Couldn't see this posted anywhere else, apologies if you already know this. Josh Widdicome has done a four (i think) part podcast on Neighbours and the effect it had on UK pop culture. I'm not a massive Josh fan but I've found the podcast really fun.

Interested to hear what massive Neighbours fans think as I dipped in and out for years, although I was an OG watcher (as all school kids were back then).

Neighbours is back on UK screens in U&Drama, where they are going to be showing the soap from the beginning, so with that in mind I thought I'd share my review of Neighbours first episode from 1985

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MEsmmwOdEiT24u2byR0IM?si=FjOS0ggdRP23KXTGvG83PQ&utm_source=copy-link

Watch on U / Watch on Channel 4

I hope you've booked some time off work, UK/VPN? fans, because there are twenty-three whole weeks of Neighbours ready for you right now to kick start the weekly drops. And you might even be able to see the nighttime scenes this time! Just think how many premature engagements they can fit into that many episodes...

Or do ten episodes a week, as that's what will be on the U&Drama channel (the U stands for 'Unmissable') from 2-3pm every weekday from today! Presumably when they sync up (around episode 240), they'll start releasing ten episodes a week online too?

Anyway, click below for my original roundups of the episodes once you've watched them! Who needs Robinson Towers when you've got all this?

• Week 1 (Episodes 1-5)
• Week 2 (Episodes 6-10)
• Week 3 (Episodes 11-15)
• Week 4 (Episodes 16-20)
• Week 5 (Episodes 21-25)
• Week 6 (Episodes 26-30)
• Week 7 (Episodes 31-35)
• Week 8 (Episodes 36-40)
• Week 9 (Episodes 41-45)
• Week 10 (Episodes 46-50)
• Week 11 (Episodes 51-55)
• Week 12 (Episodes 56-60)
• Week 13 (Episodes 61-65)
• Week 14 (Episodes 66-70)
• Week 15 (Episodes 71-75)
• Week 16 (Episodes 76-80)
• Week 17 (Episodes 81-85)
• Week 18 (Episodes 86-90)
• Week 19 (Episodes 91-95)
• Week 20 (Episodes 96-100)
• Week 21 (Episodes 101-05)
• Week 22 (Episodes 106-10)
• Week 23 (Episodes 111-15)

The Big Watch Index

WATCH THE WEEK

Don't believe the thumbnail, people, because Des and Daphne are still not back together this week. And in even worse Clarke news, Eileen has now been Max Ramsay'd out of the show courtesy of the forgotten George Young (no relation). I don't know what was happening there, but at least I know that she will be back eventually. Please don't make us wait too long!

A lot of this week is taken up by Nikki Dennison - seriously, Nikki again?! Was she the daughter of the producer or something? Anyway, this week's Nikki adventure sees her deputising for Lucy when she wins a date with celebrity spunk Grant Kenny. Although when she arrives, he's suddenly an athlete of some kind. And that stilted delivery... could it be the first Neighbours celebrity cameo? Yes it is! And the choice of a random minor Olympian for that honour is much improved when you discover that he now has a child with Xanthe Canning's mum. That's one for the trivia fans.

In further random diversions this week, everyone gathers at Clive's for an adult education business class, except for Danny, who is no longer allowed that close to a plotline. And I really wish Max was there, as that would give him the fun continuity of being really attracted to teachers.

Later in the week, Zoe's back! And I don't really like it, not only because she stopped Des and Daphne getting back together again, but because it really felt like she was done on the show. And despite Charlene last week, when she reveals she's pregnant the concept of abortion has clearly been banished from the Neighboursverse. With Jim totally misremembering the reasons they broke up two weeks ago, obviously the way is clear for a marriage of duty. Great stuff, Jim, it turns out even Zoe Davis is way more rational than you.

"Why don't we get engaged, everyone else is", says Bradley to Lucy, presumably after binging the first year of Neighbours. Jim also handles this pretty badly, but there is potential for a more understandable overreaction when the kids hack apart Anne Robinson's ring. I'd have rather seen Helen been the one to react angrily in that situation though, to be honest, but she has to remain the voice of reason to Jim losing his cool yet again.

Also this week: Sue Parker is here! It's unclear why, because no one likes her (Vera Punt reference). Lucy keeps talking about Jim, Zoe and some guy called Barry? and the YouTube title sequence is still wrong.

More from 1986 next week, or I guess you can go back to the start (again) on U if you want? Choices, choices...

Decided to start a rewatch from 2016 totally forgetting I'd have to live through Josh's death again 🤦🏻‍♀️

When he said to Amber to tell Matilda: "tell her she was the last thing I thought about"

Omg 😭😭😭 brutal.

Definitely the death that hit me the most on the whole show.

Anyone else?

The Big Watch Index

WATCH THE WEEK

Well if they were prepared to do it for Nikki Dennison, it was only a matter of time before we had a week of Neighbours completely dominated by Kylie Minogue. And here it is, delaying Des and Daphne getting back together even further and kick starting one of the things I'm most excited to explore over the years: is the word "abortion" ever spoken on Neighbours?

Because yes, now we learn that Charlene became pregnant by Grubby Greg and had to take matters into her own hands. That is, she dealt with it. Which is to say, she made a decision. You know the drill when on Australian television. Anyway, Scott's detour into lechery brings everything out into the open, and Madge just about manages to treat her like a human being for once. Scott also gets forgiven, which he does not deserve - though he does also get his second smack in the mouth from Charlene, which he does.

Meanwhile, Shane gets over his funk by risking permanent paralysis and taking a dive. Er, good? Everyone takes a turn at one moment of concern before forgetting about it forever, apart from Madge who is too busy in another story to even care. Also, we get some news on Max this week, which totally fails to explain why him and Maria aren't coming home.

Also this week, Clive becomes an annoying Francophile and somehow thinks it's okay to give the teens alcohol. Nikki handles it well until three days later, when she spends the entire diving contest morning acting wasted. Maybe I'm just so used to her monotone that any level of interest in her surroundings seems suspicious. The show completely forgets that Zoe ever existed, Jim is glad that his son didn't sleep with Kim Taylor, and the YouTube title sequence is still wrong.

This week's MVP is Fred's see-through shirt.

Massively random questions here.

So my spouse and I were massive Neighbours fanatics back in the day, and we both like to reminisce about the episodes from the 90s. Like everyone else we all remember stuff such as Bouncer's dream, and Harold going missing, etc.; but there are a couple of storylines that I think I can remember, but I'm not sure if I've imagined it or whatever....

So I'm wondering if anyone can help me. For those who loved Neighbours in the '90s: Did these storylines happen, or did I dream them?

1. The time Mark Gottlieb fell in some restaurant and something crashed down on his throat; almost killing him until someone put a straw through his throat so he could breathe again.

and 2. The time Paul Robinson attempted suicide via falling into a river

It's been YEARS since I've seen these episodes, but I can't find any clips online, and no one else seems to remember these incidents happening, it's totally doing my head in.

Like, I'm sure these storylines occurred at some point; but I'm not sure. These things DID happen, right? I'm not going loopy, am I? 😊

Hello! I’ve just arrived in Melbourne for the next week and would love to fit in some Neighbours goodness whilst I am here! What is there to do?

anyone know where I can watch them? Been watching on Dailymotion for the longest time from some playlist but they've all been removed now

Does anyone has it?

Looks like they'll be playing some old episodes soon

Emmerdale's Episode 10599 broadcast on June 22, 2026 had a sneaky little shoutout to Neighbours.

Ross Barton's (Michael Parr) half-brother Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) has been kidnapped by the soap's kindest villain Kylie (Pippa Fulton) in order to get Lewis' dad Kevin Townsend (Christopher Coghill) to return her stolen diamond "Penny".

You can watch the scene from the episode at this YouTube link here

The Big Watch Index

WATCH THE WEEK

We are back! Not Des and Daphne, unfortunately, but still a great week of Neighbours.

Yes, all it took was a sharp whistle down a phone line to make everything more interesting. Now I'm kind of heartbroken at the end for Jim and Zoe (not heartbroken enough to want them back together though, don't worry), after Lucy is exposed as her tormentor. Alan Dale, Ally Fowler, and even Kylie Flinker are at their best here, with some really great scenes between them all. Even Bradley and Andrea come out well from the twist!

After the latest Lucy hospital drama recedes, the latter half of the week belongs to Scott and Charlene. Once they've finished filming a terrible version of the Especially for You video, it's time to get down to business, and boy do these two throw everything at a pashing scene. It's almost like there's some real life sparks flying...

Hopefully J-dog is a bit more respectful than Scott, though, as our boy immediately starts thinking with only one part of his anatomy. Thank goodness for Helen Daniels, whose "no means no" speech might be ignored by Scott, but firmly tells the audience what they need to know. We should bring her out to give the Andrew Tate generation a good talking to. Plaudits also go to Clive, for a) not dispensing medication on the sly, and b) giving Lennie some great advice on family planning centres, that's only slightly undermined by "condom" clearly being on Network Ten's banned words list. On the other side of things, Madge implores Charlene to remain a virgin because - wait for it - men find it attractive...

Anyway, after Jack Lassiter proves himself a problematic wingman, our star-crossed lovers find themselves in a hotel room, where things take a turn for the worse thanks to some additional Scott brand misogyny. Yep, Charlene having been with someone before is a real turn-off for him, and proceedings end there and then. Oddly, Scott is also established to have done the deed previously, which rather dampens the 'first love' story otherwise being told here. And his awful reaction to Lennie's sexual history would have felt more recoverable from if there was an aspect of insecurity at his relative lack of experience, rather than being just unfiltered hypocrisy. Not to mention that he was definitely a virgin in his Darius Perkins days - that must have been quite a summer camp!

Also this week: Jim says "necking", Tom's improvised backstory forces him to retcon in a dead wife, Danny gives up on getting a storyline and heads off to play golf instead, and the YouTube title sequence is still wrong.

New interview with Ben Hall

I am looking back at some of my favourite episodes of my podcast & re-sharing them to my feed.

I wanted to share with you one of my all time favourite episodes to record a reaction to Kyle Cannings eclipse blinding.

Let me know if you would be interested in hearing more Neighbours episodes from me...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qQhwxir9rE910DHnKt6Bn?si=L_mggj9kQ8WP_erlrqwbag