Producer of Neighbours scripts Shane Isheev has shared how the sitcom is approaching its 9,000th episode.
Episode 9,000 of the venerable Australian soap opera was made available on Amazon Freevee on Monday, offering viewers a nostalgic treat complete with Easter Eggs.
With Paul Robinson, the original character, taking central stage, Episode 9,000 has a “villains” theme.
When Aaron Brennan visits Chelsea Murphy, Paul’s new girlfriend, at Lassiters, he tries to scare her away by enumerating a number of transgressions from the bad boy’s past.
In the opening and ending sequences, Paul offers a voiceover reflection on his own evil deeds.
As everything is going on, pregnant Krista Sinclair is thinking about baby names. Her boyfriend Leo Tanaka is scared when she mentions names like Finn, Izzy, and Darcy—allusions to previous villains like Finn Kelly, Izzy Hoyland, and Darcy Tyler.
Leo responds with a quip: “Might as well go for Robert and Andrea while you’re at it.”
At last, Paul gets to spend some time with his granddaughter Isla, thanks to Nicolette Stone letting him. The young girl tells Paul that one of her toys is nine thousand years old.
Joking, Paul says, “9,000 years old? That is almost my age.”
Shane, who wrote the script for this episode, informed fans in a post on X today that “quite a few ideas were on the table for EP 9,000.” Our plans continued to change as a result of need, but I’m pleased with where we ended up.
“Though it’s a low-key celebration, Tenika Smith, the director, did a fantastic job keeping the episode feeling unique.
“I was determined to find a method to honour a feature of the programme that hasn’t received enough attention at previous occasions. Neighbours wouldn’t be the same without villains!
“And who better to take centre stage? Paul Robinson, the villain whom everyone loves to hate, has been around since the first episode and is officially approaching 9,000 years old.
“I’m hoping you like the episodes. I hope the Easter Eggs are fun for you. Writing was an honour.”
