Neighbours’ 40-year reign finally came to an end last night, with audiences bidding a fond farewell to the residents of Ramsay Street one last time.
The finale left viewers divided, but it also left the door open for yet another potential return.
Two of the show’s favourite faces, however, are not waiting to see where the franchise lands next.
Takaya Honda and Matt Wilson have turned their long-running on-screen partnership into an off-screen project with Bin Night with Tak and Matty, a weekly podcast and vodcast made to give fans what Honda describes as a warm hug after the final credits roll.
Episode one dropped yesterday, along with a trailer and push to the pair’s @takandmatty social channels.
From lockdown livestreams to a new weekly catch-up
Honda says the podcast is a return to a format he improvised during the Covid shutdowns.
“Five days a week for those four weeks, I produced a YouTube Live series interviewing actors. Those were two to three-hour lives. It had a really good response, both from the media and the audience.”
He says his original setup was mostly trial and error.
“I had no idea about bitrates and totally messed things up at first, but eventually I stopped having dropouts.”
This time, the duo has built something more structured and sustainable.
“It is our weekly catch-up, and we get to involve the audience, which I think they will love. It became a great way to stay connected but also give something back to the audience who have given us so much.”
Launching the show the same day Neighbours signs off
Launching Bin Night at the exact moment Neighbours ends was a deliberate ad choice.
“We wanted to offer fans a warm hug right after the show ends,” Honda said.
“Fans said Neighbours is part of their daily lives and that its absence will leave a huge hole. We wanted to give them something that says, ‘Okay, that is ending, but here is something new.’”
Honda already saw the finale and said fans should not feel defeated.
“It leaves things open. There is a possibility the show could return. The ending leaves room for hope.”
What the second ending felt like for cast
Honda left the series two years ago but returned for the Amazon revival to complete his character’s arc.
“For the cast who had experienced both endings, I think it was a bit of emotional self-protection. Their bodies were probably saying, I am not going through that again.”
While he says the mood was more subdued than the first cancellation, it was still emotional.
“It felt more like the ending of a regular show, but it was still incredibly sad. There were a lot of tears.”
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First episode
Annie Jones is the first guest, chosen to comfort fans across all eras of the show.
“She is there for fans of the classic era and fans of the current era. She bridges both worlds.”
Episodes will combine interviews with candid conversations between Honda and Wilson.
“There will be bonus surprises, secret guests, challenges and little nuggets for people who stay to the end.”
And the chaos level will be kept alive courtesy of Wilson.
“He once super-glued two-dollar coins to the floor so everyone from cast and crew, right up to the CEO, came by trying to pick them up. Harmless fun but very on brand for him.”
Honda says the aim is simple: keep the spirit of Ramsay Street alive.
“Do not live in despair after Neighbours. There is hope, joy and fun waiting in Bin Night with Tak and Matty.”
For the industry, the project is another example of talent-created IP carrying fan communities forward when the future of the franchise itself remains uncertain.