The Early Years UK

[Revealed]

Admittedly I'm not so concerned about missing the episodes after 2005 because I've barely missed an episode in that time and those episodes don't really give much nostalgia if I revisit them. 

My main concern really is that we'll only get so far then they'll take it off air and when it returns we'll be starting in 1988 again. 

[cymbaline]

The acid test for me is 1996. That's the year when re-broadcasting started to cost them money. Or so the story goes. 

[Dan F]

Preliminary schedules indicate that the 5Drama airings will be commencing with the 90min pilot episode on Monday 16th November at midday.

That will be immediately followed by Episode 1 at 1:30pm.

Going forward, it looks as though there'll be a double bill every weekday, airing between 12-1pm, with the episodes repeated the following morning between 9-10am.

(for those that care - much like the current eps, they won't be having the week ending neatly at the end of the block - it'll be episode 9 at the end of the first week, instead of episode 10)

[James Martin]

That's an odd time to start, I'd have thought they'd wait a week for the current show to come off.

Will the classic episodes be available to stream?

Also, is the pilot episode the full one?  When it was shown back in 2012 it took up a two hour slot with advertising - isn't the episode itself 90 minutes long?

[Dan F]

Well I guess this way it shows that it's not just designed as a replacement over the Christmas break.

We've just had it confirmed in the last few minutes that the schedule has been finalised today, and the pilot episode will actually take up the 2-hour slot from 12pm to 2pm on the Monday. So yes it will be the feature-length version.

Then it's as stated before, double bills every weekday from 12-1pm, with the entire week's eps repeated on Sunday from 9am-3pm.

It'll also be available on the streaming platform, and there'll actually be the first 30 episodes available from launch (i.e. the first six weeks on-screen, or three weeks at 5Drama pace). Then further drops of 10 eps per week.

https://www.backtothebay.net/news/2026/11/02/when-does-home-and-away-start-on-5drama/

[James Martin]

2 hours ago, Dan F said:

Well I guess this way it shows that it's not just designed as a replacement over the Christmas break.

We've just had it confirmed in the last few minutes that the schedule has been finalised today, and the pilot episode will actually take up the 2-hour slot from 12pm to 2pm on the Monday. So yes it will be the feature-length version.

Then it's as stated before, double bills every weekday from 12-1pm, with a catch-up stack on weekends also.

It'll also be available on the streaming platform, and there'll actually be the first 30 episodes available from launch (i.e. the first six weeks on-screen, or three weeks at 5Drama pace). Then further drops of 10 eps per week.

https://www.backtothebay.net/news/2026/11/02/when-does-home-and-away-start-on-5drama/

That's quite the commitment!  I know it was on Amazon but I imagine Classic Neighbours has done well for U on streaming.

[adam436]

On 03/11/2026 at 04:44, Dan F said:

Well I guess this way it shows that it's not just designed as a replacement over the Christmas break.

Emily Symons made the announcement on the official Channel 5 social media, which makes me think they at least intend on getting to Marilyn's episodes. I might just be overthinking it though and it's possible Ray just wasn't available on the day. I assume he would have been their first choice, since he was actually in the pilot/1988 season. 

[c120701]

37 minutes ago, adam436 said:

Emily Symons made the announcement on the official Channel 5 social media, which makes me think they at least intend on getting to Marilyn's episodes. I might just be overthinking it though and it's possible Ray just wasn't available on the day. I assume he would have been their first choice, since he was actually in the pilot/1988 season. 

They definitely do as the original press release included quotes from both Ray & Emily and she talked about fans getting to see Marilyn’s beginning.

[Dan F]

3 hours ago, adam436 said:

Emily Symons made the announcement on the official Channel 5 social media, which makes me think they at least intend on getting to Marilyn's episodes. I might just be overthinking it though and it's possible Ray just wasn't available on the day. I assume he would have been their first choice, since he was actually in the pilot/1988 season. 

Yes, whilst the announcement itself is vague with "the earliest series", they specifically noted that they were providing a few publicity images from "S1 & 2" with the press release, along with the Emily quote as mentioned.

I just meant my comment as a response to James saying it was an odd time to start the showings.

However, the way that the episodes are divided for licensing deals doesn't actually tally up with the seasons, or even with catalogue numbers for the most part. For example, I happen to know that the first batch of eps available to licence is literally named "S1 & 2", and actually covers Episodes 1-490 (which goes up to March 1990).

Guess it remains to be seen if that's what they're explicitly referring to.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I remember when the sunny Neighbours and Home And Away helped get us Brits through the dark and cold winter months in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, so you can say they are doing it again, with the reruns on Drama. 

Edited Wednesday at 13:06 by Homeandawayfan.