Shortland Street is a
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on
Television New ZealandTelevision New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in New Zealand. The show centres around the domestic and professional lives of the people who work at
Shortland Street HospitalShortland Street Hospital is a fictional hospital which is the main setting for the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street...
, a modern combined public-private hospital based in the fictional suburb of Ferndale,
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
The show was originally screened as five half-hour episodes each week and initially receiving mixed reviews on its premiere. After its launch it dropped in ratings and would have been cancelled if TVNZ had not ordered a year's worth of episodes in advance. By early 1993, the show's rating picked up and TVNZ renewed the production. Today, it is one of New Zealand's highest-rated shows - frequently making AGB Nielsen Media Research's top 5 programmes of the week.
As at 2011 the series continues to screen as five half-hour episodes each week, with Monday episodes in the winter months now being extended to one-hour duration. An omnibus edition is screened on Sunday mornings.
Setting
Shortland Street is mainly set in and around
Shortland Street HospitalShortland Street Hospital is a fictional hospital which is the main setting for the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street...
, a fictitious
Auckland CityAuckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
hospital. The hospital had been privately owned until 2001 when it was sold to the government by Dr Chris Warner. Between 1999 and 2001 the clinic housed a Community Clinic; this was removed when Shortland Street became a public hospital. More recently the hospital has housed a Primary Care Clinic which was axed in 2010. The hospital has a café on site which is contracted to The IV bar.
Other locations include The IV, a
barA bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
and
restaurantA restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
located opposite the hospital; Sugar, a café located somewhere in Ferndale; and Ferndale High School, the local
state secondary schoolSecondary education in New Zealand takes up to five years, covering the ages 13 to 18, corresponding to the school years 9 to 13.- Types of school :...
.
The exterior views of the houses featured on the programme are located around the North Shore, West Auckland and Auckland City - the interiors are filmed on a sound stage in the Waitakere Studios.
History
Shortland Streets working title was The Shortland Street Project
after its planned filming location in a TVNZ-owned studio at 74 Shortland Street in Auckland CentralAuckland Central is a New Zealand electoral division returning one member to the New Zealand House of Representatives. Its current representative is Nikki Kaye, a member of the National Party; she has represented the seat since 2008....
. However, the studio was found to be too small for the required sets, and the production studio was moved to a warehouse in Browns BayBrowns Bay or Brown's Bay may refer to* Browns Bay , Antarctica* Browns Bay, New Zealand* Browns Bay, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom...
. After running through many name options, the original working title was chosen and subsequently truncated to simply Shortland Street. The name subsequently is a homage to the Shortland Street studios, which were home to New Zealand's first regular television broadcast in 1960, and were home to TVNZ and its predecessors Auckland operations until TVNZ moved to its new purpose-built television centre on Victoria Street West in 1990. The building has subsequently been sold to the
University of AucklandThe University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
and now forms their
Gus Fisher GalleryThe Gus Fisher Gallery is part of The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries , and is located in The Kenneth Myers Centre, an historic building restored in 2000 with the help of the gallery's patron, Gus Fisher .It is operated by the Centre for New Zealand Art...
.
1990s
The concept and format of the show was developed largely by New Zealand writer
Ken CatranKen Catran is a children's novelist and television screenwriter from New Zealand.Catran is the author of many teen novels, including Taken at the Flood, Voyage with Jason, Doomfire on Venus, Space Wolf, Jacko Moran:Sniper, Talking to Blue and its sequel Blue Murder...
working with Fremantle Pictures. His scripts established the characters, setting and tone of the series. His first episode became infamous for having a sex scene between Doctor
Chris WarnerDr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
and an aerobics instructor, Jill (
Suzy AikenSuzanne Elizabeth "Suzy" Clarkson is a New Zealand news presenter at Prime Television.She has appeared in the NZ drama Shortland Street, and produced aerobic workout videos and co-authored the book "Healthy Body Healthy Mind". In the late 1980s and early 90s she appeared on the show "Blind Date"...
). The first episode also included the line, "You're not in Guatemala now, Dr. Ropata" which has since become one of the most widely recognised lines in New Zealand pop culture.
While the show was initially criticised for bad acting and poor storylines, it was praised for its sensitive portrayal of a teenage suicide storyline later on in its first year.
RatingsAudience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
were initially high, but within weeks they had fallen considerably. However, the show was saved from cancellation by the fact that TVNZ had pre-ordered a year's worth of episodes. By May 1993, the show was rating high enough that it was renewed, and later became the highest rating programme in the country for a brief period in August 1993.
2000s
In 2001 the show received much media attention in New Zealand when 14 cast members were either let go from their contracts or decided to leave. This was part of the revamp on the show which saw many new characters introduced. Angela and Rangi were both killed off while Minnie, Frank, Kate, Moira, Tamsin, Al, Dean, Blake, Erin, Cassie, Sofia and Paul were all written off. The revamp also saw the return of original character
Chris WarnerDr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
and
Rachel McKennaRachel McKenna is a fictional character from the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, played by Angela Bloomfield. Rachel first appeared on the show from 1993 to 1999. Then from 2001 to 2003. Rachel then made a very brief appearance in 2007 before returning as a core cast member in October 2009...
, the clinics transition to a public hospital and the introduction of
ToniAntoinette "Toni" Warner was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street...
, Barbara, Adam, Marshall, Judy, Te Hana, Joe, Mihi, Tama and Patricia.
The show reached huge ratings in 2004 when the psychotic killer
Dominic ThompsonDominic "Dom" Thompson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Shane Cortese and since the characters death, Dom has picked up an icon status for his explosive storylines....
kidnapped series original Chris Warner and attempted to murder him.
2005 saw the departure of the show's longest-serving cast member,
Karl BurnettKarl Burnett is a New Zealand actor born 27 February 1976 best known for his portrayal of Nick Harrison on the long-running New Zealand soap opera, Shortland Street. He was 16 years old when offered the role of Nick Harrison on the popular New Zealand soap Shortland Street in 1992...
, who played
Nick HarrisonNick Harrison was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Karl Burnett and was the longest running original cast member on the show first appearing in 1992 and running for 13 years until 2005....
, after almost 13 years. Burnett was the only cast member who had been with the show since its inception (although the character and the actor did take a sabbatical from the show in 2002).
In November 2005, Shortland Street was the winner of NZ Woman's Day TV Choice Award for Favourite New Zealand show at the 2005 Qantas TV Awards. They won the same award again in the 2006 Qantas TV Awards. On 22 November 2006 it was announced that actress
Laurie FoellLaurie Foell is an Australian actress. She is best known for her portrayal of both Angela "Angie" Russell and her cousin Josie, on the successful Australian television soap opera Home and Away. Foell also starred as Dr...
had decided to leave the series and that her character of
Justine JonesJustine Jones was a fictional character on the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. Justine was originally played by Laurie Foell in 2005 and 2006, but was replaced by Lucy Wigmore in 2007 who portrayed her until September 2008 and as a guest character in July 2009.-Casting:Controversy struck in 2007...
would be played by
Lucy WigmoreLucy Wigmore is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She played core cast member Dr Justine Jones in the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, and more recently starred as Lillian May Armfield in Underbelly: Razor, a 13 part Drama set in the 1920's - 1930's on the rough and ready...
. This marked the first instance of recasting of a regular character.
The show reached huge ratings in 2007 when a
serial killer storylineJoseph James "Joey" Henderson was a fictional character that appeared on New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street, and was the soap's first serial killer. Although always a suspect, the audience did not learn Joey was the killer until December 2007...
was introduced, with five characters meeting their demise.
Episode 4000 saw the return of series original Dr.
Hone RopataHone Ropata was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and was part of the original cast. He was portrayed by Temuera Morrison who after the role went on to several Hollywood roles...
for a six week stint in 2008.
2010s
Shortland Street aired its first ever 90 minute episode on 2 August 2010. The episode featured Chris discovering he had a son with series original
Alison RaynorAlison Raynor was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Danielle Cormack and was part of the series original cast.-Creation and Casting:...
in 1996. It also featured the conclusion to the 3 year
Kieran MitchellKieran Mitchell is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by British actor Adam Rickitt through numerous high profile storylines from early 2007 to mid 2010....
storyline which saw the shows second highest ever ratings.
In July 2011 Shortland Street achieved a New Zealand first when it made its 2011 feature length episode available to purchase via
FacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, becoming the second ever TV show in the world to utilize this technology.
In August 2011
All BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
Keven MealamuKeven Mealamu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at hooker for the Blues in the Super 14, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team, All Blacks....
,
Anthony BoricAnthony Boric is a rugby union player for the Blues in the Super 14 competition. He also plays for the North Harbour Marist. He plays as a lock. On 1 June 2008, Boric became a New Zealand All Black for the first time.-All Blacks:Boric made his first appearance as an All Black coming on as a...
and
Jerome KainoJerome Kaino is a professional New Zealand Rugby union player. In 2004, he was named IRB International Under-21 player of the year.-Early life:...
filmed a scene that aired on the opening night of the
2011 Rugby World CupThe 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
on 9 September. The show would also have reshoots to incorporate the wins or loses the All Blacks endure during the tournament.
Characters
Shortland Street stars an ensemble cast. Most of the characters are either employees of Shortland Street Hospital, or relations to employees of the hospital.
Since 1992, many notable faces have appeared on the soap with the only still remaining character from the original cast being that of
Chris WarnerDr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
. Though taking a 4 year break, Chris has been on the show the longest of the current cast and outstayed all of his family who either died or left.
Rachel McKennaRachel McKenna is a fictional character from the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, played by Angela Bloomfield. Rachel first appeared on the show from 1993 to 1999. Then from 2001 to 2003. Rachel then made a very brief appearance in 2007 before returning as a core cast member in October 2009...
is another current long standing character, arriving to the soap in 1993 and making regular appearances since.
Nick HarrisonNick Harrison was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Karl Burnett and was the longest running original cast member on the show first appearing in 1992 and running for 13 years until 2005....
was also a long running character being on the show till 2005.
Characters on the show attribute and portray numerous different demographics found in New Zealand. These range from the rich and well off (such as
Chris WarnerDr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
) to the struggling and poor (Wendy Cooper). Other areas that are covered are groups such as ethnicities with
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n,
PolynesianThe Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
, Romanian and even Zimbabwean characters appearing on the show. In the first year of the show, it was decided CEO Michael McKenna's personal assistant Jenny, should be a solo mother to help draw in that demographic who statistically would be watching TV at 7pm. The show has also had a long string of family units and teenagers, helping young audiences and families relate to the show.
Several past cast members have made a name for themselves on the international scale with the likes of
Temuera MorrisonTemuera Derek Morrison is a New Zealand-born actor. He has become one of the country's most famous stars for his roles as the abusive Jake "the Muss" Heke in 1994's Once Were Warriors and as bounty hunter Jango Fett and the Clone Troopers in the Star Wars series...
who portrayed Dr.
Hone RopataHone Ropata was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and was part of the original cast. He was portrayed by Temuera Morrison who after the role went on to several Hollywood roles...
from 1992–1995 and a guest appearance in 2008, being cast in several Hollywood films and being recognized as
Jango FettJango Fett is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He first appeared as one of the main antagonists in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and later served as the protagonist of the LucasArts video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, played by Temuera Morrison.Jango Fett serves as...
in
Star WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
.
Martin HendersonMartin Henderson is a New Zealand actor, well known to American audiences for his starring role in the ABC TV series Off the Map, while remaining known in his home country for his teenage role as Stuart Neilson in the soap opera Shortland Street.-Life and career:Henderson was born in Auckland, New...
who portrayed
Stuart NeilsonStuart Neilson was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Martin Henderson and was part of the original cast, with a lot of the first episode focusing around him....
from 1992–1995 went on to star in
The RingThe Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring....
and starred alongside
James FrancoJames Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
in Flyboys and
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
in
Little FishLittle Fish is a 2005 Australian film directed by Rowan Woods and written by Jacquelin Perske. It was filmed in and around Sydney, in Cabramatta and in Fairfield...
.
Karl UrbanKarl-Heinz Urban is a New Zealand actor.He is known for playing Éomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the 2009 film Star Trek and Julius Caesar on Xena: Warrior Princess...
who portrayed the recurring role of gay paramedic
Jamie ForrestJamie Forrest was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. The character was portrayed by Karl Urban for a guest stint in mid 1993 before returning later in the year for a 6 month recurring stint...
went on to play
Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoyLeonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
in the 2009 Star Trek remake and is set to star as
Judge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
in the upcoming superhero blockbuster Dredd.
Marton Csokas-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
who played Leonard Rossi-Dodds from 1993 to 1994, then again from late 1994 to 1995, went on to star in films such as
The Bourne SupremacyThe Bourne Supremacy is the second Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum, first published in 1986. It was the sequel to Ludlum's bestseller The Bourne Identity and precedes Ludlum's final Bourne novel, The Bourne Ultimatum ....
alongside the previously mentioned Karl Urban and
Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
. Besides these breakout stars, Shortland Street has also produced a number of successful actors who participate in successful homegrown material.
Production
Shortland Street
is produced by South Pacific PicturesSouth Pacific Pictures is a television production company based in New Zealand. The company produces drama series, mini-series, telemovies and feature films for the domestic market and international market....
, with assistance from FremantleMediaFremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
and Television New ZealandTelevision New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
. In the first few years, the production was also assisted by New Zealand on AirNZ On Air is an independent New Zealand broadcast funding agency. It is an autonomous crown entity separate from central Government and governed by a Board of six appointed by the Minister of Broadcasting...
.
Filming
Today, most of the filming for Shortland Street occurs at South Pacific Pictures Waitakere City studios, with Ferndale High School scenes being filmed at the nearby Waitakere College. The exterior shots of the Hospital are filmed on location at the Waitakere Studios at an existing section of a building dressed up to appear as the facade of a hospital entrance. Location scenes are filmed in Auckland, but other locations, including
FijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Mt Ruapehu,
RotoruaRotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
and
RarotongaRarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
have been used.
Originally, Shortland Street was filmed in North Shore City at South Pacific Pictures Browns Bay studios until their relocation to purpose built studios in Waitakere City in 2000. The original Ferndale High School was played by a North Shore college until the studio relocated.
When cast members are hired their contracts are either 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 6 months or a year.
High Definition production of Shortland Street started in early 2011, with the first HD episode broadcast on 18 April 2011 on the Freeveiw HD and
SkySky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
platforms.
Also behind the scenes
- Katherine McRae who played murdered nurse Brenda Holloway has become a Shortland Street full-time director. Brenda was not her first role on Shortland Street. She also played the role of Marjorie Neilson's illegitimate daughter Jane in 1992 and 1993.
- Mary Lose, who would come back in the role of Nurse Ana Fa'asolo in 1995 would appear in 1994 as a woman named Dana who thought Sam Aleni was the father of her child. It turned out to be a former acquaintance of Sam's who had stolen his identity.
- Renato Barlotomei who played Dr Craig Valentine retained his off-screen status of Director.
- Donogh Rees
Donogh Rees is a New Zealand actress. She starred in the long-running soap opera Shortland Street as director of nursing Judy Brownlee from 2001-6....
played the role of Senior Nurse Judy Brownlee from 2001-2006. She also played the role of a single woman Maggie in 1993 who had a baby with the assistance of her gay friend Neil. She suffered from post natal depression but with the assistance of Guy Warner and Carrie BurtonCarrie Kennedy was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Lisa Crittenden and was part of the original cast.-1992:...
she overcame it.
- Marise Wipani who played the role of James Scott's sister Rebecca Scott from 2008–2009, also played the role of a patient called Morgana who supposedly haunted the then Shortland Street Medical Clinic on her stay in 1993. Morgana later returned in 1995, having been revealed as the head of a witches' coven that Minnie and Lulu were interested in.
- Madeleine Lynch, who would go on to play Ingrid Campbell from 2006–2007 and in 2009 originally played Steve Mills' girlfriend Sarah Donnelly in 1992. Sarah was the second ever death in the show's history.
- In the 1995 storyline where a truck drives through the front entrance of the Clinic, a heavy truck was actually driven into the studio in a controlled manor but at speed. The position of the interior studio set of the Clinics reception area was adjacent to very large roller doors of the studio, allowing a vehicle of such a size to enter.
- Due to limited studio space in the earlier years, some sets where erected within the walls of other sets. Rachel's apartment was erected within the set of Lionel and Kirsty's home set. Chris Warner
Dr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
's apartment, after certain parts of the set were repositioned or removed, doubled as Grace Kwan's apartment. Meredith Flemming's home, after repainting and a few cosmetic alterations later became the home that was occupied by the likes of Julia Thornton and son James and later David Kearney and Ellen Crozier (the same set construction was used). Similarly, in the earlier days most of the Clinic's wards, corridors and offices were created with limited construction. Most of the set was mobile and could be repositioned making the Clinic appear vastly different and larger than the studio set actually was.
Controversy
The show has always retained the appeal of being raunchy and controversial with the very first episode of the show featuring a sex scene between resident "Dr. Love"
Chris WarnerDr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
and his aerobics instructor. Another early controversy was that of a
lesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
kiss between
Meredith FlemingDr. Meredith Fleming was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portaryed by Stephanie Wilkin. She was part of original cast and the shows first lesbian relationship.-1992-1993:...
and Annie Flynn with several complaints laid to the
Broadcasting Standards AuthorityThe Broadcasting Standards Authority is a New Zealand Crown Entity created by the Broadcasting Act 1989 to develop and uphold standards of broadcasting for radio, free-to-air and pay television.The main functions of the BSA are:...
but it went no further. It was not until 2008 that the show received its first ever BSA warning, when it featured an
oral sexOral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
scene in mid 2008 between sexually confused
GeraldGerald Heathcliff Tippett is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was played by Harry McNaughton from his first appearance in September 2007 up until his final appearance in September 2010.-2007-2008:...
and a fellow man. A few months later, the show received a second warning for an episode in August 2008 depicting the brutal murder of
Craig ValentineDr. Craig Valentine is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Renato Bartolomei for four years from May 2004 to September 2008....
, who was beaten unconscious, then set alight in his car. Again, a few months later, the show received yet another warning about a scene in January 2009 where
Tania JeffriesTania Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Tania Jeffries is the younger sister to nurse Maia Jeffries, PA Libby Jeffries and daughter of hospital receptionist, Yvonne Jefferies...
hit a gang leader in the head with a hammer.
Scenes aired in April 2010 sparked criticism when
Leanne MillerLeanne Miller is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She is portrayed by Jennifer Ludlam and was introduced in a guest role as Nicole's homophobic mum in 2010 before returning as a recurring character in early 2011....
and her daughter
NicoleNicole Miller is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She has been portrayed by Sally Martin since September 2009, arriving as a potential love interest for Maia Jeffries and unknown sister to Morgan Braithwaite .Arriving as a nurse at Shortland Street Hospital, it...
stated that the city of
TaurangaTauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
was not "gay friendly".
The show caused controversy in August 2010 when the character of
Sophie McKaySophie Juliette McKay is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was introduced in late 2006 as the daughter of surgeon Justine Jones and GP Callum McKay. She was briefly married to Kieran Mitchell in early 2010 before they separated.-2006-2008:Sophie McKay...
was shown to be being stalked by her university lecturer who she had been dating. This upset the family of murdered girl Sophie Elliott who was killed by her university lecturer, Clayton Weatherston, who she had been dating. The similarities upset the families with producer Steven Zanoski saying: "the storyline was a classic and not inspired by real events."
The shows production department received several complaints following the lesbian love storyline involving
Maia JeffriesMaia Anne Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Anna Jullienne from mid 2004 to early 2011, with the character starring in numerous high profile storylines alongside her on screen family....
and Jennifer Mason.
A storyline aired in April 2011 which featured the
Cooper FamilyThe Cooper Family is a family of characters on the TVNZ Soap Opera Shortland Street that were introduced in 2010. Evan is the star of the Cooper family and is currently married to Genevieve Sparrow who has a created an award winning facebook fan page dedicated to 'the wonders of Evan'...
try to go to the beach, but they get confronted by a group of Maori who demand money. This sparked criticism with some saying it was discrimination against Maori people. Maori adviser Ngamaru Raerino stated that viewers shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and should have let the storyline completely unfold which reveals the group of Maori are protesting against a corrupt camp owner who had been polluting the beach.
In September 2011, Shortland Street was identified as one of the main influences to people who self harm, airing two storylines involving suicide attempts.
International screenings
Shortland Street has been shown in Ireland on
RTE OneRTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
since 1996. It is broadcast in a morning slot usually around 11:45-12noon and repeated late-night at around 2:30am.
In the UK, Living began airing two episodes a day from the 2007 season with Episodes 3736/3737 which originally aired in New Zealand on 21/22 May 2007 beginning on 23 August 2010 at 15.00-16.00 (and repeated at 10.00 the following morning). However four weeks into its run, the morning repeats were dropped by Living, and as of Monday 20 September moving from 15.00-16.00 and 12.00-13.00. As from Monday 27 September 2010, it is to be shown on Living Loves from 18.00-19.00 Monday to Friday with five repeat episodes shown on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It has been confirmed that Living Loves will axe Shortland Street
with the final episode shown on 29 October 2010.
Shortland Street
was, however, originally screened on various regions of the ITV network from 1993 to 2003.
From 29 March 1993, Central Television were the first ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
region to screen the soap, beginning in an afternoon timeslot, 1520-1550. From 1994 to 2000, it was shown in an early evening timeslot, at either 1710-1740 and, later at 1730-1800.
Other ITV regions also screened Shortland Street at their own pace, usually during daytime although some (
HTVHTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
and
GranadaGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
) followed Central's early-evening example for a short time.
Scottish TelevisionScottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
have never shown Shortland Street. Central eventually moved the serial to a lunchtime slot, 1300-1330 from September 2000 and it remained here for over two years.
From January 2003, the
CarltonCarlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
-owned ITV regions including Central, Westcountry, HTV and Carlton-London networked Shortland Street in an afternoon slot, 1430–1500, Monday to Wednesday, with a Thursday episode added a few months later. A special programme was aired (presented by
Michael GalvinMichael Galvin is a New Zealand actor, singer and playwright, well known for his role as Dr. Chris Warner on the soap opera Shortland Street, a character he has played almost continuously since the shows debut in 1992.-Early life:...
and
Angela Bloomfield-Career:She starred in Shortland Street for nine years, transforming Rachel McKenna from the school girl daughter of clinic boss into a university student, bar manager and later, a Shortland Street clinic employee....
) introducing new viewers to the show whilst viewers in other regions had to endure a massive jump in storylines to join up with Central who were considerably ahead (up to 5 years in some cases). Meanwhile, the Granada-owned regions, such as
Yorkshire TelevisionYorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
and
MeridianMeridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
dropped the series entirely, opting for local programming instead. However, Shortland Street failed to attract a significant audience in its new afternoon slot and it was axed completely by ITV and was last shown on 28 August 2003, finishing at episode 2367.
http://www.shortlandst.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/NEWS.htm Central had shown the serial consecutively for over 10 years, leaving many fans in the Midlands very disappointed. Almost 7 years later, it was announced on 5 August 2010, that Shortland Street would return to British television on 23 August 2010 on Living TV.
The show is also viewed on Cook Island Television 8-8.30pm weekdays and is one of the most popular shows in the Cook Islands.
In Australia, the show was briefly screened by
SBS TVSBS One is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 24 October 1980, it is the responsibility of SBS's television division, and is available nationally...
between 1994-1995. Subscription channel UKTV screened the series from 1997-2000. It was airing at 2pm weekdays on digital station
7TWO7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, but now with the new lineup is shown at 9.30am every weekday (including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter) showing episodes that are exactly 1 year and 10 months (22 months) behind those shown in New Zealand. Australian audiences saw the 2008 season finale from 2 November 2010 and the episodes from January 2009 were from 3 November 2010.
In addition, repeats of episodes originally aired in 2007 were broadcast on the free-to-air station
ABC1ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
at 4.30am weekday mornings. These episodes were 3 years and 1 month (37 months) behind New Zealand. These episodes have now ceased as ABC1 had caught up to the end of the 2007 season, where
7TWO7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, had begun back in late 2009 when the new multichannel launched.
In previous years, South Pacific Pictures publicity has claimed the show was sold to
BophuthatswanaBophuthatswana , officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana was a Bantustan – an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity – and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa...
, which journalists have used to demonstrate Shortland Streets interracial appeal.
External links