Weekend Spy: Love thy 'Neighbours'

It was 5.35pm, January 4, 1988. I sat down with my brother in front of our small black and white TV in the kitchen and we watched Neighbours whilst eating our dinner. We couldn't miss it. Missing it would have been an 'offence', and would have resulted in us being outcasts from the pre-class chat at school the next morning. We were delighted because that nice Mr Grade - then the BBC's managing director of television – had decided to repeat the lunchtime showing of the soap at teatime. Life became a little easier again (although my brother and I - like many - had been recording the lunchtime show to watch after school for ages anyway).

That was nearly twenty years ago (there I go showing my age again). Back then the papers were full of stories of Jason and Kylie's/Scott and Charlene's relationship. Stock Aitken and Waterman were making pop idols of many of the soap's stars, and Natalie Imbruglia was just another Australian actress with nice hair. The BBC had an unexpected hit on its hands, sometimes getting 18 million viewers an episode - more than the population of Australia at the time.

But times have changed, and the budgetary limitations now facing the BBC mean that the corporation could not justify paying the price 'greedy' Fremantle wanted for the soap. So up stepped Five with the cash, which means that from next year, a new dawn begins for the 22-year-old soap.

Many fans are worried about what will happen to the soap on Five. When will it be shown? How will it compete with Five's other Aussie favourite Home & Away? So Weekend Spy put some of those questions to Five's managing director of content, Lisa Opie.

Lisa, congratulations on getting Neighbours. Was everybody at Five behind the idea from day one?
Everyone at Five completely appreciated that Neighbours would be a tremendous asset to own as a broadcaster.

At what point in the past few months did Five begin to consider bidding for Neighbours?
The fact that the BBC’s contract was running out was a matter of public record for some time. A number of broadcasters, including Five, expressed an interest. It would be inappropriate to reveal commercially sensitive information such as details of the negotiations and the subsequent deal.

Why do you think the BBC let it go?
That’s a question for the BBC to answer!

Do you think you have paid a fair price for Neighbours?
Before bidding we conducted a detailed analysis of the potential commercial value of Neighbours, and we believe the price we bid properly reflects the value of the programme.

Do you think there is an issue with having two Aussie soaps on the network?
Not at all – if anything, they complement each other.

Do you think each soap has a different type of audience?
Our research shows that - broadly speaking - there is a big overlap in the audiences for the two series.

Have you considered a time-slot for Neighbours yet?
It is not our policy to reveal scheduling plans this far ahead of transmission. However I can say that we recognise that Neighbours has a loyal following in its current time slot, so this will certainly be taken into consideration nearer the time.

How will you handle repeat episodes?
Obviously now that we have our digital channels, including Five Life, there is greater opportunity and flexibility to show repeat episodes at times that are convenient for those unable to watch Neighbours during the day.

Will you be looking for a sponsor for the programme?
We’re confident that Neighbours represents a very attractive sponsorship opportunity, and will be discussing this with interested parties in the months ahead.

Five has been very successful with overseas acquisitions: CSI, Home and Away and now hopefully with Neighbours. Do you worry Five will be viewed as a place for imports, rather than home-grown commissions?
Five has a reputation for both high-quality acquired (Grey’s Anatomy, House, the CSI family…) and innovative home-grown programming – our identity encompasses the two of these. On the home-grown front we have had huge success and received acclaim for shows such as the Extraordinary People and Hidden Lives documentary strands, and most recently Paul Merton in China and Return of the Tribe.

Has the purchase of Neighbours impacted on your commissioning budget?
The funds for the acquisition of Neighbours will come from the 2008 budget. Five will not stop buying innovative commissions. In fact, having a strong flagship programme like Neighbours, which delivers big audiences day in day out, will allow us to be more creative with commissions elsewhere.

Will Neighbours feature online or interactive elements?
Five was the first terrestrial broadcaster to launch a video download service. We are always seeking ways of exploiting our content across a variety of platforms.

And finally, do you have a favourite Neighbours moment and a favourite character?
My favourite character would have to be Bouncer! Harold Bishop is another, and I also had a soft spot for Joe Mangle. As for a favourite moment – how about when Paul Robinson was held hostage in the cave!

Thanks Lisa!