After 37 years, 63 weddings, 20 births, 68 deaths, nearly 9000 episodes and one very bizarre dog dream sequence, iconic Australian soap opera Neighbours comes to an end tonight.

It made stars of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Margot Robbie, Daniel MacPherson and Toadie Rebecchi’s mullet. And it launched the pop careers of Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia, and at for at least one magnificent single, Holly Valance.

But more importantly it turned the camera back on ourselves and made Australian suburban life fascinating in a way shows like EastEnders and Coronation Street had in the UK. It also did more for Australian tourism and immigration than Lara Bingle could ever have dreamed of.

And now the show and its stars take their final bows, as Neighbours enters the history books.

Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the final episode and what the show’s legacy will be.

Correction: An earlier version of this episode credited Guy Ritchie as having started his career on Neighbours rather than Guy Pearce. This was incorrect. We apologise for the error, which has now been removed.

After 37 years, 63 weddings, 20 births, 68 deaths, nearly 9000 episodes and one very bizarre dog dream sequence, iconic Australian soap opera Neighbours comes to an end tonight.
It made stars of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Margot Robbie, Daniel MacPherson and Toadie Rebecchi’s mullet. And it launched the pop careers of Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia, and at for at least one magnificent single, Holly Valance.
But more importantly it turned the camera back on ourselves and made Australian suburban life fascinating in a way shows like EastEnders and Coronation Street had in the UK. It also did more for Australian tourism and immigration than Lara Bingle could ever have dreamed of.
And now the show and its stars take their final bows, as Neighbours enters the history books.
Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the final episode and what the show’s legacy will be.
Correction: An earlier version of this episode credited Guy Ritchie as having started his career on Neighbours rather than Guy Pearce. This was incorrect. We apologise for the error, which has now been removed.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.