Neighbours is set to make a shock return next year, after finding a new home on the streaming service Freevee.

It was only back in August that the final episode of the Australian soap aired, after its production company Freemantle Media had been unable to find a new network.

This was caused after Channel 5 announced it was dropping the show from its schedule.

Before that point, Neighbours had been airing for 37 years and helped launch the careers of actors like Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce.

Just a couple of months after that heartfelt final episode, Amazon Freevee picked up the rights from Freemantle.

TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan tweeted regarding the news: "BREAKING NEWS: NEIGHBOURS IS COMING BACK. New episodes are to air on @AmazonFreevee.

"The free streaming service @AmazonFreevee have been in talks with @FremantleHQ since Neighbours ended. Today they have announced new episodes will air exclusively on the streaming service, with new episodes being filmed next year."

Variety reports that the show will follow on from the finale and that Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney, and Jackie Woodburne will return to reprise their leading roles.

Episodes will premiere exclusively for free on Amazon Freevee in the U.K. and U.S. and will include streaming rights to thousands of episodes from the previous seasons.