Memorable Moments and Highlights from the Neighbours Reboot as We Bid Farewell

All good things come to an end. But boy do we wish they didn’t have to. The final ever episode of Neighbours has already aired although we’ve yet to watch it. We’re gearing ourselves up for another farewell. Well we say farewell - but there’s a part of us that’s wondering if it will make another sudden miraculous return. Well it did before so who knows, and we know that there are tons of Neighbours fans that are keeping everything crossed that it’ll be back on our screens before we know it. And why not - if Kiss can have multiple farewells, then perhaps Neighbours can too. Although it doesn’t sit well with our emotions!

We were happy to see Shane Ramsay return to Ramsay Street

We didn’t know what to expect when Neighbours returned. We knew that many of the cast had found other work in the intervening years so wouldn’t be back which was a shame, and we knew that that would have an impact on the remaining cast and future storylines. One casualty was the relationship of Mike Young and Jane Harris who viewers delightfully saw reunited after more than three decades. Us Mike and Jane fans were expecting this as we knew that Guy Pearce who played Mike was never going to return to Neighbours full time. But the fans will forever be grateful to him for helping to make the first ever finale what it was, and for the appearances he did make in the reboot. So thanks, Guy! We just wish Mike and Jane had got their happily ever after.

But on the whole the new-look Neighbours didn’t disappoint. Sure there were some storylines we weren’t so sure about (Toadie and Therese for a start!) But there were also some highlights, memorable moments, stand-out performances and a new bunch of characters that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

Here’s what we’re taking from the Neighbours reboot. What were the stand-out storylines, characters and key moments for you?

1. The Varga-Murphys

When Neighbours ended back in 2022, it appeared that the Rodwells were to be the last family that viewers saw move onto the Street. But then Neighbours returned and the Varga-Murphy family - compromising of Cara, her wife Remi and their sons JJ and Dex - were the first new family to move to Ramsay Street. And since no other families have moved to Ramsay Street since the duration of the reboot, the Varga-Murphys are also the final ever family to move onto the Street.

We’ll be honest - it took us at Nostalgia Pie a while to warm to this new family. And Remi didn’t score any brownie points with viewers by being mean to fellow doctor, sweet David Tanaka. But over time the Varga-Murphys have grown during their time on the show and they have definitely grown on us. We have loved following their journey, starting with the discovery of who JJ’s father was; their feud with the crooked Linwells, and Cara joining the police force to watching the family forge a bond with JJ’s dad, Felix and his new girlfriend, Elle Robinson. Unfortunately, after an accident that saw Remi lose her memory and not remember who Cara is, the two looked set to go their separate ways. But we bet that Remi’s memory would return well before we saw the closing credits for the final time - and we were right! We’re sorry that we won’t get the opportunity to see this family progress and develop any further but it was great getting to know them.

2. The Recasting of the Stone Siblings

When we heard that Jane Harris’s children, Byron and Nicolette Stone were set to be played by new actors, there was a mixture of intrigue… and disappointment! Byron Stone had been on the show for all of five minutes before Neighbours came to an end, when he was then played by Joe Klocek. So it wasn’t too much of an issue to hear that a new actor (Xavier Molyneux) had taken over the role. But we were shocked and disappointed to hear that Charlotte Chimes would not be reprising the role of Nicolette Stone. She had done such a phenomenal job of playing Jane’s bolshy daughter that we couldn’t imagine anyone other than Charlotte portraying her. Surely this was going to be a disaster.

Nicolette played by Charlotte Chimes

Except it wasn’t! While we missed seeing Charlotte Chimes back as Nicolette, Hannah Monson did an incredible job of stepping into the role. While Charlotte played Nicolette as selfish and bitchy (with the occasional flashes of sweet and caring!) Hannah’s version of the character was more mature and a lot more mellow - although Nicolette still retained her fire and feistiness. And at times, she could be absolutely hilarious! But there were also times where she wasn’t afraid to show her vulnerability.

Some recasts just don’t work. But the recasting of both the Stone siblings worked very well and they were every bit as good as the original actors. With Nicolette, you could say that Charlotte’s version was a character you loved to hate, while we grew to love Hannah’s Nicolette.

3. Krista Tanaka 

One of the best things about the Neighbours reboot was that it got to showcase the amazing acting talents of actress Majella Davis - a relatively unknown before she was cast as Krista Sinclair. When she first made her debut on Neighbours as Holly Hoyland’s hellraiser friend, viewers thought that she was going to be the new bad girl on the show. Boy, were we in for a surprise! Because Krista actually went on to become one of the best things about the second coming of Neighbours. Definitely not a boring old one-dimensional character, Krista is the greatest example of growth we’ve seen on a soap in a long time (Cindy Beale and Max Branning, take note!) We’ve seen her go from self-centred, bitchy party girl, to a respectable business woman, and devoted wife to Leo Tanaka and stepmum to Abi, with Krista and Leo becoming one of the most memorable couples of this series. We’ve watched her battle addiction, deal with a highly toxic family member, and the death of her best friend - who was totally a wrong un! 

It was Krista’s tragic stillbirth storyline where she lost her baby daughter, Hope, that made viewers see the character in a whole new light. And Majella put everything she had into playing the grieving mum which showed that she really was an acting force to be reckoned with. The storyline also saw her bond with her one-time nemesis, now father-in-law, Paul Robinson, who was there for Krista during one of her darkest moments. It’s been very entertaining and heart-warming to see how their relationship has developed - although feisty Krista won’t take any nonsense from Paul and is probably the only person, other than Therese who can put Paul in his place! 

We will so miss Krista Tanaka… But we reckon Majella Davis will go on to great things. 

4. Goodbye Dr. David Tanaka

Not all of the memorable moments of the Neighbours reboot were heartwarming. Some of them were absolutely gutwrenching.  One of them was the tragic death of lovely, sweet-natured doctor, David Tanaka which put an end to one of our favourite Neighbours couples. As with Krista Sinclair, David’s future sister-in-law who he helped when she was battling drug and alcohol addiction, David is also a fabulous example of character growth. He arrived in Erinsborough looking for the father he had never known, and was struggling with his sexuality. Compared to his twin brother Leo, he seemed very timid and unsure of himself. But he was always an absolute sweetheart. At one point he even offered to marry Paige Smith, a woman he barely knew so that she would have a father for her unborn child! Although part of that reason may have been because he was searching for some stability for himself as well.

David Tanaka played by Takaya Honda

But then he overcame his doubts regarding his sexuality soon after meeting his beloved Aaron, with the two going on to get married in what was Neighbours first ever gay wedding, marking the legalization of gay marriage in Australia. They became fathers to Isla and raised her along with Isla’s mother Nicolette in a rather unconventional arrangement that worked. But just when Aaron and David decided that they wanted to become parents again, tragedy struck as David was killed while trying to protect Leo from Krista’s deranged ex, Eden, which saw the two men go over a cliff. The scene where Leo and Aaron had to carry David’s body back to the lodge with a hysterical Nicolette crying over David’s body had to be one of Neighbour’s most heartbreaking scenes.

Had Neighbours not been axed (the first time!) Takaya Honda was all set to leave the show with David’s exit storyline supposedly seeing him being sent to prison for malpractice. But as Neighbours had been cancelled, Takaya decided to stay on til the end with Daaron fans breathing a sigh of relief. Until the new series came along…

5. Eirini Rising

Over the years, viewers have become very familiar with the increasing number of local Erinsborough establishments. There was Daphne’s/Harold’s coffee shop; The Waterhole; Erinsborough High; Erinsborough Hospital; Grease Monkeys; The Daniels Corporation office, The 82 Tram, and of course the Lassiters Complex. These are just some of the locations that have been seen over the show’s forty year history.

Therese made Eirini a success

But one establishment that was new to the second-coming of Neighbours was Eirini Rising - the care home that was the brainchild of savvy businesswoman, Therese Willis. She had to do battle with her friend and school principal, Jane Harris, as the care home was to be constructed on school grounds which potentially meant the closure of Erinsborough High. But eventually a compromise was made so that the school and care home wouldn’t just peacefully co-exist alongside each other, but also work together hand in hand. 

The new series of Neighbours was all about new beginnings and this was highlighted with Eirini Rising marking a new occupational chapter in the careers of the new owner and ex Lassiters boss, Therese, as well as former principal of Erinsborough High, Susan Kennedy who was Eirini’s operations manager, and Susan’s husband, Dr. Karl Kennedy who swapped Erinsborough Hospital for a new role at Eirini as the resident doctor and wellness expert.

One of the things we will remember Eirini for is its vibrant group of residents including Hilary Robinson, Gino Esposito, Moira Tohu and the very zany Vera Punt all of whom provided much of the show’s more lighthearted, humorous moments. We’re so glad that Neighbours didn’t go down the route of portraying the lives of the residents as all doom and gloom, and demonstrated that the older characters could have just as much fun as the younger ones. The final scenes with the Eirini Rising residents aired a few weeks before Neighbours was due to end but we wish we’d seen more of these wonderful characters who we’ve really taken to our hearts. 

6. Ian Smith and Anne Charleston (Reunited!)

Just the mere mention of ‘Madge and Harold’ brings a smile to the faces of many a Neighbours’ fan, as this iconic couple have graced our screens over a period of almost twenty years, and they remind us of Neighbours as it was in its heyday. But when Anne Charleston who played Madge, decided she wanted to leave the show and spend more time at her home in Ireland. So in tear-jerking scenes, with her beloved Harold by her side, Madge passed away in 2001 after losing her fight against cancer, and Neighbours fans were saddened to have to say goodbye not only to one of their favourite characters but also one of their fave couples. 

Ian Smith who played Harold Bishop

In the intervening years, Anne has appeared on the show twice as figments of Harold’s, and then in the finale, Susan Kennedy’s imaginations. But then sadly, lovely Ian Smith, who had played Harold since 1987, had to leave the show after being diagnosed with cancer. Neighbours bosses wanted to give Harold a highly memorable exit, and they did that by bringing back Anne, who very generously agreed to return for a guest stint. Obviously Anne couldn’t return as Madge, so she was brought in as Agnes Robinson, a long-lost and distant relative of Madge’s on a rather complicated family tree that once again united the Ramsay and Robinson clans. Although both Harold and Agnes were residents at Eirini Rising, the two chose to start a new life together away from Erinsborough. And although viewers knew that it wasn’t ‘Madge,’ just seeing Ian and Anne together on our screens again - and even appearing in the opening credits just like in the old days -  really warmed our hearts. 

7. Nostalgia Overload

Zac Willis is back but what about his mum, Gaby?

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - if there’s one thing that Neighbours does brilliantly, it’s amp up the nostalgia! Over the years Neighbours has made a habit of bringing back familiar faces. The finale read like a who’s who of anyone who’d ever lived on Ramsay Street. Well almost! And for the reboot, they once again didn’t disappoint when it came to the nostalgia factor. From the first episode, there was Daniel Robinson and Imogen Willis. Later on we saw Summer Hoyland, Roxy Willis, Tess Bell and that dastardly Darcy Tyler who proved that some people just never change! Hilary Robinson and Gino Esposito purchased units at Eirini Rising. And Jane Harris’s mother, Amanda, and Melissa Jarrett took us right back to the totally unmissable days of Neighbours. More recently there have been visits from nineties favourites Annalise Hartman and Sam Kratz, and the legendary Shane Ramsay has returned to do battle with his old mucker, Paul Robinson. Oh and not forgetting Gaby Willis’s son, Zac, who we haven’t seen since seen was a lickle baby in the early nineties, and was definitely someone on our wishlist

8. Hellfire Holly!

Before the new-look Neighbours came along, Holly Hoyland was very rarely seen. She made some visits to Erinsborough to see her family, and was mentioned whenever her dad, Dr. Karl Kennedy was flying over to London to see her. But despite long periods of being missing from our screens, Holly Hoyland was still an integral part of the show - the result of the union between Dr. Karl and the nightmare that is Izzy Hoyland. So when Neighbours returned, Holly was brought back as a main character. And main character she was - in fact you’d be forgiven for thinking that Neighbours had been renamed The Holly Show as she was central to many of the storylines that featured during the show’s second run. But maybe she was just making up for lost time! 

Due to the details of her conception and the fact that her mum was Izzy Hoyland, Holly often felt as though she had a cloud hanging over her. She knew that her parents' clandestine relationship and her birth had brought a lot of pain to a lot of people, most of all to Karl’s wife, Susan. And while Susan and Holly have a wonderful stepmother-stepdaughter relationship, Holly, who is generally quite a sweet girl - albeit one who makes some shocking choices -  has gone through life feeling as though she has to prove to everyone that she is most definitely not her mother’s daughter. However, like her mum, she doesn’t always have problems entering relationships with unavailable men. 

During Holly’s time on the show, she was indirectly responsible for bringing Krista Sinclair to Erinsborough (a good thing!) been involved in a love triangle of sorts with Mack and Haz; been involved in an actual love triangle with Tess and Heath; was targeted by Heath’s grief-stricken sister who blamed Holly for Heath’s death; been kidnapped twice (or was it three times?) been held hostage, and was left battling the traumatic after effects as the result of it all! It was no wonder she was dubbed Hellfire Holly by a true-crime podcaster who duped Holly into appearing on her podcast. Though one of Holly’s highlights was getting romantically involved with Max Ramsay, the son of her mum’s former partner, the famous Shane Ramsay. This was probably the only healthy romantic relationship Holly has ever had, with a man who clearly adored her. But then she had to ruin it all by having an affair with married policeman and her best friend’s dad, Andrew Rodwell, with the pair devastating Andrew’s family and Max, while also leaving the Kennedys sorely disappointed, especially when they all discovered that Andrew was the father of Holly’s unborn baby, a son. 

After realizing that they no longer had romantic feelings for each other, Holly and Andrew vowed to co-parent their child but tragedy struck when Holly recently miscarried. Even Andrew’s family rallied around, saddened by her plight. With Neighbours ending, it’s a pity that we’ll never see what Holly, who was involved in so many dramatic moments, will do next…

9. Henrietta Graham

Henrietta Graham played Sam Young and she was introduced as a character on the show just as Neighbours was ending its run in 2022. We were led to believe that Sam was just another new employee at Lassiters hotel. But that was until her dad turned up. And Mr. Young turned out to be none other than iconic Neighbours character Mike Young, played by the legendary Guy Pearce. 

Henrietta Graham as Sam Young

While Sam didn’t have any major storylines, she was an absolute sweetheart and it was lovely seeing her play a part in the Harris-Young household. Mike’s partner Jane looked upon Sam as a second (and less troublesome!) daughter and she was another sibling to Byron and Nicolette. There was none of the fuss, drama and tantrums that can sometimes occur with blended families. Even when Mike and Jane split up (and broke our hearts in the process!) Sam was still their priority, and Jane and her kids were delighted when Sam decided to continue living with them - and so were we!

Guy Pearce as Mike Young

Guy Pearce is a family friend of Henrietta’s and has known her and her family for many years. He did say that when he heard that Neighbours was being axed, one of his first thoughts was for Henrietta as she had just landed the role of Sam. But he was glad that she got to appear in a few episodes before the show ended. He was even more delighted that he got to play her dad! So Guy must have been absolutely thrilled that Henrietta was able to return for the new-look show - as were we!

10. Trevor!

There has never been a shortage of residents on Ramsay Street of the lovable, furry, four-legged variety. We’ve had the unforgettable Bouncer; Bouncer 2; Bob; Bonnie; Bossy (they love their ‘B’ names on Ramsay Street, don’t they!) Holly (not a ‘B’ name!) Jake, Clancey and many more over the years. When Neighbours began again, the new canine on the block (or street!) was Trevor, a rescue dog owned by Haz Devkar. They say that a dog is man’s best friend and that was definitely the case with Trevor and Haz as the two adored each other. Trevor was a rather anxious dog and Haz was the only one who could make him feel at ease. And no woman could come between the two besties. When Haz started dating Billie who he’d met online, they fell out over her attitude towards Trevor - so she had to go!

However, when Haz married Mackenzie and the two left for a new life in Paris, it broke Haz’s heart to leave his friend behind, even though he knew that Trevor was in safe hands with Byron Stone - Haz’s human bestie! It didn’t stop Haz from trying to move Trevor from Melbourne to Paris once he and Mack were settled, but seeing how much distress Trevor was in when placed in the crate, Haz reluctantly called off the move. Eventually it was Byron, needing to make a fresh start away from Erinsborough, who travelled by boat to Paris with Trevor, and reunited Haz with his beloved pal! 

Trevor was played by a groodle (cross between a golden retriever and a poodle) named Bodie, and he will go down in Neighbours history as the last dog to call Ramsay Street home. Trevor, being an absolute cutie, had found his way into the hearts of viewers and it was a sad day when he left Erinsborough for good. 

THE END (At least for now!)

Well that’s all, folks. We’ll soon be tuning into the final episode (for now anyway!) of Australia’s longest ever TV series. We’re curious about it but at the same time, we hate goodbyes so we’re not looking forward to it! If there’s one thing we’re grateful for, it’s that Neighbours was resurrected long enough to celebrate its fortieth anniversary as some of us felt that the show had been cheated out of celebrating this momentous, milestone occasion. So while some of us are now pondering what on earth we’re going to watch while we’re having our lunch or tea, it’s worth remembering that there are forty years worth of episodes to enjoy all over again.

If you grew up during the eighties and nineties in any of the countries where Neighbours was popular, you’ll understand what all the fuss was about. For us British kids, it was a massive part of our childhood years and I don’t think we’d ever seen a pop cultural phenomenon like it. It caused Australianisms to creep into our vernacular (“Oh rack off, why don’t you!” “I can’t wear that. It’s so daggy.”) We went to uni and not university. Hairdressers had probably never done so many perms in their lives (thank you, Kylie) The Stock, Aitken and Waterman music factory really went into overdrive (thanks Kylie, Jason and any other Neighbours actor who fancied a go at pop stardom!) Now that we’re older, we don’t just look upon the show with fondness but that time in our lives too. More simpler, carefree times where the only thing we had to worry about was the mad dash after school so that we could be home in time for Neighbours. If we were able to catch the tail end of Newsround or Blue Peter (maybe even Byker Grove) then we knew were bang on time! 

At this point we need to say a huge thank you to the fabulous cast and crew of Neighbours who kept many of us entertained and out of trouble for so long! The show is definitely a legacy that will live on, whether it returns or not. We wish everyone who’s ever worked on the show - past and present - all the very best for the future. 

Right, now deep breath - final episode, here we go…