Neighbours returns to TV with first 420 episodes

Neighbours is returning to the small screen after UKTV secured the rights to the early back catalogue of the iconic Australian show.

The first two years of the soap will be available to stream from July, beginning with the very first episode, which aired in 1985.

The episodes will feature iconic characters such as Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell, played by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue respectively, and the early days of the Ramsay and Robinson families.

Emma Tibbetts, UKTV's director of scripted programming, gushed, "Neighbours is one of television's most iconic and enduring dramas, and we're thrilled to bring the back-catalogue.

"We can't wait for both long-time fans and new audiences to rediscover the series in its entirety."

Neighbours premiered in Australia on 18 March 1985 on that country's Seven Network, which cancelled the show soon after due to poor ratings. It was picked up by rival broadcaster Network Ten, where it resumed on 20 January 1986 and went on to become the longest-running drama series in Australian television history.

The show aired in the UK from 1985 to 2022, when it was axed by broadcaster Channel 5. The soap was then revived by Amazon Freevee in 2023 but was cancelled again in 2025, with its final episode airing that December.