week 12 / 19 March 2015 AN AUSTRALIAN ICON How FremantleMedia Australia’s daily soap won the hearts of millions of viewers over three decades Luxembourg Luxembourg Croatia Guillaume de Posch RTL Group named RTL Hrvatska delivers keynote speech ‘Luxembourg’s launches three at the Cable Congress most attractive new pay channels Employer’ week 12 / 19 March 2015 AN AUSTRALIAN ICON How FremantleMedia Australia’s daily soap won the hearts of millions of viewers over three decades Luxembourg Luxembourg Croatia Guillaume de Posch RTL Group named RTL Hrvatska delivers keynote speech ‘Luxembourg’s launches three at the Cable Congress most attractive new pay channels Employer’ Cover Neighbours 30 years Publisher RTL Group 45, Bd Pierre Frieden L-1543 Luxembourg Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications & Marketing k before y hin ou T p r in t backstage.rtlgroup.com backstage.rtlgroup.fr backstage.rtlgroup.de QUICK VIEW “We have the content; you have the distribution pipeline” RTL Group “One of the most iconic p.10–11 programmes ever to be produced in Australia” RTL Group once FremantleMedia Australia again ‘Luxembourg’s p.4–9 Most Attractive Employer’ RTL Group p.12 Crime, Passion and Living enrich RTL Group’s family of channels in Croatia RTL Hrvatska p.13 An enriched listening experience, thanks to Big Picture ‘Shazam for Radio’ p.15 IP France p.14 SHORT NEWS p.16–17 PEOPLE p.18 “ONE OF THE MOST On 18 March 2015, the FremantleMedia Australia (FMA) production ICONIC PROGRAMMES Neighbours turned 30. Backstage looks back EVER TO BE PRODUCED at the success of this long-running soap. IN AUSTRALIA” Australia – 18 March 2015 FremantleMedia Australia To commemorate the show’s 30th anniversary the series brings together past and present Ramsay Street residents as part of a special two-week storyline 4 Neighbours is a daily soap that portrays the lives of people living and working in Erinsborough, a fictional suburb of Melbourne. The story focuses WORD ON THE RAMSAY STREET... on the residents of Ramsay Street, who are seen dealing with the challenges and trials that ordinary people face every day. The series is a perfect blend of fiction and reality, and has become part of viewers’ daily routine in Australia and beyond. Since Neighbours was first broadcast in 1985 the show has sold internationally and is currently watched by millions of viewers every day in such diverse markets as Barbados, Norway and Belgium, as well as in the UK and, more recently, the USA. The 30th anniversary of Neighbours will be the 7,083rd episode of the series, making it the longest-running Australian drama and one of the most successful Australian television exports in history. Ramsay Street is set to entertain and surprise. To commemorate the show’s 30th anniversary the series brings together past and present Ramsay Street residents as part of a special two-week storyline. Fans can look forward to some dramatic surprises, as well as a feast of nostalgia. Neighbours has launched the careers of global stars including singers Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance, as well as Hollywood actors such as Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce. A number of international stars have dropped by to make cameo appearances too, including Baby Spice, Paula Abdul, Lily Allen, The Wombats and Shane Warne. Ian Hogg, CEO FremantleMedia Australia and Asia Pacific Ian Hogg, CEO FremantleMedia Australia and Asia Pacific, says: “This is the only chance we will have in our lifetime to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of one of our programmes. It is a milestone of great importance and historical significance. Neighbours’ international success and ability to create superstars makes it one of the most iconic programmes ever to be produced in Australia. Sincere congratulations to our incredibly hardworking crew who continue to evolve and grow Neighbours.” Jason Donovan and Russel Crowe (right), in Neighbours Next > 5 NEIGHBOURS MAKES ITS STAMP ON AUSTRALIAN HISTORY To mark the occasion, FMA’s Media and Brand Licensing division has collaborated with Australia Post and has released a special commemorative stamp pack featuring some of the most popular characters from the show. You can order the stamps here. Next > Get involved and Tweet #Neighbours30 @NeighboursTV 6 30 YEARS / 30 FACTS PAGE 1 OF 2 Neighbours 30th anniversary is celebrated It would take approximately on 18 March 2015 and 147 days to watch all the 1 will be the 7,083rd Neighbours episodes back to episode 2 back Approximately 28,000 There have been fifteen cast and crew have births on Neighbours, 3 worked on Neighbours 4 34 deaths and 41 in three decades marriages There are approximately 3,320 pieces of clothing in Neighbours has filmed outside of 5 the costume department Melbourne on five occasions – twice 6 each in London and Sydney and once in Port Douglas, Queensland The show was watched by It takes six months from plotting the story line, filming, approximately editing and airing an episode 21 million 8 7 viewers in Australia and Ramsay Street is an actual residential street called Pin Oak the UK during Court in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The producers wanted 2014 9 a street that featured houses was typical of the 1980s era when the series launched In 2013, three backyards for number 22, 25 and 32 houses Neighbours has launched the careers of were built on the show’s back lot global stars including Kylie Minogue, Guy 10 making it the largest dedicated Pearce, Jason Donovan, Delta Goodrem, drama set in the Southern 11 Margot Robbie, Jesse Spencer, Natalie Hemisphere Imbruglia and Holly Valance Scott and Charlene’s wedding (Jason Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson) Donovan and Kylie Minogue) was 13 is the only actor remaining who 12 viewed by 19.6 million in the UK and appeared in the first episode a turning point for the nightly show Stefan left Neighbours in 1993 and Erinsborough is an anagram returned in 2004. Paul Robinson 15 of Neighbours 14 is the longest running character on Australian television 7 30 YEARS / 30 FACTS PAGE 2 OF 2 Five regular cast members (current & past) have played multiple characters: Alan Fletcher 16 – two, Scott Major – two, Brett Tucker – three, Jackie Woodburne (Susan Tim Phillips – two and Colette Mann – two Kennedy) has filmed more episodes than any other 17 actress on Neighbours – close to 5,000 Harold’s Store was previously called – Paul Robinson is Daphnes (1986-1993), Hungry Bite Café the most ‘married’ (1993-1995), The Holy Roll (1995-1997), character with five The Coffee Shop (1997-2005), Bishop & former wives 18 19 Carpenter’s General Store (2005-2008) and was renamed Harold’s Store in 2008 in honour of Harold Bishop leaving Erinsborough Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) and Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Neighbours’ 20 longest running married couple, played brother Neighbours is filmed in the and sister in a police series called Cop Shop in same studios as Prisoner Cell the 1980s Block H and the bricks used 21 on the Bishop’s house are recycled cell walls Josh Willis is Steph Scully’s 22 son in real life They may be twins on the show, but in real life, Josh and 23 Imogen (Harley and Ariel) are dating Amber and Kyle are a couple in 24 real life Jason Donovan (Scott Robinson) is the son of 25 Terrance Donovan (Doug Willis) Tom Oliver (Lou Carpenter) Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) in 26 was born in Hampshire, UK real life, is actually Dame Judi Dench’s 27 cousin Ian Smith (Harold Bishop) is a massive Holly Valance’s sister is 28 Leeds United FC fan now in Neighbours as 29 Paige Collette Mann (Sheila Canning) starred in the original Prisoner 30 Cell Block H 8 MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT Ramsay Street has been hit by tornados, murders, ghosts and bush fires over the last 30 years – but ask any die-hard Neighbours fan for their favourite episode and there is one moment guaranteed to come up again and again: Scott and Charlene’s wedding. Broadcast in 1987, episode 523 saw the two popular characters played by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue, tie the knot in what was the equivalent of a royal wedding for the show’s viewers. In Australia the episode was watched by two million viewers, making it one of the highest- rating soap opera episodes, while in the UK, over 19 million fans tuned in to watch the happy event. Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue (right) Happy 30th Birthday, Neighbours! To mark the occasion, FremantleMedia hosted a celebratory event on 17 March 2015 in London, at which Cécile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia, was joined by a number of special guests, including the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, the Honourable Alexander Downer AC, and Neighbours cast members Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Anne Charleston (Madge Bishop), Olympia Valance (Paige Smith) and Tim Phillipps (Daniel Robinson). Happy 30th Birthday, Neighbours ! Left to right (excluding showgirls and people holding the cake): Honourable Alexander Downer AC, Australian High Commissioner, Neighbours cast members Stefan Dennis, Anne Charleston, Olympia Valance, Tim Phillipps, Cécile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia and Ben Frow, Director of Programmes at Channel 5 9 “WE HAVE THE CONTENT; YOU HAVE THE DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE” RTL Group On 11 March 2015, Guillaume de Posch, Co-CEO of RTL Group, delivered a keynote speech at the Cable Congress 2015 in Brussels. Organised by Cable Europe, the first day of the event was attended by around 500 representatives from the cable, IT and TV industries. Luxembourg – 13 March 2015 Under the title “The transformation of the TV industry”, de Posch analysed the challenges and opportunities faced by the TV industry in today’s digital era.