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Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue in a 1985 "Neighbors" ad
Photo: Mary Evans Picture Library / Ronald Grant /imago images
The Australian soap opera Neighbors, once popular around the world, is being canceled after 37 years.
The production of the series, which was once the career springboard for world star Kylie Minogue, will end in June after almost 9,000 episodes, the makers said on Twitter.
The future of the series, which has been particularly successful in Great Britain, has been hanging in the balance since the British private broadcaster Channel 5 announced last month that it would no longer broadcast Neighbors.
"After the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK and despite an intensive search for alternative financing, we simply have no choice but to cancel the show," it said.
"We know this is a huge disappointment for our amazing, loyal fans, as well as for all of us on the team." In Australia, "Neighbors" has only aired on digital channel 10 Peach since 2011.
In Germany, »Neighbours« was shown on Sat.1 for a number of years, starting in 1989.
The series, which tells the story of the lives of residents of Ramsay Street in a fictional Melbourne suburb, was launched on March 18, 1985.
The soap has been sold in more than 50 countries and is considered one of the most successful TV exports from Down Under.
In addition to Kylie Minogue, stars such as Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe and Natalie Imbruglia once started their careers with Neighbors.
cpa/dpa