Neighbors episode 8903: We went to the set when the last episode was filmed

Executive producer Jason Herbison said he felt a huge responsibility to create an ending that made the show and its fans fair.

Herbison briefly entertains all sorts of crazy possibilities – alien invasion, bomb explosion, this-all-just-dream cheat – to get it all done. “I’ve always wanted to make a sinkhole,” he admitted, “but Home and Go go and do one, which is a little annoying.”

However, in the end, he realized what he felt the most was a sense of responsibility. “I love this show, it was my favorite when I was a teenager, and I have a really long history with it. So I really feel a responsibility to end it in a way that respects the show and our audience.

“Yes, it is a TV show, but some people have watched it for 37 years. It’s a huge thing to welcome people into your living room for 37 years when there’s so much more you can do with your time.”

Stefan Dennis was there on day one, when the show was Seven’s property (they cut it before the year ended, and the following year, 1986, Ten took it). He’s been gone for 12 years but he’ll be there eventually too, with his resident villain Paul Robinson no doubt still looking for some sort of mischief.

What did Dennis miss the most when it was all over?

“What are you witnessing today,” he said, swiping his hands to catch the general vibe of the 12th day of the year. “Friendship, laughter, friendship, the greatest work in the world. These are people. In the end, without people here, this is a dead place.”

Well, not enough. Production company Fremantle has leases on the large red brick studio complex and surrounding gardens until December; already, production riptidea new miniseries created by Herbison, has moved. Beyond that, who knows.

Margot Robbie, left, alongside Jackie Woodburne, was one of the many actors who got a break on the show.Credit:Screenshot

It was a factory, this studio complex in Nunawading (or Forest Hill, as rezoning is now doing), pumping out insane amounts of content at ridiculous speeds, giving us stories, characters and shows of varying quality, gradually adapting to more accuracy. . reflects the changing face of suburban Australia (hello gay couples, people of color and transgender youth).

The show launched and/or maintained an insane number of careers. The list always starts with Jason and Kylie, Guy and Delta, and Margot, but push the memory bank and you’ll be blown away by the names that go through it. Natalie Imbruglia, Radha Mitchell, Holly and Olympia Valance, Madeleine West, Daniel MacPherson, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Craig McLachlan, Brooke Satchwell, Peter O’Brien, Stephen Curry, Deborra-Lee Furness, Nicki Wendt, Luke Hemsworth, Kimberley Davies, Caitlin Stasey , Tony Briggs, Pia Miranda…they, and many more, all appeared on the show at or near the start of their careers. It was a launching pad for countless writers, directors, producers, and crew members, and it was doable because there was so much work to do.

Some of the most famous Neighbors graduates (clockwise, from top left): Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Delta Goodrem, Guy Pearce, Margot Robbie, and Natalie Imbruglia.Credit:Matt Davidson

The television landscape has changed so much in the last decade that it’s unlikely that a feature-length drama like this will ever appear again. But you would be angry to rule out the possibility Neighbor brand and all that means flying in another form, after the dust settles.

Of course, that’s likely Herbison factored into his calculations in writing the final.

“That leaves the door wide open, because who knows what will happen on the track,” he said. “It’s also important to me that the audience will feel as if life is continuing on the streets.”

Load

As for what’s in the finale, we know there’s a wedding, and that Jason and Kylie and Mike Guy Pearce are back. Beyond that, details are lacking.

“I thought the ending was very warm, uplifting, and celebrating,” as much as Herbison would put it. “I’ll just say it’s very Neighbor.”

90 minutes Neighbor finale airs Thursday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. at 10 a.m.

Email the author at kquinn@theage.com.au, or follow him on Facebook at karlquinnjournalist and on Twitter @karlkwin.

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