Channel 5 is planning on creating more Australian dramas, despite axing long-running soap Neighbours.
Back in March, it was confirmed Neighbours had been axed for good after production company Fremantle Media failed to find a new home for the drama, with the final ever episode airing in August.
As fans prepare for a life without the Erinsborough favourites, Channel 5 are already in the middle of striking up a deal to show more Australian dramas on TV.
Daniel Monaghan, Senior Vice President of programming and content at Network 10, revealed more information to TV Tonight:
‘We did Lie with Me [which starred Charlie Brooks], last year but there are three more, and they’re all being shot in Australia’, he explained.
Daniel went on to explain that Channel 5 are hoping to air more dramas set in Australia, but feature British characters, and felt Lie with Me was a success because it was ‘more of a hybrid’.
Beverley McGarvey, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Paramount ANZ, also explained more about the difference between a channel regularly airing a soap and a small amount of new drama series:
‘The investment they would make in a couple of series is nothing like the investment they would need to make 260 episodes of Neighbours.’
Ahead of Neighbours’ final episode, a number of returnees have already been announced.
Last week, we exclusively revealed acting royalty Guy Pearce will return to the soap as Mike Young.
Pearce will join a prestigious list of the show’s most revered actors playing much-loved characters including Kyle Minogue (Charlene Robinson), Jason Donovan (Scott Robinson), Ian Smith (Harold Bishop), Paul Keane (Des Clarke), Peter O’Brien (Shane Ramsay), Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Izzy Hoyland), Daniel MacPherson (Joel Samuel), Melissa Bell (Lucy Robinson), Mark Little (Joe Mangel), Olympia Valance (Paige Smith) and many more, returning to celebrate 37 years of Neighbours.
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