When neighbours become good friends: Understanding "Neighbours" fans feelings of loss at the ending of the series

In early 2022, it was announced that Australian TV series "Neighbours" would end after 37 years. The announcement was accompanied by significant fan upset, particularly in Australia and the United Kingdom where the series has screened the longest. Previous research has found that fans experience a form of relationship with their favourite characters (called a parasocial relationship) and anticipate distress in anticipation of their favourite character leaving a series. In addition, research has found that the loss of favourite characters (e.g., through the character's death or exit from a series) is accompanied by feelings of loss and grief by fans. However, much of the evidence regarding loss has been qualitative or examined existing data (e.g., Tweets about a character's death), rather than examining what psychological factors, viewing motives, and other factors are associated with loss and grief reactions. The purpose of this study is to investigate what factors influence fans' loss/grief reactions to the end of "Neighbours". Participants will be asked in an anonymous survey about their feelings of loss associated with the end of the series, their identification with their favourite character, importance of the series to them, as well as questions regarding their general (i.e., not specific to the series) empathy towards others, and identification with television characters more generally. Understanding what helps explain experiences at the end of a series will move forward research on parasocial relationships with fictional characters/series and viewing habits. While most research suggests that fan discomfort reactions to a loss of a character dissipate over time, the research may also inform initiatives regarding how to position messaging for fans regarding feelings around the end of a series.