{"id":36663,"date":"2023-09-11T01:01:57","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T23:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1886908"},"modified":"2023-09-11T05:39:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T03:39:37","slug":"neighbours-reboot-preview-you-cant-keep-a-good-dog-down","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/neighbours-reboot-preview-you-cant-keep-a-good-dog-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Neighbours reboot preview: You can\u2019t keep a good dog down"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twists, turns and tears… it’s good to be back in Erinsborough. <\/p>

By Helen Daly\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 11 September 2023 at 23:01 PM<\/p>

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Anyone who was worried Neighbours<\/a> wouldn\u2019t be the same on streaming has got it very, very wrong. It\u2019s back, and just as soapy as ever.<\/p>\n

I had the pleasure of watching the first few episodes of the beloved Australian soap, and let me tell you: fans don\u2019t need to be worried.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to avoid spoilers here (which is easier said than done because there\u2019s one very<\/em> big one I want to scream about from the rooftops), but I\u2019m here to reassure your nerves, Neighbours fans, that you\u2019ll love the Amazon Freevee era just as much as you loved the BBC and Channel 5 offerings.<\/p>\n

When we get back to Ramsay Street, it\u2019s two years after the events of the finale, which means there\u2019s been plenty<\/em> of time for\u00a0plenty<\/em> of drama. Some mighty big things have happened, and they\u2019ll start to slowly unravel over the new season, with some things still a mystery even after the eight episodes I saw.<\/p>\n

Not that it\u2019s annoying being in the dark though. It really does feel like we\u2019ve been on holiday for a little bit and now we\u2019re returning home with the dust settled (but some confetti from the balloon explosion still miraculously intact). This is long-tail planning and it\u2019s the best thing soaps do, if you ask me.<\/p>

Forgive the script in the opening episode for falling into too much exposition \u2013 after all, Neighbours is introducing itself to new audiences. Older fans might be screaming for our beloved characters to \u201cget on with it\u201d, but those coming with fresh eyes to Erinsborough will no doubt be very grateful of the catch-up.<\/p>\n

And being honest, you\u2019re not waiting too long before the first *huge* (honestly, I\u2019m not exaggerating it) twist plays out in true soap glory. If you thought Neighbours would very quietly return, it hasn\u2019t. This is a soap twist among some of the very best.<\/p>\n

One thing I can talk about is the addition of the new family, the Varga-Murphys, headed up by mums Remi (Naomi Rukavina) and Cara (Sara West), who bring a fresh dynamic to the show. They not only help with some new storyline options, but they also act as a bridge for new viewers, helping them cross over into the admittedly complex world of Neighbours as they ask all the conveniently right questions about their way around Erinsborough.<\/p>\n

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