Aussie soap Neighbours getting the microdrama treatment via Roseberry

Neighbours

Fremantle

Australian soap Neighbours is set to be reimagined as a microdrama after rights holder Fremantle inked a deal with vertical video company Roseberry Media.

New York-headquartered Roseberry said it will mine the Neighbours catalogue and turn some of the most recognisable story arcs into microdramas, which will launch on its Epis app this autumn.

The flagship series, which aired its final TV episode at the end of 2025, spans more than 9,300 episodes released over four decades. It was cancelled in 2022, but then revived by Amazon for two seasons before concluding again at the end of last year. The producers have hinted at the potential of continuing the series if a new buyer can be found.

“By drawing on a library built across more than four decades, the project celebrates the enduring cultural impact of Neighbours while introducing Ramsay Street to a new generation of viewers,” said Roseberry of the new format for the iconic soap, which helped launch the careers of stars including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie.

The episodes and storylines are being reformatted using Roseberry’s proprietary Artificial Intelligence tool RedSnapper, which the company said “[transforms] television and film libraries into premium vertical entertainment.”

Roseberry launched earlier this year with deals in place with global distributors including A+E Global Media, All3Media International, Banijay Rights, Cineflix Rights and Fremantle.

It was founded by TV creator, producer and Abot Hameiri co-founder Guy Hameiri, former Amagi exec Lior Friedman and entrepreneurs Itay Koppel and Simi Efrati. The company’s Epis app went live in July with more than 100 titles spanning originals and reformatted versions of existing shows.

“Neighbours is an iconic piece of television history and exactly the kind of premium entertainment IP we believe can thrive in the vertical format,” said Hameiri, adding that this is the first time it has used its RedSnapper technology on a “long-running soap with such a rich library of characters, storylines and cultural moments.”

He continued: “For RoseBerry, this is a powerful proof point for the infrastructure we are building to support the future of premium vertical television. By combining proprietary technology, audience intelligence and distribution capabilities, we’re enabling rights holders to reimagine established libraries for mobile-first audiences, generate new insights and unlock new commercial opportunities.”

Fremantle’s CEO of commercial and international Jens Richter added: “Neighbours has an extraordinary legacy, with decades of memorable characters, stories and talent.

“Working with RoseBerry allows us to explore incredible archive in an entirely new way, bringing much-loved IP to new audiences while demonstrating how established television libraries can continue to evolve, find new relevance and importantly create new commercial opportunities. It’s an exciting example of how technology and creative thinking can unlock new value from our diverse catalogue and content library.”