'Neighbours' UK fans care,' says producer

'Neighbours' UK fans care,' says producer
'Neighbours' UK fans care,' says producer

Neighbours fans from the UK are much more likely to criticise producers' decisions than Australian ones, according to the soap's head honcho. Executive producer Susan Bower told Inside Soap magazine that Brits soon make their voices heard if they fear Erinsborough history is being re-written. She said: "I've learnt that fans in the UK really care about the show's past, whereas back home in Oz, viewers are much more in the moment." She went on: "In Britain there's a feeling of ownership - in internet forums fans will soon say if they don't agree with what we're doing!" It seems some UK fans don't even wait to see the episodes before making their feelings known. Speaking about the current Kennedy surrogacy storyline, which sees Susan (Jackie Woodburne) attempting to have a child on behalf of daughter Libby (Kym Valentine), Susan said: "I've had quite a few letters from people in England who'd heard about it before it was even in the papers in Australia saying they disagree and think it's shocking." Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.