18th April 2023, Mumbai: As Mischa Barton joins the popular soap programme Neighbours, fans of The OC may want to leave the warm climate of California for the fictitious Australian town of Erinsborough.
The british-american actress, who rose to fame in the 2000s for her role as Marissa Cooper in the blockbuster adolescent drama, has been confirmed as a guest performer in the upcoming season of the soap opera that will show on Amazon Freeview. She exclaimed, “I’m excited to be a part of this iconic show’s next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia – a place I know and love!”
The executive producer of Neighbours, Jason Herbison, exclaimed: “We are over the moon to have an actor of Mischa’s calibre join us for this thrilling new chapter. The lively and unpredictable character of Mischa will be immediately recognisable on Ramsay Street. Both domestic and international fans will adore her.
On the first day the popular soap opera started shooting its upcoming season in Melbourne, Barton’s casting was officially announced. Fan favourites from Ramsay Street such Alan Fletcher as Dr. Karl Kennedy, Stefan Dennis as Paul Robinson, and Annie Jones as “Plain Jane Superbrain” were spotted enjoying their return to the set.
After more than 30 years on air, the soap opera came to an end in what was dubbed a “farewell episode” in July 2022, bringing back a number of actors whose careers the show helped launch, including Margot Robbie, Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, and Guy Pearce.
Neighbours was revived by Amazon Freevee just three months after it was supposed to have finished for good, despite the show’s ratings on UK distributor Channel 5 having been declining for 14 years and the finale drawing an all-time high of 3 million viewers in the UK.
The decision was criticised by Pearce in December, who referred to it as “a painful reminder that the things we love can be snatched away, never to return… unless Amazon comes to save the day and makes our finale look like a rather expensive exercise.” He also made a joke about Robbie having to give back the champagne box that she allegedly gave to the show’s producers. Before the series’ ending aired, Amazon denied having plans to reboot it.
Later this year, Neighbours’ newest season will premiere.