Comments on: Gallery: Neighbours new sets

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:14:17 +0000

Neighbours is still producing solid ratings for Five here in the UK, just before Christmas it was reaching highs of 1.8m and since then has maintained ratings of around 1.5 in the evenings. Sadly it’s still way down on what it used to get on the BBC but all things considering it is still quite popular.

EastEnders, just celebrated its 25th anniversary and it was a huge success, around 17 million viewers tuned in for the live episode! Since then EastEnders has maintained regular ratings of 10 million viewers, placing it as Britain’s most watched show. Neighbours could learn a thing or two, new sets just wont cut it when the storylines and writing are so incredibly weak.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:07:00 +0000

The Austin Hospital has been used for the establishing shots since 2006 (after Carmella’s loopy cousin burnt down the maternity ward), but whenever the characters are in a scene outside the hospital it’s just shot around the Nunawading studio – usually outside the entrance to the reception area.

By: MCP

MCP — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:38:46 +0000

I too thought it was the Austin….

By: Shazza

Shazza — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:20:28 +0000

They should have spent the money on quality scripts and actors.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:49:50 +0000

Lucy Robinson is probably one of the only character to be played by 3 different actors!
The weirdest one was Duncan in H&A who went into the Christmas break as a five-year old non-speaking role and came back the next year as a 10 year old main character.
Then there was Caroline Gillmer who wore a red wig to play Sheryl Stark in Neighbours, so when she got sick, Collette Mann just showed up and popped the wig on!

By: David Knox

David Knox — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:58:05 +0000

Good thoughts…. pretty sure it was Box Hill hospital?

By: Adam Winsor(Feral Beral)

Adam Winsor(Feral Beral) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:50:55 +0000

I love Neighbours and I think I will always have a place in my heart for it but somethings wrong, you can’t lose so many viewers after a summer break and survive as it currently is. To me i see nothing wrong with the show, I am really enjoying the storylines, some of the best in years and I am slowly warming to the newer younger cast members, it has gone through alot of changes in the past few years but i think its flowing nicely. I have noticed there is an empty house in Ramsay Street that they never mention, perhaps a new family or a kooky old lady with a 100 cats could suddenly appear, something funny and more comedic might add a touch of what the show needs. I’ve heard so many people comment on why they hate the show, what about some of the great things its done for our entertainment industry, i really would like to see Neighbours around for another 25 years at least, its a show with alot of warmth and heart, i also think alot of people who watch, rely on it and treat it like a dear old friend who you’ve shared so much with. Yes i may sound like an emotional soapie freak, i guess I am but i long for the days of just pure soap opera’s not Australian “drama’s” , i think there is room for a few more soaps at least, we do them so well in Australia. I think if anything was to change to much with Neighbours, there would be a public outcry, not just here but in the UK aswell, if it ever was axed, i’d hope another Network would again pick it up!! Lets just wait and see if the ratings improve, if you care about the show, tell your freinds to watch again, its at a time when the storylines are so juicy and it would be easy to tap into.The new sets look great btw and are they still shooting exteriors for the hospital at the Austin anymore??

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:36:42 +0000

It is not the first time that a cast member has been re-cast on Neighbours. Remember Lucy Robinson? She was re-cast and people accepted the change pretty well.
The new sets will breathe new life into Neighbours.

By: Bazza

Bazza — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:48:15 +0000

@bindi

You need to get out more, every second cop shop on the Gold Coast and even in Brisbane looks a bit like that now. Google street-view is your friend.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:27:49 +0000

It will take much more than new sets to save this dead and buried show which has constantly had low ratings and a lack of popularity for many years now.

@tasmanian devil the show was huge in the UK but what century are we talking about? It was huge back in the 80′s/early 90′s but has been in shambles since.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:25:29 +0000

Also visible in the Nearmap photos, a piece of Erinsborough history. In the field behind the set they still have the old bridge that used to cross the big pond that was where the courtyard is now, back in the days when I used to watch.

By: James

James — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:36:18 +0000

Brekkie, you are spot on – UK ratings have been on the slide for years. The show dropped the ball. With even a degree of care, it could still be rating like EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale (and Five would’ve paid a lot more).

John, recasting is nothing new – but you can only do it so often. Summer is a waste – she’s not a key character, and presumably is only back to give Steph something to do. Declan makes more sense, because without him, Rebecca is without a family. By using the device twice in a short time, it becomes comical.

They need to take a page out of Home and Away’s book. They jumped the shark in a big way in 2009, yet are addressing it appropriately. But perhaps Neighbours has simply had too many chances.

By: Marc

Marc — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:46:15 +0000

They need to sack Susan Bower, She has ruined the programme. Im in the UK and used to love watching neighbours at tea time, but its got so cringeworthy, it needs to stop.

And those titles at the start are just way too cheesy for anyone to take it seriously.
They need to make the songtitle more modern, and stop the cheese in the clips.

Need good storylines.

Ill take the job, i can make it as successful as Eastenders is in the UK within one year.

By: Brekkie

Brekkie — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:02:06 +0000

The show is far from huge in the UK now. Ratings were falling even before the BBC lost the rights, and since moving to Five it’s lost around half it’s audience.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:14:36 +0000

Maybe Ten will end up offloading it to their third channel in 2011? (if they can get it running then)

Considering the current audiences are quite low, most of them are probably quite dedicated fans, so would switch across.

By: tomothy

tomothy — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:05:02 +0000

Nearmap shows that they have ripped out the entire middle garden and ponds and replaced it with paving!! It looks dreadful. I really liked the garden area. It didnt look to good in 2005 when all the plans were small, but now it looks really nice. Very dissapointing, I hope they replanted all the stuff elsewhere.