Neighbours

Neighbours is a long-running Australian soap opera, which is more popular in the United Kingdom than it is in Australia. It rivals soap opera Home and Away, both of which are typically shown in the mid afternoon, before or after the news.

A number of actors from Neighbours have appeared in major motion pictures or have had careers as singers, including Kylie Minogue. Similarly, a number of contestants from shows such as Australian Idol have ended up in Neighbours, such as Dean Geyer.

The show is based around a street, and all of the neighbours who live near to each other. It is a simple enough plot, and from there anything and everything can happen. It is reasonably realistic, at least in comparison to American soap operas, and, in typical Australian style, most actors play roles approximating their age (again, something that rarely happens in USA). Many of the actors come from NIDA, and landing a role in the show is seen by many as a stepping stone on to bigger and better things.