New Zealand medical drama Shortland Street is slated to debut on STV’s free streaming service STV Player.
Shortland Street premiered in May 1992 and has aired continuously in New Zealand since then on state broadcaster TVNZ, making it the nation’s longest running continuing TV drama.
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The show has aired sporadically in the UK too since launch, primarily on various ITV regional channels between 1993 and 2003. It also underwent a brief revival on Living in 2010, but was cancelled the same year. Amazon’s Freevee acquired some historic episodes in 2023, but STV Player now becomes the first-ever UK streamer to air brand new episodes of Shortland Street in line with the New Zealand broadcast.
Following its annual festive break, Shortland Street has been revamped for 2025 with a number of new characters and fresh storylines. The show’s return to U.K. screens comes as part of STV Player’s new deal with All3Media International.
Michael Galvin, who is the longest-serving soap actor in New Zealand, having played the character of Dr Chris Warner in Shortland Street since its very first episode, said: “Kia ora, U.K.! I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that Shortland Street is coming to your shores.
“This little show of ours has become such a huge part of the culture here in New Zealand over the last 33 years, and to know that it’s now going to be part of the British soap landscape alongside legendary shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale is a real honor.
“Strap yourselves in because if there’s one thing I can tell you about Shorty, it’s that drama is never more than a heartbeat away…”
The show is centred on the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital. It was originally commissioned following the cancellation of NZ fashion mag soap Gloss, reportedly with ambitions to emulate the global success of Australian soap Neighbours. TVNZ programmer Bettina Hollings, in October 1991, won New Zealand on Air backing to make the country’s first five-nights-a-week serial and South Pacific Pictures were contracted to make an initial 230 episodes with a budget of $10m. TVNZ announced in July 2024 that the show would be dropping to three episodes a week.
STV Player is no stranger to reviving old soaps. It has previously had ratings success with a revival of all near-3,000 episodes of Scouse drama Brookside and has since brought Brookie spin-off Damon and Debbie back to screens. Three new episodes of Shortland Street will land on STV Player every Monday from February 17.
