Misha Barton
“OC” star happy about role in “Neighbors” revival
Mischa Barton goes to Australia.
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From “OC California” to Down Under: Mischa Barton stars in Amazon’s revival of the Australian cult series “Neighbours”.
From “OC California” to Down Under: Mischa Barton (37) plays according to “Variety” a role in the reboot of Neigbours. Amazon Freevee is bringing the iconic Australian soap opera back later this year. In 2022, the British broadcaster Channel 5 dropped her after 37 years.
British-American actress Mischa Barton will portray Reece. According to the official character description, the character is “an American woman who is new to the fictional town of Erinsborough and is not quite who she says she is.”
“Excited to be part of the next chapter of this iconic series”
“With the launch of ‘Neighbors’ on Amazon Freevee in North America, we are thrilled to have an actress of Mischa’s caliber to begin this exciting new chapter,” Variety producer Jason Herbison, 51, said. “Misha’s character is dynamic and unpredictable and will be instantly recognizable on Ramsay Street,” said the Australian. “Our loyal viewers will love her, both at home and abroad.”
Mischa Barton is also looking forward to her guest performance on the fifth continent. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the next chapter of this iconic series and really look forward to being back in Australia, a place I know and love,” she said. “I think the character of Reece will be a great role for me to explore and play with.”
Mischa Barton was born in London. In the USA she became a star with the series “OC California”. But she could not build on the success.
“Neighbors”: Export hit and career springboard
“Neighbors” started in Australia in 1985 and has become one of the country’s most successful media exports. In Great Britain in particular, the soap became a ratings hit. “Neighbours” became a career springboard for stars like Kyle Minogue (54), Russell Crowe (59) and Margot Robbie (32).
In the summer of 2022, Channel 5 ceased its involvement as a partner broadcaster. That was the end for the series, which ended with a lavish finale. Kylie Minogue and other former cast members returned to say goodbye.
Revival at Amazon
In November 2022, Amazon announced it was acquiring the series. Filming for the reboot has just started in Melbourne. The new episodes are scheduled to air this autumn, on television in Australia and on Amazon Prime Video. In the US and UK, the revival will run on Amazon’s free but ad-supported Freevee platform.
Nothing is known about a German broadcast. In this country, the soap, which only ran briefly on Sat.1 as “Nachbarn”, never really gained a foothold.