Alan Fletcher, a veteran of Neighbours, has asked viewers to tune in if they want to see the show make a comeback.
After a hopeful fan started a petition on Change.org, the Australian soap is ending for good this year. The 64-year-old actor – who has played Karl Kennedy since 1994 – has opened up on the’realities’ of the future of Ramsay Street.
‘It’s not so much about protecting it,’ he stated on Monday’s programme of This Morning. It’s simply that, like the Queen Mary, once you turn the ship around and say, “We have to go in this new way to conclude the show,” it can’t be swung back around as quickly as you’d like.
‘Now, if a different form of Neigbours was born down the road, someplace down the road, that would be fantastic.
‘The truth is that the sure must end in August and production must end in June. In terms of fan support, I hope everyone appreciates how grateful we are for everyone’s support.
‘The greatest thing people can do if they truly want to support Neighbours and give it a shot in the future is to watch it right now, to be honest, to watch it all the way through to bring those viewer figures up.’
While the cast and crew were upset when they returned to work following the heartbreaking news, Alan admitted that they wanted to make the last few months a celebration.
‘There was a lot of anguish and tears at first. It’s the end of an era in history. The issue is, we want to develop a show that the viewers enjoy, and that is our sole motivation,’ he continued.
‘We’re concentrating on the joyous part of this.’ We’ve had a tremendous run as stewards of a programme that millions of people enjoy, and now we’re in charge of bringing it home in a way that will truly make it memorable.
‘I guarantee that the last episodes of Neighbours, which will air in August, will be magnificent.’
He also praised Channel 5 for its support of Neighbours during its existence, despite the fact that the channel will instead invest in ‘original UK drama.’
‘Channel 5 and, of course, the BBC before that, have been amazing partners to Neighbours for many, many years,’ he remarked. In the current business climate, 5 people have decided to shift careers.
‘Of course, they have that right. We appreciate their fantastic, wonderful support throughout the years, but their priorities have shifted.’