An absolute treat.
And thank you so much for reading tonight’s liveblog. It’s been a bit of a hard week, so chatting with you all about Neighbours has been a real tonic.
Don't mind me, just sobbing over a show I've not watched in twenty years #Neighbours pic.twitter.com/D7PfwZpEqV
— SHANE REACTION (@imshanereaction) July 29, 2022
Have a good Friday night.
“Thank you for loving us. We love you!” says the closing titles.
Thank you for loving us, we love you 💛 #Neighbours pic.twitter.com/dpnoykQpdf
— Neighbours (@neighbours) July 28, 2022
That was a touching finale. The plot was a bit surreal and, at times, felt bonkers. But when you think about it, that IS Neighbours. Wouldn’t have had it any other way.
All the main characters are there hugging and laughing (including Kylie and Jason on their balcony). A balloon explodes full of CGI confetti for some reason. A nice way to bow out, I think.
The closing titles are all the theme tunes from the past 37 years blended into one. They sound fine individually, but mixed together it sounds quite horrible.
The sound mixer really tried, though. Give them the wine.
“I think you have to acknowledge everything, celebrate it all,” says Susan. “The good, the bad, because all of that makes us all we are. Everyone deserves a place in the history of Ramsay Street. Even those who have watched us from afar.”
“Together, we have been the perfect blend.”
Congratulations to everyone who said the final words would include the lyrics from the theme tune!
A nice nod to how well the soap has been supported in the UK over the years.
Cue millions of viewers now collectively making angry gestures at Channel 5.
Nope, not emotional. Not a mess. I’m fine. I’m absolutely fine. I don’t know what you’re thinking. Let’s not make accusations. Stop it. How dare you.
Plain Jane Superbrain, Mike, Scott and Charlene are all embracing each other. This is a lovely moment for those people who watched them all together in the 1980s.
It now appears some of the key characters are buying up these properties! A lovely twist. Mike and Plain Jane Superbrain are moving in.
And now Susan is walking round Ramsay Street talking about the ridiculous amount of romances (half the street are currently making out in a tent?!), affairs and tragedies over the years. Also Kylie and Jason’s schedule clearly did not match everyone else’s, as we see scenes of them cackling from a nearby balcony.
After Susan mentions the characters who have died, we see a dream sequence consisting of them mingling with others at the party.
AND MADGE IS THERE.
MADGE.
MADGE. OH GOD MADGE. I'M A MESS.#NeighboursFinale pic.twitter.com/BNDZlAQpW5
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 29, 2022
Who has silenced Charlene? Is she being paid by the word? What’s going on?!
Plain Jane Superbrain, Mike, Scott and Charlene are all embracing each other. This is a lovely moment for those people who watched them all together in the 1980s.
It now appears some of the key characters are buying up these properties! A lovely twist. Mike and Plain Jane Superbrain are moving in.
I've been waiting for this 😍😍😍 #AusPace pic.twitter.com/Qq9zZQssh7
— Neighbours (@neighbours) July 28, 2022
Closure is painful.
At least she mentions the ‘shrugalero,’ the fashion item her character Donna invented. It is a scarf you wear around your shoulders. Criminal she isn’t wearing it.
The full list of people who appeared in that montage, by the way, were Beth (Natalie Imbruglia), Flick (Holly Valance), Steph (Carla Bonner), Stu (Blair McDonough), Tad (Jonathan Dutton), Joe Mangel (Mark Little), Lance (Andrew Bibby), Nina (Delta Goodrem), Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer) and Joe Mangel (Mark Little).
Congratulations if you didn’t go “WHO?” during some of that montage.
I had to ask who some of them were and I’m such a fan I’m actually writing a liveblog.
“Some of our old Neighbours who cannot be here are sending messages,” says Karl, completely failing at pretending these tribute videos are for a wedding celebration and not the soap ending.
This montage includes a hello from Margot Robbie, who appears to be desperately covering the fact that she is recording hers between interviews at a film junket.
There’s a lot of storylines that have been running for months which are clearly being wrapped up in a hurry, to provide closure for the soap’s more regular viewers. Paul is talking about his Lassiter’s contract, while another character is talking about his vineyard. I have absolutely no idea what is going on – and I am living for it.
Fun fact. I’m named after Scott from Neighbours. When I was born, my Mum asked my sisters what I should be called. My eldest sister was obsessed with their relationship and suggested Scott. The name stuck (my Mum denies this, saying she has always liked the name Scott).
I’m not the only one who has done this, clearly.
Neighbours finale tonight, probably a good time to mention that twenty years ago my mother changed both of our surnames by deed poll because she fancied Dr Carl Kennedy
— Kara Kennedy (@karaalyskennedy) July 29, 2022
SCOTT AND CHARLENE ARE HERE EVERYONE!
“Home Sweet Home” says Charlene (AKA Kylie) as they arrive.
Brilliant that Kylie is wearing her overalls, as if her character has spent the past four decades living like she is still in the 1980s.
Here they are 😍😍 #AusPace pic.twitter.com/eFvKyk5JAY
— Neighbours (@neighbours) July 28, 2022
Everyone at the wedding has been given a piece of paper and asked to write one word about what love means to them. They are now having to read their word out in front of everyone else. This is like a team-building exercise. I cannot think of anything worse.
I would have just written “sandwiches” to confuse everybody.
Isn’t it amazing that the core of this episode is the relationship between Mike and Jane?
Like Guy Pearce is properly leaning into this. He hasn’t just popped in for a cameo.
we’re all a critic
And now it is time for Toadie and Melanie’s wedding! Let’s all pray that their wedding is better than Toadie’s first, with Dee (which ended with him driving the car – and Dee – into the ocean) or Toadie’s second wedding, with Sonya (where the venue blew up).
It seems like the cast are having a ball filming this though. Perhaps that is down to reports that Margot Robbie sent over 37 bottles of champagne to the cast and crew for the final episode. Harold does seem quite jolly.
Toadie’s mum Angie is there too!
Neighbours having the budget to afford to play George Ezra AND Harry Styles?!
Clearly rinsing the remaining budget.
OH MY GOD now there’s Natalie Imbruglia (who played Beth) and Holly Valance (who played Flick) discovering in a park that they both lived on Ramsay Street, after Beth was caught watching a Facebook video of Karl Kennedy playing a guitar.
I cannot think of anything worse than Karl Kennedy posting music on Facebook. Residents’ Facebook groups really are the worst. No wonder everyone is moving.
At least they can call it Facebook. They had an Onlyfans storyline recently and they had to make up a name for it, so they called it Fandangle.
Bit weird for Channel 5 to be throwing us so many Home & Away adverts.
Meanwhile Clive, who has been trying to woo Jane, is swigging booze at like 10am after hearing about Jane and Mike’s Ramsay Street nostalgia tour. News travels fast in Erinsborough, Jesus.
“See this lamp?” says Clive, now yelling at Mike. “This is me. It’s a bit old. A bit weathered. And it might fail to turn Jane on.”
This is one of the worst fight scenes that I have seen, because nobody is actually moving. I have no idea what is happening. Meanwhile, Paul Robinson has suddenly turned up limping, remembering he is supposed to have a false leg. And Harold and Des have just hosed Mike down. Let’s all be thankful the lamp wasn’t plugged in.
Omg and “Plain Jane Superbrain” has put her glasses on after losing one of her contacts!
“I always travel with a backup!” she says as she puts them on.
“There she is,” says Mike. ❤️
PLAIN JANE SUPERBRAIN #NeighboursFinale https://t.co/0iXZA1466o pic.twitter.com/n5fkV8oL5l
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 29, 2022
This is starting to feel less of an episode of Neighbours and more like a really weird episode of Location, Location, Location.
They are now in another Ramsay Street property and Mike is reminiscing about Daphne – who once lived there. Whilst she has been remembered for many storylines, none of them beat the time she gave birth without taking off her tights.
There are so many references to the 80s golden age of Neighbours I can hardly keep up. “Wow, her eyes did always follow you round the room,” Mike says about the infamous Mrs Mangel painting hung up in the hallway.
It’s a nice moment – but slightly overshadowed by the incident two weeks ago, when a painting of Mrs Mangel fell to the floor as one of the younger characters admitted to being a male escort.
OK this will take a few minutes to catch you up.
It’s true. He’s an absolute treat.
Award winning international actor Guy Pearce's genuine commitment to respecting the very simple #Neighbours storyline and being properly involved is just mint. What a champion.
— Penny Dahl (@Pennycopter) July 28, 2022
Susan has been set the challenge of updating and writing a foreword to a book containing photos and memories of some of Ramsay Street’s most notable residents, which is hilarious because nobody in real life does this and also because I don’t think this book has ever been mentioned (note: I have not seen all 8,900 episodes.)
Funnily enough, the book contains a lot of Erinsborough’s famous residents guaranteed to turn up this episode. Scott and Charlene! Mike and Jane!
Rather than Erinsborough being flattened by a comet, or a 50ft robotic Mrs Mangel causing carnage whilst shooting lasers from her eyes it appears that all of the residents are all simply moving away by their own free will. Everyone has a different reason for leaving.
“I just can’t get my head around how we went from Chloe selling her house to the whole street being on the market,” bemoans Karl, who remains with Susan as one of the last custodians.
Right here we go, and we start with a special recap featuring key moments from the soap’s entire history, including the time Susan slapped Karl.
This opening montage does have some things missing, such as Marlene saying that she was going on a cruise – and never returning. Oh and half the cast at one point having amnesia for one reason or another.
But oh, boy. This really does feel like the end.
The final episode starts with a montage featuring Bouncer's Dream! #NeighboursFinale pic.twitter.com/vlzmRP562n
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 29, 2022
Speaking of bizarre Neighbours moments, here is my favourite moment in the soap’s history.
It is when Karl and Susan decide to get remarried on a boat on The Thames, witnessed by Sinitta and officiated by Neil Morrissey of all people. Then, just as they renew their vows, Izzy interrupts and reveals that her water has broken.
Firstly, how did Izzy get onto the boat??!! Also, I love that as Izzy gives birth and Karl warns that an ambulance won’t be there in time, Londoners watching know that you could actually see Guy’s and Thomas’ hospital from the deck.
Honestly I think this is my favourite Neighbours scene of all time. pic.twitter.com/XYicVyCETg
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) March 3, 2022
This sums up tonight perfectly.
Although some responses did get a little pointed.
In 2010 I'd move it from a primetime slot on a popular channel to an unwatched digital outlet, using it as a cashcow to milk a UK broadcaster who see it as a medium-term prestige project. Then after years of zero support I'd act sad when it dies an unnecessarily premature death. https://t.co/dI1UPdBh60
— James (@jrawson) July 23, 2022
Let us know your theories. Both the wildest suggestion and the most accurate suggestion will win the kudos of random people on the internet! And there’s nothing more satisfying than that.
The final episode kicks off at 9pm, so until then, let us know your favourite Neighbours memories below the line and we will include as many as possible.
Plus, we all have to work out … How will Neighbours actually end? I mean, for the sanctuary of this liveblog let’s not dwell on the fact that the finale has already aired in Australia and the plot for the ending is a mere Google search away (fingers in ears lalalalalalalala).
I asked for some suggestions on Twitter the other day and got some quite ridiculous responses.
How would you end Neighbours?
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 22, 2022
Toadfish moves back to his hometown to set up a spinoff, the Colac-based legal drama Australia has been crying out for. https://t.co/lcsC9JzYcb
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) July 23, 2022
My personal favourite suggestions of how Neighbours could end include “giant meteor,” “the opening up of the multiverse as all three Lucy Robinsons turn up on Ramsay Street at the same time” and “it was all Bouncer’s dream.”
The final episode kicks off at 9pm, so until then, let us know your favourite Neighbours memories below the line and we will include as many as possible.
Plus, we all have to work out … How will Neighbours actually end? I mean, for the sanctuary of this liveblog let’s not dwell on the fact that the finale has already aired in Australia and the plot for the ending is a mere Google search away (fingers in ears lalalalalalalala).
Hello and welcome to this special Neighbours finale liveblog from The Guardian.
Channel 5 have actually gone and done it. Following more than 8,900 episodes, tonight we finally say goodbye to the residents of Ramsay Street, as the Australian soap is cancelled after 37 years. Although Neighbours has fans all over the world – many of whom are reading this (hello to you!) – no other British broadcaster or streamer has decided to pick up the soap, so tonight it’s farewell.
Even though there will be an obvious melancholic tinge to proceedings, let this also be a celebration of all the things that made Neighbours so great. There are of course ridiculous storylines, from “Plain Jane Superbrain” taking off her glasses, to the time Paige had sex with a Catholic priest in the middle of a hot air balloon disaster, or when Susan thought she was a teenager after slipping on milk and banging her head.
But there are also heartbreaking moments we will never forget. Personally, I am still not over Stingray dying at that BBQ. Or the time that a character was blinded because a dog ran off with the safety glasses during a total eclipse.
The final episodes that have been running all week have sparked a wave of nostalgia. A highlight for me was a video Neighbours uploaded the other day on Twitter consisting of Toadie (Ryan Moloney) reeling off some of his favourite memories: “I’ve had some fond memories on this street,” he said. “I was kidnapped and shot. I broke my back on a bouncy castle … and one of my weddings literally exploded.”
It must also be noted that, despite the show’s ludicrous side, Neighbours has been covering sensitive issues with heart, especially in recent years. And it never took itself too seriously, with an upbeat quality that always felt like an antidote to the unnecessary grittiness of some other soaps. It felt like a rarity on television: a show that was always warm and inviting to both new viewers and old. It always had that little bit of daytime TV magic.
