Oh Fuck: Neighbours Is Facing Cancellation After 35 Years & Aussie TV Will Never Be The Same

The production company behind Aussie TV mainstay Neighbours reckons changes to local content quotas may just put an end to our friends on Ramsay Street, and God, I’m going to miss Susan the most.

Fremantle Media CEO Chris Oliver-Taylor told the ABC on Wednesday that our beloved Neighbours may not be around for much longer.

“I think in the free-to-air environment Neighbours could most certainly be at risk if the quotas (for Australian content) were to change,” he said.

At the start of the year, the 35-year-long Aussie drama that’s been bringing housefires, murder plots, white weddings and gas leak explosions was forced to halt production thanks to coronavirus.

Mentally, I’m here

In an attempt to save our favourite shows, the Federal Government threw the struggling networks a lifeline by suspending quotas for locally produced drama, documentaries and children’s shows.

A review of the quotas has since been placed on hold, with the option to extend the suspension through 2021.

“If there’s no incentive financially for those (Australian) networks to commission – to make content reasonably cheaper – then those networks will look to acquire content from overseas at a cheaper price point,” Oliver-Taylor said.

Me too Susan, me too

It’s been a rough couple of months for our beloved Neighbours. Back in March, production was shut down not once, but twice.

The first time came after a crew member came into contact with a positive case of COVID-19, then a week later the social distancing guidelines shut everything down once more.

Here’s hoping our favourite faces can make it through the pandemic. I mean, they survive a car crash almost every week, surely they’ve got this one in the bag.

I’ll miss these kinds of moments most.

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