Without turning Bartons on the Web into a Neighbours website all of a sudden, I would like to mention that the petition that has been running since February (and promoted here) has unfortunately not had the desired effect.
Both Channel 5 (UK) and 10 (Australia) have announced that the final episode of Neighbours will air in both countries on 1 August 2022. That means that Neighbours comes to an end after 37 years.
I don't personally watch it, but I recognise the influence and impact the show has had on Australia's television landscape. So I'm still sad to see it go away.
Bartons was compared a lot to Neighbours back in 1987 and 1988 (although Jenny Hooks didn't agree with that comparison at all). Quite a few Bartons cast members have appeared on Neighbours at one point or another in their careers. Rebekah Elmaloglou, who portrayed Elly in the Bartons film, is a main cast member on Neighbours to this very day (she plays Terese Willis).
The production promises that the final episode will be a blast for fans, taking the entire history of the soap into account. While that probably means that Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan will make a brief return, we can hope to see characters played by Bartons cast members return too of course.
If you have signed the petition, thanks!