s biggest stars, with Alan declaring the series the “best classroom for television”.
“We’ve worked with Margot Robbie, Kylie [Minogue], Jesse Spencer,” Alan lists. “These people who have gone on to the world stage. But you’ve also got your Peter O’Briens and Ben Lawsons, who are working in every country doing great work.”
Cast member Hannah Monson, who joined the cast as Nicolette Stone in 2023, was simply grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the ride.
“You don’t often get to say that you’ve worked on a show that’s run for 40 years,” the 32-year-old explains. “I just feel lucky I got to jump in on the tail end.”
As for what the cast will do come July, when filming ceases, Jackie for one is looking forward to reading more books, while Alan will be straight off to the UK and Ireland touring as a musician, his other passion! Meanwhile, Hannah hopes to be floating in the idyllic blue waters of Greece on a well-deserved holiday.
They all also happily declare that they have no intention of doing any “reality gigs” any time soon.
“If they had a show called The Amazing Crawl, maybe,” Alan teases, in reference to doing The Amazing Race.
“The Amazing Sit Down And Have A Cup Of Tea, I could do,” Jackie jokes.
As for the iconic on-screen couple that have gone through many ups and downs, working together so closely for three decades has made them dear friends, not simply colleagues.
“This has been our happy place for a very, very long time,” Alan says. “We’ve had each other to fall on for 30 years. We have a lot to do with each other’s lives.”
“We will miss the daily opportunities to insult each other,” Jackie adds with a laugh.
Another thing they will deeply miss is the opportunity to connect with their fans around the world.
“I had a beautiful letter from a young man who genuinely said to me that Neighbours saved his life,” Alan says. “He was suffering so much from mental illness until he saw what the characters were going through and he got help. That’s just one story, and it’s one of many.”
“You’re working on something that is a very, very important element in a lot of people’s lives,” Jackie says. “That needs to be treated with respect and care. It’s an honour to have been a part of that.”
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