Episode 6188

"Episode 6188" is the 6188th episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on Eleven on 22 June 2011. The episode was written by Sarah Mayberry, directed by Jonathon Dutton, and executively produced by Susan Bower. Episode 6188 revolves around Mark Brennan's (Scott McGregor) departure from the soap. The storyline sees Mark tell his girlfriend, Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer), that he is going into witness protection. He reveals that she has just 30 minutes to decide whether to stay behind in Erinsborough or leave with him. However, when she makes the choice to leave, she has trouble convincing her younger sister to come too.

The soap's executive producer, Susan Bower, revealed that the team wanted Mark "to go out with a bang" and they took inspiration from the US drama 24 to create a special real-time episode. The show's script producer thought the technique was "the best way to do justice" to the character and his exit, although it proved to be a challenge for the crew as it was different from the normal storytelling process. Episode 6188 focused on a 30-minute timeframe between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, which is when Neighbours is broadcast in Australia. The episode was filmed over two nights and extra effort went into ensuring the continuity was right throughout.

The episode received generally positive attention. A TV Week writer stated that it was "unmissable". The Sydney Morning Herald's Andrew Murfett believed the real-time aspect was "a clever device" for fans of the show who may have fallen out of touch with it. Cameron Adams from the Herald Sun chose the episode for his feature on the best television programs being broadcast on 22 June. Channel 5 included the episode in their "Top 20 Aussie Soap Moments of 2011" program, while Inside Soap proclaimed the episode was one of "The Best Bits of July" in their annual yearbook. Dutton earned a nomination for Best Direction in a TV Drama at the 2012 Australian Directors' Guild Awards.