Beeb to drop Ramsay Street

THE BBC is to drop Australian soap Neighbours after 21 years.

BBC decided to axe it as a result of an “unrealistic price demand” of £300 million (€438m) over eight years by distributor Fremantle. Neighbours will leave the channel in March or April next. Rivals ITV1 and Five are now expected to bid for the show.

BBC1 controller Peter Fincham called it a sad day: “The BBC has had a long and fruitful relationship with Neighbours, which has transmitted on BBC1 for 21 years, and this has come to an end because of an unrealistic price demand.”

Neighbours is the most popular show on terrestrial daytime television, other than BBC1 news. It pulls in around three million viewers each lunchtime.

The soap, the concept of Reg Watson, started with just three families — the Ramsays, the Robinsons and the Clarkes. When Network Ten bought the soap it brought in fresh, sassy actors like Kylie Minogue’s Charlene. Her wedding to Jason Donovan’s Scott Robinson is still one of the best-loved episodes.