You've probably been scouring the internet, maybe deep-diving into old IMDB threads or Wikipedia stubs, trying to figure out the actual episode count for a show called Friends and Neighbors. It sounds simple. It really should be. But honestly, the answer depends entirely on which show you're actually looking for because history has a weird way of recycling titles.
If you are looking for the classic Australian sitcom titled Friends and Neighbors, which aired back in 1970, the answer is exactly six episodes. That's it. Just a tiny, half-dozen slice of television history that most people have completely forgotten about. It was a black-and-white production by ATN-7 in Sydney.
But maybe you aren't a fan of 1970s Aussie TV. Perhaps you’re thinking of something else.
The 1970 Aussie Sitcom: A Six-Episode Ghost
Let's talk about that 1970 version for a second. It starred Gwen Plumb and Alfred Sandor. If those names don't ring a bell, don't worry—you likely weren't watching Australian television fifty years ago. The show was a spin-off of a very popular serial called Motel. In the world of TV history, spin-offs are usually a safe bet, but this one didn't stick the landing.
The production was handled by Artransa Park Studios. Because it only ran for six episodes, it’s basically considered "lost media" by many collectors today. You can't just hop onto Netflix or Hulu and binge it. It’s a relic.
Why do people still search for how many episodes of friends and neighbors then? Usually, it's a case of "Title Confusion Syndrome."
🔗 Read more: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
Are You Actually Thinking of "Neighbors"?
Most of the time, when people type this into a search bar, their brain is doing a mashup. They are thinking of Friends, the juggernaut NBC sitcom with Ross and Rachel, and Neighbours, the legendary Australian soap opera that launched Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie.
If you're looking for the episode count of those two heavy hitters, the numbers are staggering:
- Friends (NBC): 236 episodes.
- Neighbours (Australia): Over 9,000 episodes.
That’s a lot of television. If you accidentally combined the two in your head, you're looking for a show that doesn't exist at that scale. Friends and Neighbors (the 1970 one) is a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in comparison.
The Casey Affleck Movie Factor
Wait. There is another one. In 1998, a movie came out called Your Friends & Neighbors. It was directed by Neil LaBute. It’s a dark, kind of uncomfortable comedy-drama.
Because it’s a movie, the "episode" count is one. It's a single, 100-minute feature film. People often get titles of indie films mixed up with TV shows, especially when the titles are as generic as "friends" and "neighbors." If you saw a clip of Ben Stiller or Aaron Eckhart talking about their relationships in a sterile 90s apartment, you’re looking for the movie, not the 1970s sitcom.
💡 You might also like: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Why Does the Count Matter?
Data accuracy in TV history is kinda messy. Before the era of digital archiving, networks would literally tape over old shows to save money on magnetic tape. It sounds insane now, but it was standard practice.
For the six episodes of the 1970 Friends and Neighbors, each episode was roughly 30 minutes long. It was meant to be a lighthearted look at suburban life. It followed the characters of Alice and Howard King as they navigated the transition from the "Motel" setting to a regular neighborhood.
Tracking Down the Episodes
If you are a completionist trying to find these six episodes, you’re going to have a hard time. The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is usually the best bet for this kind of thing. They hold records for thousands of Australian broadcasts. However, even for them, short-lived sitcoms from the transition period between black-and-white and color TV are often incomplete.
The Breakdown of the 1970 Series:
- Episode 1: The pilot/introduction of the Kings to their new home.
- Episode 2-5: Various suburban mishaps involving local "friends and neighbors."
- Episode 6: The final broadcast before the show was quietly shelved.
There were no season renewals. No "lost" second season. Just those six.
Other Shows with Similar Names
Sometimes, local community access channels or very small international productions use this title. For instance, there have been several "Friends and Neighbors" segments on educational channels or religious networks (like CatholicTV). These aren't usually categorized as "seasons" of a show but rather recurring segments or specials.
📖 Related: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
If you aren't looking for the 1970s Australian show or the 1998 movie, you might be thinking of:
- Best Friends and Neighbors: A common title for local news lifestyle segments.
- Friendly Neighbors: A frequent title for children's programming shorts.
But in terms of a registered, scripted television series, the 1970 Australian production is the primary owner of that specific name.
The Reality of TV Archiving
Honestly, the reason we get so confused about how many episodes of friends and neighbors exist is that the internet is full of "ghost entries." Sites like IMDB often have stubs for shows that were announced but never finished, or shows that aired in one country and were renamed in another.
For example, many US viewers might mistake the title for Neighbors, the 2012 sitcom starring Lenny Venito about aliens living in the suburbs. That show had 44 episodes. Close, but the title isn't quite the same.
Actionable Steps for TV Researchers
If you are trying to verify the existence of obscure media like this, don't just trust the first Google snippet you see.
- Check the NFSA: If the show is Australian, the National Film and Sound Archive is the gold standard for factual counts.
- Look for Production Companies: Artransa Park was the studio for the 1970 show. Searching their specific output logs will confirm the six-episode run.
- Verify the Cast: If you can't find Gwen Plumb in the credits, you're looking at the wrong Friends and Neighbors.
The definitive answer is six. If you find a source claiming there are more, they are likely conflating the show with its predecessor Motel or its more famous "Neighbors" counterparts. Stick to the six-episode fact for your trivia nights or archival projects. There's no secret vault of missing seasons here—just a short-lived experiment in 1970s Australian comedy.