Neighbours shocks TV industry with six Logie nominations

Neighbours was almost axed a few years ago but as it celebrates its 35th year on our screens, the long-running drama set in the fictional town of Erinsborough has stunned the TV industry with six Logie nominations, including Most Outstanding Drama.

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Legendary Australian soap Neighbours has gone from a whisker of being cancelled a few years ago to shocking the TV industry by scoring six Logie nominations.

Now powering through its 35th year, the soapie has wound back the clock to its glory days in the 1980s.

Ryan Moloney landed his first-ever nod in the Most Popular Actor category while Eve Morey is in the running for both Most Popular Actor and the coveted Gold Logie.

Neighbours stars Eve Morey and Ryan Maloney are both up for Logies this year. Picture: Nigel Hallett

But perhaps most noteworthy was the fact Neighbours also earned its first nomination for Most Outstanding Drama — a peer-voted category that sees the show positioned alongside highbrow fare like Foxtel’s flagship drama Wentworth and the ABC’s critically acclaimed Mystery Road.

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The jump back into the big time is no fluke, according to Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison, who said writers have deliberately veered into more serious storylines in the past year since Neighbours successfully lobbied for a PG classification.

Neighbours screened the first-ever gay wedding, guest starring Magda Szubanski as the celebrant.

The Channel 10 show, now screened on digital Ten Peach, aired what was Australia’s first-ever gay wedding last September and more recently tackled the emotional death of one of its most popular characters — Sonya Rebecchi played by Morey — who died of ovarian cancer.

The latter storyline, inspired by the death of Herbison’s own sister to ovarian cancer in 1994, would ultimately earn the show its first-ever Outstanding Drama nod.

Neighbours screened its first all-female episode to mark International Women’s Day.

Unlike the Most Popular Logies, which are decided by the public, Most Outstanding Logies are decided by an industry panel.

“It was a joint decision between myself and the network to bring the show into a more contemporary era and bring some more contemporary storytelling,” Herbison, who has overseen the show on-and-off since 2002, said.

“We agreed that going (from a G rating) to PG was really necessary to tell the kinds of stories we want to tell.

“But to be honest when I heard (about the Logie nominations) I was speechless because we were up there next to one hour dramas with much bigger budgets and shows which are far better resourced than us.

“We do six episodes a week. So to be included with those like that was incredibly gratifying.”

Kylie Minogue and Craig McLachlan and Charlene and Scott on Neighbours in 1988.

However, the unlikely Logies success of Neighbours has drawn claims from internet conspiracy theorists that the show’s producers cheated.

One bizarre theory suggested veteran star Collette Mann helped rig the voting by using Twitter to encourage overseas fans to vote for the show — something that allegedly breaches voting rules.

Some of the earlier cast members of Neighbours, which is in its 35th year.

Stefan Dennis is the longest-serving cast member on Neighbours, playing Paul Robinson. Picture: Tony Gough

But Neighbours director Kate Kendall dismissed the accusations as “sour grapes”.

“I think it’s laughable to suggest that Collette Mann could send a tweet out to her followers and somehow influence the voting,” Kendall laughed.

“It’s ridiculous. Sure, we campaigned but who doesn’t?”

Kendall was backed up by TV Week editor Thomas Woodgate who said Neighbours earned its nominations fair and square.

“I don’t think they have been getting the credit they deserve and honestly I was happy to see it included in the Outstanding Drama category,” Woodgate said.

“They have been pushing the envelope for some time and I think it’s a great show that’s having an even greater resurgence.”