Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera centering on
the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital, first broadcast on TVNZ 2 on
25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera,
being broadcast continuously for 7,000 episodes and over 28 years, and
is one of the most watched television programmes in New Zealand.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. TVNZ renewed the
production in early 1993 when the show's rating had picked up, and it
now has "long-term public enthusiasm". Today, it is one of New
Zealand's highest-rated shows, frequently making AGB Nielsen Media
Research's top 5 programmes of the week.After the cancellation of
Gloss, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) noticed the lack of New Zealand
content on their channels and in 1990 set about creating a local
equivalent of the Australian soap Neighbours. Greg McGee at South
Pacific Pictures wanted to do a series about the new private clinics
emerging under New Zealand's Labour government, and suggested the idea
to scriptwriter Dean Parker, who declined due to a dislike of private
medicine, so TV2 and South Pacific Pictures purchased a formula from
Grundy Television, who get a royalty cheque for every broadcast. $10
million was given for an initial 230 episodes. Caterina De Nave was
hired as the show's producer and subsequently travelled to Australia
to work with Grundy Television to work out an idea for the five times
a week soap. TV2 programmer Bettina Hollings suggested the setting of
a hospital after reading an article detailing ideal locations of a
drama, which included a hospital, a police station and a school. De
Nave worked with several storyliners including Jason Daniel and they
worked out an outline of the show.
the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital, first broadcast on TVNZ 2 on
25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera,
being broadcast continuously for 7,000 episodes and over 28 years, and
is one of the most watched television programmes in New Zealand.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. TVNZ renewed the
production in early 1993 when the show's rating had picked up, and it
now has "long-term public enthusiasm". Today, it is one of New
Zealand's highest-rated shows, frequently making AGB Nielsen Media
Research's top 5 programmes of the week.After the cancellation of
Gloss, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) noticed the lack of New Zealand
content on their channels and in 1990 set about creating a local
equivalent of the Australian soap Neighbours. Greg McGee at South
Pacific Pictures wanted to do a series about the new private clinics
emerging under New Zealand's Labour government, and suggested the idea
to scriptwriter Dean Parker, who declined due to a dislike of private
medicine, so TV2 and South Pacific Pictures purchased a formula from
Grundy Television, who get a royalty cheque for every broadcast. $10
million was given for an initial 230 episodes. Caterina De Nave was
hired as the show's producer and subsequently travelled to Australia
to work with Grundy Television to work out an idea for the five times
a week soap. TV2 programmer Bettina Hollings suggested the setting of
a hospital after reading an article detailing ideal locations of a
drama, which included a hospital, a police station and a school. De
Nave worked with several storyliners including Jason Daniel and they
worked out an outline of the show.
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