Why is Neighbours more popular than H&A in UK?

sinkingradio · 28/04/14 - 00:45

I'm a Neighbours fan and have never watched H&A. I've always wondered why Neighbours is more popular in the UK yet in Oz it's the other way around. There must be a reason why. I know both soaps are different. From the trailers I've seen on H&A it looks a lot more serious and seems to take itself more seriously. If that's one of the reasons it still doesn't explain the UK and Austraila reserve in popularity. Geniully confused. What's the answer? More than one? (And no I don't want this thread to turn into ''my soap is better than your soap." Surprise me DS users with a proper discussion! ;-)

Fudd · 28/04/14 - 00:57

IIRC back when Neighbours aired on BBC One and Home and Away ITV, Neighbours had a set time to air nationwide which helped it build an audience across the board. Home and Away's schedule depended on the independent ITV networks which meant for some parts of the country it aired at 5.30pm, for others 6pm etc. and I think (though am not sure) it got moved around a bit compared to Neighbours which probably prevented it taking off in quite the same way.

With the move to Channel 5, the show took a break for over a year after it's last episode on ITV due to the deal with the broadcaster which couldn't have helped though Neighbours' popularity was greater than Home and Away's then anyway. I believe Channel 5 aired the last ITV episode just before launching Home and Away post break. In comparison, Neighbours' final episode on BBC One aired on the Friday of one week in February 2008 and the first episode on Channel 5 aired the following Monday.

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 01:02

I think because Neighbours is quite homely, low-key and character-driven, that connects with a British audience more than the Americanised sun, sex and sand approach that H & A adopts. I mean the writing and acting on H & A has always been generally better, but it has drifted so far away from what it originally was, whereas Neighbours if anything has returned to its roots recently. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Also, the Kylie & Jason effect had a big impact in the UK, whereas there was never any such moment for H & A.

Personally I think H & A is absolutely terrible, but it's just swept the board at the Logies so what do I know!

Fanntastik · 28/04/14 - 01:21

Two words: Kylie Minogue.

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 11:36

I think Neighbours is unique as a previous poster says and we don't have a similar light hearted set in the sun equivalent soap here so that's one reason. H and A seems more like your typical guns, kidnapping, serial killer type soap and we already have Hollyoaks, Emmerdale etc here to address that audience.

The years break was the real reason I gave up on H and A though. A year is a long time, I got out of the habit. I just watched Hollyoaks instead. All you had to do with Neighbours was press a different number on your control on Monday. You barely noticed (apart from the ads!).

Kasper69 · 28/04/14 - 11:58

In our house we much prefer Home and Away.

Towie1977 · 28/04/14 - 12:01

I agree with the above assessments about the soaps here and can also add some trivia for Australia where I have lived. H&A is screened on Channel Seven, the long time #1 network with lots of hit shows. It's timeslot comes right after a top rating news hour. It's constantly promoted and the stars have high profiles. Neighbours on the other hand long screened on the #3 station Channel Ten, who gave up on it when the quality took a nosedive in 2010. They shunted it to their digital Channel Eleven, which few people watch and therefore there is no promotion funds. It sadly stands no chance of building it's audience again despite recovering from a 5 year dip. For these reasons H&A has the edge down under but it's the reverse here where the current playing field is more level, so you could argue Neighbours is the slightly better show with handicaps removed .

jamesc_715 · 28/04/14 - 12:05

It's not surprising that Neighbours always beat Home and Away in the ratings!! Many of my friends and families prefer Neighbours than Home and Away. Home and Away has become a teen soap whereas Neighbours is for ALL age groups.

Danny_Francis · 28/04/14 - 12:33

Never quite understood it myself, my guess would be that Neighbours is less sensationalist in its approach and tries to tell stories in a light-hearted and warm manner

willows · 28/04/14 - 13:05

jamesc_715 wrote: »

It's not surprising that Neighbours always beat Home and Away in the ratings!! Many of my friends and families prefer Neighbours than Home and Away. Home and Away has become a teen soap whereas Neighbours is for ALL age groups.

I'm not a teen and enjoy Home and Away more

KB1984 · 28/04/14 - 13:09

How many people watch Neighbours in the UK now compared to the 'NeighboursMania' days of the late 80s?

davor · 28/04/14 - 13:11

I never watched Neighbours, and I watched Home & Away a bit in the 90's, when Melissa George was in it.

BadRomance · 28/04/14 - 13:12

In Ireland, H&A is also more popular. In fact, RTE made a documentary last year to mark the 25th anniversary and looked into how H&A has impacted on Irish culture. In fact, Ireland has the highest viewership per head ratio of H&A than any other country in the world! When Kate Ritchie announced her departure it was headline news on my local radio station in Ireland!!

Hit Em Up Style · 28/04/14 - 13:15

I've never understood it because Home and Away has always been the better show. The BBC actually tired to get Home And Away in the late 90s but Five ended up getting it on a life of series contract. I think had it been on the BBC rather than ITV and Five it would have been more popular than Neighbours. I think Neighbours just has a better timeslot. Neighbours actual quality has been on the decline for over a decade. Ten would have axed the show had it not been for the UK deal. Be very interesting to see what happens next time the renewal comes up.

jazzydrury3 · 28/04/14 - 13:41

Plus Channel 5 kept Neighbours in its orginal slots of 1:45 and 5:30,

starry_rune · 28/04/14 - 13:47

Neighbours was on straight after CBBC infact they linked into it

check this out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH7JMZ7Gnk8

jamesc_715 · 28/04/14 - 13:48

Hit Em Up Style wrote: »

I've never understood it because Home and Away has always been the better show. The BBC actually tired to get Home And Away in the late 90s but Five ended up getting it on a life of series contract. I think had it been on the BBC rather than ITV and Five it would have been more popular than Neighbours. I think Neighbours just has a better timeslot. Neighbours actual quality has been on the decline for over a decade. Ten would have axed the show had it not been for the UK deal. Be very interesting to see what happens next time the renewal comes up.

"Home and Away has always been the better show". I think it used to be brilliant but it declined in recent years. I agree with Neighbours but the producers care about its loyal viewers which is why they keep bringing back old characters and giving them storylines. Home and Away had lost lots of loyal viewers and gained many new viewers (mostly female viewers for Braxtons apparently).

swanseacrag · 28/04/14 - 14:20

Hmmm I find it strange.

Me and my mum have always watched home and away and neighbours over the last 20 years. Neighbours use to be amazing back in the day, then it got awful around 2006 - 2010, but I will admit, the last 2 years have been great (altho i'm not a massive viewer of neighbours as I use to be), I still know whats going on, and always tune in if something big is happening, and plus my mum still watches it so I always catch some episodes through the week if i'm home at the time.

With home and away, for the last 2 years I have been downloading the episodes at australian pace. This is because I am a massive fan of home and away, and never miss an episode, but it is on at such an awkward time (same as neighbours). Because at 6 o clock i'm either coming home from work, out with friends, or making the tea. So I download them online, and watch them on the weekend (usually a sunday)

I don't know anyone who watches neighbours (these days) apart from my mum. But I have lots of friends who still watch home and away, and actually record them on their boxes if they arn't home to see them.

So I don't think either one is more popular in the uk. Because a lot of people have said in the above comments that everyone seems to watch neighbours. But from my experience, everyone I know watches home on and away. So I think they are both popular as each other.

I do sometimes wish we had more adverts for home and away because neighbours always have great trailers. Also neighbours still have their opening credits, and home and away doesn't, which is so annoying!! I want the home and away titles back!!

jamesc_715 · 28/04/14 - 14:23

^ Brilliant post

I want the Home and Away titles back but Lucy Addario seems to think that having the titles will mean less airtime in the show. *rolls eyes*

Source: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s15/home-and-away/interviews/a401497/home-and-away-producer-lucy-addario-talks-storylines-future-plans.html

BadRomance · 28/04/14 - 14:35

jamesc_715 wrote: »

^ Brilliant post

I want the Home and Away titles back but Lucy Addario seems to think that having the titles will mean less airtime in the show. *rolls eyes*

Source: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s15/home-and-away/interviews/a401497/home-and-away-producer-lucy-addario-talks-storylines-future-plans.html

I'd like for Lucy to explain why there is a recap for over a minute but no opening credits? With online catch up and repeats I don't think there is any need for the recap. In 1988 when the show started I get the reasoning behind it but I would much rather credits than a recap.
I've never seen an episode of Neighbours so I can't really comment on it but I do get the impression that it's mundane where as H&A is full of drama just as a soap opera should be.

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 14:36

I think the soap schedule is very crowded in the UK. Neighbours 'owns' the 5.30 slot if you like; it's been shown around then for a long time and it's a good just before dinner time. In my house (now and when I was kid at home) you watched Neighbours then made your dinner. 6 o'clock is a bit of a rubbish time for H&A, right in the middle of dinner/getting in. Channel 5 can't move it to 6.30, 7, 7.30 or 8 though or it would clash with a UK soap. If I were them I would move it later to 9 pm or something at least for a while to try to attract new viewers who could then download (legally!) if it went back to a 6pm slot.

And catch up the silly transmission break. Be 24 hours behind Oz, stop the illegal downloads which will hurt viewing figures. They should prioritise this in any new contract negotiations. Just follow the Oz broadcast schedule and only break when Oz breaks. I read H and A is about to have a 3 week break or something. Why? Unless it's off air in Oz don't do it. It annoys viewers.

This helps Neighbours IMO. Only a 2 week gap (should be less though but it's getting better) and only one Xmas break. Less reason to download illegally and hurt viewing figures. If people are downloading H and A Oz pace this means it doesn't count in C5 viewing figures, even if loads of people watch it.

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 14:43

jamesalex wrote: »

I think the soap schedule is very crowded in the UK. Neighbours 'owns' the 5.30 slot if you like; it's been shown around then for a long time and it's a good just before dinner time. In my house (now and when I was kid at home) you watched Neighbours then made your dinner. 6 o'clock is a bit of a rubbish time for H&A, right in the middle of dinner/getting in. Channel 5 can't move it to 6.30, 7, 7.30 or 8 though or it would clash with a UK soap. If I were them I would move it later to 9 pm or something at least for a while to try to attract new viewers who could then download (legally!) if it went back to a 6pm slot.

What's wrong with 5pm?

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 14:48

Citadel wrote: »

What's wrong with 5pm?

Nothing but Channel 5 show their evening news at 5. I suppose they could swap that with H and A but then their news would go straight up against the BBC news at 6. And it would get trashed. TV schedules are pretty full!

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 14:51

jamesalex wrote: »

Nothing but Channel 5 show their evening news at 5. I suppose they could swap that with H and A but then their news would go straight up against the BBC news at 6. And it would get trashed. TV schedules are pretty full!

Yeah, they are, aren't they!

:D

starry_rune · 28/04/14 - 14:51

swanseacrag wrote: »

Hmmm I find it strange.

Me and my mum have always watched home and away and neighbours over the last 20 years. Neighbours use to be amazing back in the day, then it got awful around 2006 - 2010, but I will admit, the last 2 years have been great (altho i'm not a massive viewer of neighbours as I use to be), I still know whats going on, and always tune in if something big is happening, and plus my mum still watches it so I always catch some episodes through the week if i'm home at the time.

With home and away, for the last 2 years I have been downloading the episodes at australian pace. This is because I am a massive fan of home and away, and never miss an episode, but it is on at such an awkward time (same as neighbours). Because at 6 o clock i'm either coming home from work, out with friends, or making the tea. So I download them online, and watch them on the weekend (usually a sunday)

I think this could be another reason

Its not that Home and Away have lost lots of viewers (infact for the amount they lose they gain new ones) its the fact that there are now lots more channels, ways to keep up with whats going on since every detail is leaked at least weeks in advance, and more ways to watch like the poster above, so BARB boxes are completely irrelevant.

You can watch home and away on TV at UK pace (which is only useful to the viewing figures if you have a BARB box), you can watch UK or AUS pace on Youtube (not illegal but not legal in the true sense of the word either, UK Pace 5 on demand, or download like the poster above. You can watch every ep or just dip in and out when something big is happening.

They can't possibly record or take into account every viewer, so I think a lot of viewers are lost in this process and its possible some of the BARB figures are faked to give some big shows more popularity and commercial value too.

Home and Away probably gets millions of viewers a day, but this can't be published and recorded.

[Deleted User] · 28/04/14 - 14:57

starry_rune wrote: »

I think this could be another reason

Its not that Home and Away have lost lots of viewers (infact for the amount they lose they gain new ones) its the fact that there are now lots more channels, ways to keep up with whats going on since every detail is leaked at least weeks in advance, and more ways to watch like the poster above, so BARB boxes are completely irrelevant.

You can watch home and away on TV at UK pace (which is only useful to the viewing figures if you have a BARB box), you can watch UK or AUS pace on Youtube (not illegal but not legal in the true sense of the word either, UK Pace 5 on demand, or download like the poster above. You can watch every ep or just dip in and out when something big is happening.

They can't possibly record or take into account every viewer, so I think a lot of viewers are lost in this process and its possible some of the BARB figures are faked to give some big shows more popularity and commercial value too.

Home and Away probably gets millions of viewers a day, but this can't be published and recorded.

Very interesting perspective.

Hey there!

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Why is Neighbours more popular than H&A in UK?

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