Channel 5 has given the go signal for a series spin-off of the iconic Australian soap opera, Neighbours.

The show first aired in 1985 and has been running since. Neighbours is credited for launching the careers of Hollywood A-lister Margot Robbie and other notable names such as Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, and Guy Pearce.

Titled Neighbours: Erinsborough High, the five-episode spin-off will be available for viewing on Channel 5’s app, My 5. The service features other Australian television dramas including Sony’s Bloom and ABC Commercial’s Pulse.

Producing and distributing the spin-off is the global creative powerhouse, Fremantle. It will focus on the students of Erinsborough High as revelations are dropped with the disappearance of one Year 12 student.

The spin-off is expected to parallel the storyline of the flagship show currently airing on Channel 5. Already established characters, as well as new faces, will appear from the hit television show.

Neighbours focuses on the stories of the personal and professional lives of Erinsborough residents. The fictional suburb in Melbourne is home to families created by TV exec Reg Watson. The show is currently being aired in five countries: Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand but it has found the most popularity in the UK.

Back in 2017 Fremantle and Channel 5 came to an agreement for the distribution of the soap after long negotiations. The show was almost pulled out of British television at one point after three long decades of being aired in the UK. The agreement now includes more episodes per year and will include specials.