WHAT’S THE STORY?

IT is a measure of how well known Reg Grundy became that his name was enshrined as a rhyming-slang term for "undies". The 92-year-old, who died yesterday in the arms of his wife, Joy Chambers, on their Bermuda estate, was the man behind some of the world’s most popular TV programmes.

Grundy was the creator of not only Neighbours, but also many other popular shows in Australia such as Prisoner and The Young Doctors.

As tributes yesterday poured in, Ian Hogg, head of FremantleMedia Australia, said: "His legacy to Australian entertainment is insurmountable.

“His visionary ability to know how to connect Australian families through some of this country’s most-loved programming has stood the test of time.

“Generations have grown up with and been touched by a Grundy production, be it Sons and Daughters, Sale of the Century, Prisoner, The Price Is Right or one of hundreds of other programmes.

"His innate understanding of great storytelling and entertainment lives on today through programmes such as Family Feud, Wentworth and Neighbours. Reg is an icon and he will be sorely missed.”

Australian TV producer Andrew Denton said Grundy “not only spun the wheel and played on for the car – he won all the cars”.

HOW DID HE BEGIN?

BORN in 1923 to working-class parents who met in a chocolate factory, Grundy left school at the age of 15 and first worked as a buyer for a women’s sportswear department in a large store, then served in the Australian army during the Second World War.

Afterwards, he secured work as a boxing and sports commentator for a Sydney radio station, later developing and hosting the Wheel of Fortune game show on the radio. He then moved it to television, with his first wife, Lola, acting as hostess and production assistant.

Seeing the potential, Grundy formed his own production company in 1959 and began producing game shows for the home and overseas market before starting to experiment with drama several years later.

He brought The Young Doctors, The Restless Years, Sons and Daughters, Prisoner (known as Prisoner: Cell Block H in the UK) and Neighbours to the small screen, giving hundreds of Australian actors their start in TV.

“I had probably 3,000 people working for me at the height of my career, and I loved them, I think they loved me too,” Grundy said.

Prisoner star Colette Mann said the programme was a “benchmark in Australian television”.

“Reg took the gamble at the time when women were not cast in strong roles – it was groundbreaking and I know I wouldn’t be still doing what I love today if it wasn’t for his vision,” Mann said.

WAS NEIGHBOURS ALL ABOUT KYLIE?

GRUNDY wanted to dispel Australia’s reputation as an outpost that followed the trends of the US and Europe and led the way by showing the world that TV shows could be made quickly and economically.

“This is a pretty important part of my story because we thought we were as good or better than the people making programmes in those countries, and we really did educate Europe,” he said.

In the mid-1990s, Grundy sold his company to FremantleMedia, then known as Pearson Television, for

$320 million. Before his death, his wealth was estimated at $809m. Chambers, Grundy's wife of 45 years, acted in several of his soaps including Neighbours, but for the last 30 years they resided mostly on Bermuda. Grundy was awarded an OBE in 1983 and in 2008 was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.

Neighbours, of course, was the jewel in the crown of Grundy’s creations, beginning in 1985 and making stars of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. Hollywood actor Russell Crowe also appeared as ex-prisoner Kenny Larkin while singer Natalie Imbruglia played Beth Brennan and Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth was Josh Taylor.

Grundy’s idea was to make a soap that showed teens and adults solving problems together. The series is focused on the residents of Ramsay Street who live in a fictional suburb of Melbourne.

HOW MANY PEOPLE STILL WATCH IT?

AFTER an initially rocky start, the show became a hit and it is now the longest running drama series on Australian TV, making it into the Logie Hall of Fame in 2005.

One of Australia’s most successful media exports, it has been sold to more than 60 countries around the world and is even more popular in the UK than in Australia.

The theme tune has also been voted the world’s most well known TV song. Neighbours was first screened in the UK in 1986 on BBC1, and audiences peaked at more than 21 million in 1990.

In the late 2000s, it was still attracting an average audience of three million for its lunchtime show and just less than that for the early evening repeat. Other than news broadcasts, it was frequently the highest rating daytime programme. Neighbours moved to Channel 5 after the BBC refused to stump up £300m over eight years for the show and while viewing figures have dropped to around the one millionmark, it has still boosted the channel’s share of the teatime audience.

This year, Channel 5 was allowed to broadcast episodes on the same day as Australia in order to reduce the number of viewers watching illegally online.