Stefan Dennis speaks out over Neighbours finale
Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis says it is now up to TV rival Home and Away to fly the flag for Australian soaps. The actor, his co-stars and fans have been left fuming since the news broke that the show, which has been running for 40 years, was being axed for good.
The final episode of Neighbours will air today on Amazon Prime. Dennis, who played Ramsay Street entrepreneur and resident baddie Paul Robinson, was proud to be part of Australia’s longest running show.
But now he says he has to pass the baton to rivals Home and Away – which launched back in 1988 – to carry the banner. He said: “In hindsight Neighbours is a show that shouldn’t be ending. You know everybody’s kind of scratching their heads about why a show which has got an audience in the millions around the world each day, is being axed. Only the folk at Amazon know why it’s no longer going on.
“Hopefully Home and Away will now carry the banner and take the accolade as the longest running show in Australian television history.” Neighbours made its debut on the BBC in March 1985 and within its first few years it had made cast members Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Craig McLachlin and also Dennis huge stars as they branched out from acting into the pop world.
Ian Smith and Anne Charleston who played Harold and Madge Bishop carved out enjoyable panto careers. And later, the show helped launch the likes of Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Alan Dale to Hollywood.
In 2008, the Beeb decided to drop the show and it was snapped up by Channel 5. However, in 2022, the station – which had helped part-fund the soap – decided to withdraw any further investment and it was brought to a close with a star studded finale that included Kylie and Jason making special guest appearances.
Then just months after the ‘last-ever episode’, Amazon Prime announced that it was reviving the show and new episodes began launching in September 2023. But earlier this year the streaming giant announced that it was axing the soap for good and its final episode will be broadcast today (Dec 11).
Dennis, 67, paid tribute to the Aussie soap claiming it had made its cast members as popular as The Beatles. Speaking to The Herald and Weekly Times in Australia, the actor said: “I get asked all the time ‘What is the secret of neighbours?’ and it was because it became such an absolute Beatlemania phenomenon back in the Eighties.
“I mean, it was just ludicrous the attention that we and the show got, and not just in the UK. In Sydney we appeared at a shopping centre and they’d made preparations for about 500 people to turn up. Well, 10,000 people ended up turning up. It was mayhem, but that was a common thing.
“Also, a lot of soaps, particularly in the UK, could be quite dark and drab and along came little bright-eyed Neighbours that showed sunshine and lollipops and lovely beach scenes, swimsuits and sun while each episode had a thread of a storyline that was quite serious. And I think that’s the secret; the legacy that Neighbours has left behind is pure entertainment.
Neighbours also had an impressive core of A list fans – including George Harrison, David Bowie and even the royal family. Since filming on the soap finished back in the summer, it has allowed various cast members to do other things.
Alan Fletcher, who played Dr Karl Kennedy, is going on tour with his band, co-star Jackie Woodburne, who played Susan Kennedy, will be appearing in a new Channel 5 drama Imposter and Dennis signed up for this year’s Strictly but had to pull out after a few weeks due to injury.
He said: “People keep saying ‘What’s it going to be like when you retire?’ I always say actors don’t retire, they die, so I certainly hope that I’m going to be doing work until that time comes.”
TV soap Home and Away so far looks in good shape to last the course.
It also has a track record of helping to launch the careers of some of its cast including Dannii Minogue, Chris Hemsworth, Melissa George, Naomi Watts and Isla Fisher.
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