Long story Shorty
New Zealand Listener|May 21 - 27, 2022
Insiders from our longest-running soap, which was universally panned on release, reveal the secrets to its success.
PAUL LITTLE
Long story Shorty

The thing about a soap opera is that the format means it can theoretically last forever. Very few do. Coronation Street (1960) is the world’s longest-running TV soap. Only two others, both from the US, survive from that decade: General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.

Australia’s longest-running contender, Neighbours, created by Grundy Television, turned 37 in March. But in the same month, current owners Fremantle Australia announced it would cease production next month.

Notable past local efforts Close to Home and Gloss survived for just eight and three years respectively. Yet this month, Shortland Street, whose debut in 1992 was greeted with a chorus of derision, will mark its 30th anniversary.

The median age in New Zealand is 37, meaning nearly half the population have never known life without Shorty. According to TVNZ, it is consistently the top programme week to week, overtaken by 1 News this year only during the parliamentary protests in February. It has reached more than 1.5 million people aged five and over on TVNZ 2 and 173,000 on TVNZ OnDemand so far this year. It is firmly entrenched in the cultural landscape and there is every indication that there will be many more birthdays to come.

“Everyone kept thinking it was going to come to an end at the end of the first year,” says Simon Bennett, whose involvement as director, producer and executive producer began in 1996 and who now runs the international hit show Power Rangers, which is made in Auckland.

So, why didn’t it? First, it got the basics right – archetypal characters, flexible basic setting, relatable situations and cliffhangers are all essential parts of the mix. But you can get those from an idiot’s guide to writing soaps.

Denne historien er fra May 21 - 27, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May 21 - 27, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NEW ZEALAND LISTENERSe alt
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024