The art of Neighbours gaming : Facebook, fan-crafted games and humour

This article discusses the relationship between gaming, craft, humour and television text in the case of Australian soap opera Neighbours. It explores the production of fan-made board games by members of the Facebook group ‘The Art of Neighbours’ and argues that the deliberately low-tech nature of these fan games is perfectly matched to the fan object. Neighbours is a show whose pleasures come through a combination of fan affection and having ‘much to laugh at’ (Wober and Fazal 1994: 85) – and the comedy and affection are replicated in fan board games. This article also explores how the show itself encourages a playful approach to its narratives, with fans, actors and producers of the soap engaging in forms of paratextual play via social media sites.