|
|
Post by Lane Kent on May 18, 2007 15:02:51 GMT
Just read the below on the newswires entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1809015.eceFrom Times Online May 18, 2007 BBC to drop Neighbours Times Online and agencies The BBC is to drop Neighbours, it announced today. The Australian soap has been a BBC One fixture for the past 21 years. The Corporation said it had to let the show go because of an "unrealistic price demand". Neighbours distributor Fremantle had asked for £300 million over eight years. The BBC formally withdrew from bidding for the show this afternoon and will stop screening the programme from March or April next year when its current contract expires. ITV1 and Five are now expected to bid for the show. BBC One controller Peter Fincham called it a "sad day" for the channel, but a statement released claimed the Corporation had no other option. "We do not believe that we could have justified to BBC viewers a price tag of what would have amounted to some £300 million across the term of the contract. Paying that sum would also have compromised our ability to invest in new original programmes," the statement said. "We made a fair offer and are sad that we have not been able to reach terms with Fremantle." |
|
|
|
Post by RitaLittlewood on May 18, 2007 17:09:12 GMT
Don't blame them. Fremantle Media are asking a ridiculous amount of money for something in its death throes. It's only overseas sales keeping it on air and if they keep charging that sort of money everyone else they export to will drop it too.
Patsy
|
|
|
|
Post by sallywebster on May 18, 2007 19:10:26 GMT
I agree, I dont blame them either. Its ridiculous the amount they are asking.
|
|
|
|
Post by sallywebster on May 18, 2007 19:37:55 GMT
Looks like Five have got it!
From BBC News
Five Win Neighbours Battle:
Long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours will move to Five after the BBC pulled out of bidding for the show.
The channel will begin showing the soap, which launched the careers of Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce, in 2008.
"Neighbours will be a greatly prized part of our schedule and suitably cherished by us," said Lisa Opie, Five's managing editor of content.
The BBC withdrew from talks to keep the show, saying it had been asked to pay three times the show's current price.
BBC One controller Peter Fincham said he had been asked for £300m over eight years by Fremantle Media, which owns the rights to the show.
"We would have loved to have kept it, but not at any price," he said.
"Sad though this is, we think this we're doing the right thing with our licence-payers' money."
The show has aired twice a day since 1986, with a combined current audience of about five million.
'Never promoted'
It will end on BBC One next spring. Mr Fincham said it was too early to discuss what would replace the soap on the BBC.
"It's a big thing," said Stephen Murphy, editor of Inside Soap magazine. "Families plan their evening meal around the show."
"But one of the big criticisms of Neighbours' fans is that the BBC never promoted the show," said Murphy.
"Five might make a bit more of a fanfare about it, so it might even be for the benefit of the show in the end."
Both Fremantle and Five are owned by the RTL Group media company.
Five poached rival Australian soap Home and Away from ITV in 2000. It is widely expected that it will show both series together as part of an "Aussie hour".
'Not performing'
Set in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough, Neighbours focuses on the residents of Ramsay Street - who over the years have included pop singer Natalie Imbruglia and Gladiator star Russell Crowe.
The drama reached its peak in 1990, when it drew a combined audience of 19 million every day.
In recent years, viewing figures have fallen with landmark episodes like last year's plane crash only attracting six million.
But it is regularly the most-watched daytime television programme in the UK other than the news.
In Australia, however, the show has struggled for some years, and currently averages less than 700,000 viewers for TV network Ten.
Home and Away, which airs on the rival Seven Network, regularly attracts more than a million people.
In March, Ten's drama executive Dan Bennett told Australia's Sunday Telegraph the programme was not performing as well as the network would like.
"The figures we're getting now aren't a great basis for our night-time schedule", he said.
"We'll be saying goodbye to quite a few characters."
But executive producer Ric Pellizzeri played down talk of a crisis.
"Coronation Street's been going 40 years, and we're looking at Neighbours as a show that will run for 40 years and even longer.''
----------------------------------------------------------------------
40 years? I will be surprised if it gets to 30 years! Im glad Five have got it rather than ITV though.
|
|
|
|
Post by CG Wendy on May 19, 2007 2:42:54 GMT
Will Neighbours have adverts now??
|
|
|
|
Post by CG Wendy on May 19, 2007 2:46:09 GMT
The Oxygen channel here in the US promoted Neighbours to death, but it only lasted 6 weeks
|
|
|
|
Post by sallywebster on May 19, 2007 10:04:37 GMT
if its on Five it will have adverts.
|
|
|
|
Post by sootycat on May 19, 2007 12:21:04 GMT
I expect it will go on after Home And Away, they haven't found anything decent to put in that slot since they axed Family Affairs.
I bet Freemantle snatched Fives' hand off over the 300.00.000 million deal.
I cannot imagine how much money that would look like. ;D ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by sallywebster on May 19, 2007 12:26:23 GMT
6.30pm seems the most likely slot - it will give Hollyoaks a run for its money anyway. Either that or they will put it at 6pm with Home and Away at 6.30pm. Doubt it though as Neighbours would probabaly do better against Hollyoaks than Home and Away, even though IMO Home and Away is the better of the 2.
|
|
|
|
Post by RitaLittlewood on May 19, 2007 12:31:50 GMT
I think this says it all. Unfair practice to make sure they got it. Bet they don't have to cough up £300 million.
Patsy
|
|
|
|
Post by sallywebster on May 19, 2007 13:13:10 GMT
Better Five got it than ITV though.
|
|
|
|
Post by CG Wendy on May 20, 2007 15:11:33 GMT
Whatever happened to that Oz Gold channel? Has it ever materialised? Will it ever?
|
|
|
|
Post by sallywebster on May 20, 2007 17:53:06 GMT
Never going to happen I dont think. They were on about it for ages 2-3 years ago but then nothing.
|
|
|
|
Post by eithne on Jun 26, 2007 21:00:34 GMT
I hope Freemantle reinvest some of the £300m in the show. It badly needs a makeover and fresher storylines. It is okay at the moment, but not near as addictive as Home and Away - which has pacy storylines and a good crop of actors (both young and old).
Neighbours needs to change many of the sets (The General Store being one) and get rid of some of the bad actors (Bree, Dylan, Elle). Also they axed a really good character - Lillijana - who was likeable. And don't get me started on the credits!!! Cartoons...?
|
|
|
|
Post by RitaLittlewood on Jun 26, 2007 22:24:56 GMT
LOL! I'm not fond of those either.
It really is pretty dire at the moment. If I miss it I'm not bothered. It seems to have had bursts of being gripping then returns to rubbish for a few years now. I remember being totally glued in Oz (when I got the chance to see it) but it soon went back to normal.
Patsy
|
|
