‘Neighbours’ Is Resuming Filming, Because Not Even COVID-19 Can Stop Paul Robinson’s Schemes

Neighbours has announced it’ll return to shooting the show next Monday, in what the ABC is calling a likely world-first for shows in the English speaking world.

Production on the long-running soap halted two weeks before Easter: with current airing, the show expected to run out of episodes to screen in June. Rather than address COVID-19 directly in the plot, Neighbours will use camera tricks and plot devices to keep actors socially distant on-screen.

As per the ABC, the show’s team will be split into quadrants, with only three actors allowed to cross between for plot reasons — while maintaining a strict 1.5m distancing. Scenes will only include three actors at a time.

Talking to Radio Melbourne’s Drive host Rafael Epstein, Neighbours actor Sharon Johan joked that there would be a “lot of conversations on the phone”, and that the decision to return wasn’t made lightly.

Johan said Neighbours did consider incorporating COVID-19 into the plot, but ultimately decided against it.

“[Fans] look to Neighbours for a little bit of light-heartedness and a bit of an escape.. and given that everything feels so heavy at the moment that we took the view that not including it… would be better.”

She also pointed out that it would really dull down the plot, given the characters would only be able to talk about going to the shops and Zoom parties.

“It is going to look different, and we’ve accepted that, but it’s the only way to make the show go forward,” she says.

The shutdown across Australia’s film and TV industry is estimated to exceed a $500 million loss.

Last year, Neighbours introduced its first-ever trans character, Mackenzie Hargreaves, played by actress and activist Georgie Stone. She became a series regular this year.