NEIGHBOURS legend Alan Fletcher claims fans of the soap will “adore” the final ever episode when it airs in December.
The long-running Australian show previously called it a day in 2022 before Amazon MGM Studios
However, it has decided against making more episodes beyond 2025 and
Alan, who has played Dr Karl Kennedy for 31 years, believes executive producer Jason Herbison has crafted the perfect goodbye though, one which is very different from the last farewell.
For its initial swansong, legends of the show’s past returned, including , and Guy Pearce, delivering a heavy dose of nostalgia.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, says: “He wanted to create episodes that were full of hope and full of community and the strength of community. And he’s achieved it immaculately.
“And, of course, he could never go anywhere near where we went last time. Now, that’s done, that type of episode. So it’s been really, really fantastic to work on this last ending.
“I know the fans are going to love it. It’ll go to air in December and it’ll be adored.”
Having been saved once, fans might be holding out hope that another production company will intervene, but Alan doesn’t think it’s likely.
“It’d be lovely if a TV saviour came along and said, ‘oh no, let’s keep Neighbours going’, but I don’t think that’s very likely,” he says.
His feelings towards Neighbours’ retirement is very different this time round, with disappointment now replaced by satisfaction.
A modern filming style and fresh team reinvigorated the programme and the product was noticeably more refined.
“The first time around, I was gutted,” he says. “I was gutted for the fans, I was gutted for everyone losing their job, but partly I was gutted because I felt like Neighbours had unfinished business.
“And when Amazon bought the show back, suddenly the show was revitalised. It had a new energy, a new crew, and I think it just looked a million times better. We changed the way we shot the show.
“So by the time we got to the end this time, I think a lot of us just looked at each other and went, you know, we have just made 400 episodes of the highest quality TV drama that you could do on the budget.
“If you think about how many shows are on Netflix that maybe do 16 or 13 shows in a season, we’ve done a hell of a lot of episodes, and they have been superb. So I just think we felt very proud at the end.”
While there’s plenty of action to air between now and December, Karl’s already been at the heart of some dark and challenging plotlines this year.
He’s fought to save his marriage to wife Susan as well as his health after growing addicted to painkillers, something that Susan’s doctor nephew Darcy exploited.
“This is what we crave as actors, of course, because it gave, it gave a really great opportunity to explore Karl’s flaws,” says Alan.
“We’ve all perhaps seen the series about who becomes addicted to painkillers and Karl gets stuck in that maelstrom. But he doesn’t want to be in it. He actually genuinely believes he’s shaken his addiction.
“And then, of course, Darcy drugs him in a way by giving him painkillers without him knowing it. Yeah, a great, clever story and a wonderful way to finish up on the show.”
Alan is currently in the UK and Ireland on a 34-date music tour, playing his honest and occasionally comedic brand of Americana, alongside his band, which includes his wife of 35 years, Jennifer Hansen.
Though the music is his sole focus, he’s also on the lookout for a UK TV agent that could get him some roles on our shores.
“Like a lot of Aussie actors, I would crave to come and work in the UK,” he admits. “And I’m looking to try and find myself a UK agent because I think the UK makes some of the best television in the world.
“I think in terms of comedy, which I love to be involved in, the Brits are like the Australians.
“We do understand satire and so there’s incredibly sharp and witty television made here. And in terms of drama, the thing I really love about being in the UK is seeing how older actors, and I put myself in that bracket now, how older actors really get a good run on television and film. And some of the best UK actors, of course, are the older contingents.
“You know, you name and so forth and . It’s not something that happens in Australia so much. Generally, the main roles are taken by younger people. So, you know, I’d crave to work here.”
Before that comes to pass, Alan is on the promo trail for his latest single, Back To School, a poignant ballad on how to nurture a loving relationship.
“The title was about what I’ve learnt in studying philosophy, that love is something you can’t take for granted, you have to really look at it,” says Alan.
“I mean, that’s a bit of a cliche, but a lot of people don’t spend the time. So it’s really saying, let’s get back to school and learn how to love.
“It’s a very musical, laid-back track, and it gets a great reaction from people.”
Both Alan and Jen went back to school, as it were, when they attended a lecture on love by philosopher Alain de Botton that helped to improve their own relationship.
“It was quite transformative for us, because it reminds us that perfect love is a bit of an 18th century creation,” says Alan. “And in reality, we all love each other’s flaws, rather than trying to change each other.
“And once we heard that, and kind of accepted that, and went, ‘yes, absolutely, that’s what it is’. So now if either one of us in the relationship do something that the other one would normally think is annoying or troublesome, now we look at it and go, ‘oh, it’s adorable that you do that’.
“So just accepting that we are who we are, and trying to change people, mold them to be the perfect human being, is a waste of time.”
At the tail end of last year Alan also released a classic slice of Americana in Tell ‘Em, a duet with Jennifer that tells the tale of lost love.
“It really is the first cut, the deepest I suppose, that notion of the first relationship you have and how it kind of never leaves you, even though you break up and move on with your life and you have other loves, there’s some little tiny part of you that’s still wishes that somehow you’ve been able to work it out all those years ago.
“So essentially just saying, look, I know we’ll never be together, but I just think of you all the time, or in flashes.”
Both tracks will be joining Alan on his tour which is taking place now and runs until September.
