User:JuneGloom07/35th

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Neighbours 35th anniversary week is a group of ten episodes of the Australian television soap opera Neighbours originally broadcast from 16–20 March 2020 on 10 Peach and Channel 5. Five 22-minute episodes were broadcast in the show's regular timeslot, followed by five half-hour episodes, branded "Neighbours Endgame". In the United Kingdom, these episodes were broadcast in prime time at 10pm.

Conception and development
It was reported on 4 February that during the anniversary week (16–20 March), there will be three deaths and five weddings. As Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta) celebrates her 35th birthday on an island with her friends, Finn Kelly (Rob Mills) regains his memories and turns evil again, resulting in his "ultimate deadly revenge plan". The storyline will air over five additional standalone primetime episodes. In the show's regular time slot, the episodes will have one wedding per day, as Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly) organises a wedding expo at Lassiters Hotel. The week also features the return of several former characters, with at least one couple expected to marry.

Executive producer Jason Herbison said of the week of episodes: "We have a reputation for going big with our milestones, and this is our biggest yet. We're excited to deliver our viewers a double dose of Neighbours, which will lead to three deaths and five weddings. There's warmth and nostalgia as well as high drama and – for the first time ever – we'll have a week-long narrative taking place separate to the happenings of Erinsborough. Neighbours is 35 years young, and we are celebrating with a bang!"


 * Neighbours' 35th anniversary episodes begin from Monday March 16 at 6.30pm, with extra episodes following at 7pm on 10 Peach.
 * First mention? Oct 2019
 * Predictions
 * Plans
 * Neighbours 35th anniversary week

Cast and characters
Returning former cast members: Stephanie McIntosh (Sky Mangel), Bruce Samazan (Mark Gottlieb), Melissa Bell (Lucy Robinson), Olympia Valance (Paige Smith), Paul Keane (Des Clarke), Andrew Morley (Jack Callahan), Annie Jones (Jane Harris), Damien Bodie (Dylan Timmins) and Scott McGregor (Mark Brennan).

Filming
The island scenes were filmed in December 2019.

Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, decided to go to Plenty Gorge to watch Richardson's final scenes being filmed, so that she could use her emotions for later scenes in which her character learns of Gary's death. She told David Knox of TV Tonight "Even though Sheila doesn't see him die, Colette needed to see him die. So I went out and watched that because I happen to be finished that day."

Promotion and broadcast

 * Live event?
 * Trailers
 * Trailer "End Game"

Ratings

 * News rises on a most unusual Monday

Critical response
Joanne Lowles from TVTimes chose Monday's episode as her "Pick of the Day" and gave the storyline three stars, before commenting "Think late-night Hollyoaks but with added sunshine."

The anniversary episodes were nominated for Best Storyline in the first RadioTimes.com Soap Awards. Johnathon Hughes stated "Fiendish Finn's nine lives were finally used up in a brilliantly plotted final act for the sociopathic bad boy as his beef with Elly and Susan put half of Ramsay Street in danger. It was darker territory than normal for sunny Neighbours, and formed the backdrop to the nostalgia-fest of the 35th anniversary."


 * https://www.radiotimes.com/news/soaps/neighbours/2020-03-16/neighbours-35-anniversary-uk-soaps/
 * https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/03/16/neighbours-review-soap-celebrates-35th-anniversary-odd-mix-nostalgia/