Hope for Neighbours as soap has been cancelled and renewed before in doomed run

dailystar.co.uk:

READ MORE: Neighbours fans 'in tears' at surprise flashback scenes as soap begins final week But a deficit in figures means it’s finally the end for Neighbours, much to the devastation of fans everywhere.Channel 5’s resident head of programming Ben Frow told the Radio Times that its axe was a “business decision”, insisting that while he could have spent more money on keeping it going, he could “spend the money on other things, which is what I decided to do.

I can better spend the Neighbours money on UK shows.”Keen fans of the show, however, will know that it isn’t the first time Neighbours has been cancelled in its 37 year run, as original network Seven initially ditched it after just four months.The soap, created by TV executive Reg Watson, was commissioned based on the success of his earlier show Sons and Daughters, and proved popular with audiences in Melbourne.Audiences in Sydney, meanwhile, weren’t overly impressed by the residents of Erinsborough, and declining viewership figures meant the programme was axed completely in September that year.It had aired just 170 episodes at the time.However, Neighbours made television history in Australia when its production company Grundy Television instead approached Network Ten to discuss airing a second series, and they agreed.It was the first time in Australian TV history that a drama programme had successfully changed networks mid-run.For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.The show also had a rough start, being offered to rival channel Nine Network in 1982, who declined the pitch.