Neighbours may have been saved from moving house thanks to the global recession -at least for another year.
Two years ago it was reported the show was only guaranteed a continued roof at Global Studios in Nunawading until 2010 due to property developments. The land was tipped to be worth some $25m.
But it now has another year up its sleeve at its long-term studios thanks to a slump in the property market.
Adjoining real-estate developments have slowed, giving the production another twelve months before it has to face any exodus decisions.
“FremantleMedia is looking forward to another year of producing Neighbours at Nunawading which is particularly significant as we head toward our 25th Anniversary in 2010,” said FremantleMedia’s Managing Director (Melbourne) Tony Skinner told TV Tonight.
The Nunawading site, which has been home to the show since it moved from Seven to TEN in 1985, was Channel TEN’s original Melbourne home when it was known as ATV-0. The site was famously used for exteriors for Prisoner and was even an early home for FOX FM radio station.
The defunct outdoor set for Holiday Island (now fondly remembered as the tropical island soap filmed in wintery Melbourne) was later turned into the ‘Lassiters’ exteriors for Neighbours, and after several revamps is still used for exteriors today. A move from the site could have immediately placed those exteriors in jeopardy.
Any future move would not jeopardise the legendary ‘Ramsay Street’ exteriors, filmed in nearby Vermont.
These days the TEN soap is the major tenant at Global Studios, with the space also occasionally hired by smaller outfits.
Neighbours is already planning its celebrations for its 25th Anniversary in 2010.
But we’re constantly assaulted with news that the Melbourne property market is Booming despite the recession! Guess you don’t beleive everything you read!
Unfortunately its the sign of the times …. look at ATN-7 at Epping. The studios will be bulldozed in January for housing. Redfern will be the new home for Channel 7.
Considering it will be their 25th ann Neighbours will pull out all the stops. Given that it’s a countdown until they lose the site in Nundawading I suspect Lassiters, Charlie’s and Harold’s will again burn down.
Which they’d love because it means a chance to have another reboot of sorts.
Vermont South, not Vermont. Vermont is much further north.
@tomothy I was thinking the same thing! Maybe they can just openly renovate for a change? It hasn’t been the same since they got rid of the pool.
@stevie g Some of the buildings are just facades, so I suppose they could be moved. Lassiters hotel will have to go. Sad indeed.
My Dad use to work at ATV 10 in the 1980′s, I fondly remember walking through the corridors when it was a bustling TV station. I remember watching recordings of Eyewitness News, Early Bird Show and Young Talent Time….. will be very sad to see the old place turned into housing developments.
Looks like, Nunawading’s going to end up like North Ryde, former home of TEN-10, nothing left, but the memories.
Considering, it’s been nearly twenty years since Ten first mooted moving out of their Sydney and Melbourne facilities, into more manageable setups, and ADS moved out of Strangeways Terrace a few years back, it leaves the youngest member of the network in Perth and the most mishandled member of the network in Brisbane, still in their original facilities.
Thats such a shame, so much history. Does this mean the whole place is going to be knocked down? I used to be an extra on neighbours in the 90s, so i have fond memories of that as well as Prisoner, YTT and the Holiday Island set morphing into Lassiters.
Home to Young Talent Time and Rove as well. Great for audience members, because the car park there is huge.
I guess there will be another fire at Lassiters’ in 12 months time unless they can renew again. Maybe they can do an earthquake this time?
Ah holiday Island such fond memories of this short lived classic. Didn’t know it was filmed on the same site as Neighbours.
it will always be wentworth to me i have been there twice at the 25th and 30th reuion of prisoner
i wonder if it really was the global recession that saved it for another year or were they just to scared that it is haunted from all the ghosts of wentworth detention center