Neighbours star Stefan Dennis reveals whether the show will be different when it re-launches
The show will be airing this month
Last updated 4th Sep 2023
Neighbours star Stefan Dennis has revealed what fans can expect from the show when it re-launches this month. Amazon Freevee stepped in to save the show after it was axed, with the first episode set to premiere on the streaming service on 18th September.
Stefan, who plays the original character Paul Robinson, has revealed that the soap won't have a more American feel when it returns to our screens. As reported by Digital Spy, he said: "There isn't much of a change, which is really good - it's a really good sign for us. We did want to go back to the same thing.
"One of my very first questions to executive producer Jason Herbison was, 'Is it going to change? Are we going to Americanise it or keep it the way it is?' He said, 'No, we are fighting tooth and nail to keep it as it is.' That's great.
"I used the analogy of the person who buys the really, really successful restaurant and then they change the menu, tablecloths and the opening hours and the restaurant goes broke,
"It's exactly the same - we didn't want to see Neighbours go broke because of too much Americanisation or changes full stop. They vowed to keep it the old way. We're an Australian show.
"The reason we're iconic and the reason we're unique to the rest of the world is because we are the quirky Australian show, so don't change it."
When Neighbours returns, it will be set two years on from the previous finale, which featured Toadie Rebecchi (played by Ryan Moloney) and Melanie Pearson's wedding.
Stefan added: "It was a very clever and sensible way to for the writers and producers to do it - to give enough understanding to what has happened in the past, to wrap the show and reopen it again, and making it all work really well.
"Paul is being pretty mean at the moment, which is a good thing. How many people always say, 'Are you going to be nice or nasty?' If you say nice, they go, 'Oh!' The fans will be pleased because Paul is up to his usual shenanigans."
When will Neighbours return to our screens?
Neighbours will be coming to Amazon Freevee on 18th September.
Take a look at some of the iconic TV shows we'd love to see return:
SM:TV Live
Our Saturday mornings were made better with three hours of sketches, competitions and cartoons brought to us by a fresh-faced Cat Deeley and Ant and Dec. Remember the "Chums" sketch? Or Wonky Donkey!
Gladiators
Watching pro athletes battle contestants in an epic 'survival of the fittest' was awesome TV. Plus with characters named like Wolf, Storm and Pather, how could it lose?
Footballers' Wives
Broadcasting between 2002-2006, Footballers' Wives followed fictional Premier League football club Earls Park, as well as all of the drama from both the players and their fiery wives!
Friends
It's the question we've all been asking for the last 10 years, but in 2020 all six members of the Friends cast reunited! Thankfully we will get a fresh take on the series soon as the main six cast members are reuniting for a one-off special to look back at the show, although it's been postponed due to the Coronavirus.
Bad Girls
Set inside a fictional women's prison, Bad Girls aired on ITV between 1996-2006 and featured some very famous faces, including Claire King and Debra Stephenson.
The Bill
First broadcast in 1983, police drama The Bill certainly proved popular, airing until 2010. The show focused on the lives and work of police officers and starred well-known actors such as Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole and Mark Wingett.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
She was confident, funny, magical AND she had a talking cat. Sabrina made us all want to be a witch!
Ugly Betty
Believe it or not, it's been a massive 10 years since Ugly Betty last aired on our screens! The show, which featured actress America Ferrera, followed a character called Betty Suarez, who despite her lack of 'style', landed a job at a very prestigious fashion magazine.
Where The Heart Is
The British drama, which was filmed in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, proved very popular with viewers between 1997-2006, showcasing the lives of a group of district nurses and their families.
It's a Knockout
It was stupid, it was crazy, but it was certainly fun! It's a Knockout started way back in 1966, but the show made a number of returns on BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Although all episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air are now on Netflix, we'd love to see Will Smith get back into his character alongside Carlton Banks.
Stars In Their Eyes
A true classic! Stars In Their Eyes, originally hosted by Leslie Crowther, first aired in 1990 with Matthew Kelly taking over in 1993. The show did make a return with Harry Hill in 2015, but it didn't quite take off!
The Queen's Nose
Who would have thought that rubbing a 50p coin would be so interesting? We used to love watching the adventures of Harmony as she used up her magic wishes.
Fun House
We used to love watching two schools battle each other in three rounds of madness. Bring back the gunge and Pat Sharp's crazy hairstyles!
Grange Hill
Despite being at school all day, we loved to come home and watch other people be at school. Strange. But gripping story lines and relatable characters had us glued to our screens.
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