Cuts at Neighbours Not About Killing It Off Says Stefan Dennis

Actor Stefan Dennis who plays villainous Paul Robinson in Neighbours has said that production cuts are not an attempt to kill the soap off.

 

Actor Stefan Dennis who plays villainous Paul Robinson in Neighbours has said that production cuts are not an attempt to kill the soap off. Neighbours had a somewhat troubled 2010 despite the fact it was the Australian soaps 25th anniversary. Ratings for the soap remained very low throughout the year in Australia and it was announced it would leaving Channel Ten and move to new digital spin-off station Eleven. Towards the end of the year it was also announced the soap would undergo production cut backs to keep costs low. Actor Stefan Dennis has denied rumours that the cut-backs and the move to Eleven are to kill Neighbours off.

 

“To the audience it shouldn’t change the look or feel of the show whatsoever. It’s purely a business decision. People are saying they are trying to kill the show but it’s the exact opposite. Fremantle Media is a big global company. They’re cost-cutting because of the financial climate.

“Neighbours is a business for Fremantle Media and it’s their prerogative to run it as they want. If it means cost-cutting to keep it running, of course that’s what they’re going to do. Particularly over Christmas it’s very sad for people to be made redundant on a show they’ve been working on for years, but that’s the sad reality.

“It’s very easy for me to say because I’m one of the fortunate ones and I really feel for people losing jobs as they’re my work colleagues and mates. But it’s a decision to keep Neighbours going – it’s not a decision for the slow demise of Neighbours. There’s no way Fremantle Media wants Neighbours to end.” – Stefan Dennis talking to Holy Soap

 

In Australia the soap will move to its new home of Eleven next week. Susan Bower, the producer of Neighbours, has denied the moving of the soap will see it tackle grittier storylines. Bower has insisted that the soap will remain ‘family viewing’ in its new home.