User Reviews

I really see no appeal to this show, it's a struggle for me to watch when I'm forced to. I remember watching it a lot when I was a kid, but that's because back then there were three channels, we couldn't get TV3 and TV1 was pretty bad reception.

The show is repetitive and, personally, boring. When forced to watch it, I know what's going to happen because I can almost always say "This happened ten years ago," and it will have, except with different characters... well, sometimes it's the same characters.

Also, sadly, there are often untalented actors. But that can almost be excusable, as there is admittedly little public outlet for actors in New Zealand to hone their skills.

In all, I feel that the show is rather cheap. So I guess if you want to watch something with limited quality, and you didn't watch the show already a few years ago, you can give it a shot, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Shortland Street is New Zealand's most successful television "drama". Market saturation (it runs at every weekday) and determination by TVNZ has seen the show a steady rater. But despite all the hype (critics and academics who once drubbed it now fall over each other in praise), it's hard to see what's so great about it. Sure, compared to Neighbours, Brookside, Days of Our Lives, it comes off well, but Shortland Street is hardly great drama. In fact, technically, it ain't drama at all but melodrama. The plotlines are thin and pointless, largely consisting of the standard soap love triangles of who is sleeping with whom this week, and the show's much vaunted "humour" is about as amusing as jamming your fingers in a door. I think that Shortland Street's success has, in the long run, crippled NZ TV drama. It seems that, having one success, broadcasters and production companies are now unwilling to branch out and try new things. There is no stratification of primetime drama, there's just Shortland Street and nothing else.

At the end of the day, Shortland Street is a finely put together little soap. But that's all it is, and until we learn to grow up and create proper TV dramas, this silly show will be all we're ever capable of.

There are several things that could make me proud to be a New Zealander - this is not one of them. On the contrary, if anyone in Aotearoa could be at all pleased or proud by this show, then we ought to be ashamed!

I seriously cannot think of a single good thing about this 'show'.

For actors, it's like a rite of passage: 'if you can bear the worst of the worst (Shortland Street, that is) you may actually stand a chance in the acting world'. Actors will know once they've hit rock bottom, cause they've been there before...and it looks like Shortland Street. I'm pretty sure about a 3rd of the New Zealand population has appeared on this show at one stage or another.

For those of us in the health-care profession, I mean, where to begin?! It'd be easier to compile a list of things they actually got right, cause that'd be a much shorter list.

For those of us with appreciation of the Arts, well, I won't carry on writing: we wouldn't be watching this anyway.

For those of us with a sense of decency...oh wait, same problem!

For those of us with the slightest of intellect...ditto.

Here are the headlines:

Acting: 1/10 Plot: 1/10 Medical Accuracy: -7/10 Social Accuracy: 1/10 Entertainment: 1/10 Cringe-Worthiness: 100/10 Embarrassed: Yes

I grew up watching this show and over the years the standard seems to be sinking lower and lower. The script writers and cast have lost the plot and understanding of what it means to act or to create drama. Every episode is the same... and it lacks so much continuity in the storylines or character development or interest. Every episode seems to be whatever now and all results in instant forced hook ups, and cheating. I just can't believe how trashy this soap is getting, it's become cheaper than the dollar store. As a show that represents NZ it discriminates so much of the population, and in the recent episodes there seems to be a lot of white supremist themes, bad talk about religion, and just overally degrading and insensitive to people with mental health. Besides having the "get over it" personality why not do research and make it more factual and nuturing and highlight what someone actually goes through than to rush it. I can't wait for this show to be canned it's just so bad. I don't think I can stand another episode tbh

Why are there so many negative reviews???

I have been watching Shortland Street for many years now. Yes there has been some ridiculous storylines but most soaps are like this.

What I like about Shortland Street is that it's not afraid to tackle highly controversial or difficult subjects e.g racism, Christian cults, postnatal depression, sexual abuse within the sporting world and abduction. Give Shortland Street a break the likes of Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and EastEnders are way worse; at least you can experience genuine comedy moments with Shortland Street.

Long live Shorty.

Okay, sure it's not an amazing drama and the acting can be a bit sketchy at times but you have to appreciate it for what it is. It's a low budget, New Zealand made, get it done quickly soap drama.

Despite the fact that at times they sway from character to character and some of the twists are a bit excessive, it can't be beaten.

There is nothing I would rather watch on a weekday evening at 7pm than Shortland Street simply because the drama is actually well written and entertaining to say the least. For the fact that it has such a low budget and that it has been running for over 15 years gives a sign of it's cultural significance within New Zealand. It's a short piece and it's plot is always interesting and easy to follow, so you could start to watch it at any stage in your life.

Don't knock it, even though it isn't the best - it's worth what it is.

This has to be one of the worst TV Shows in history. The acting is bland and the scripts are just plain silly, reptitive and predictable. God knows how they've managed to keep this on air for so long. Just end this garbage already.

An abysmal performance all around. I remember watching it when it was released and i thought it was good. Then it turned south into some crappy program that has no real good thing about it. I'd give it a negative if i could. What happened to the good show? I can't even remember what happened. Destroyed the whole play with shitty performances by stellar casts. All around some horrible performances and absolutely crap. Don't, I mean DON'T even bother watching it.

-100000000/10

This is quite possible one of the worst shows ever made.

The acting is bad. The scripts are bad and repetitive. The whole show is bad!

I could barely stay awake through the episodes I was subjected to! It's so bad, that I can't even watch it to laugh at how bad it is! Everything about this show annoys me!

This show also promotes bad morals. Which wouldn't be so bad, apart from the fact that so many people in New Zealand actually LIKE this show. And they seem to think that the way these bitchy, grumpy hormonal fictional characters carry on is normal and acceptable.

Come on New Zealand, you can do better than this! Look at...oh hang on, I can't think of ANY good New Zealand TV shows. Except TellyLaughs. And they were great because they pointed out what was wrong with New Zealand's worst TV shows.

I have never seen a police investigation done in such a fake way. This made CSI look realistic.

1st off the porky fat cop. Why the hell was she asking all the questions? In real life the police interview the suspects. Not some fat lady. It really bothered me how she accused every single suspect she saw of murder. She spoke so mean and dramatic. That is not how real police act. And why is she the only person investigating the case. Don't a team of police do it? Not just a fat porky lady...

So they get rid of her a replace her with some 30 year old model who ends up *beep* Chris..

Random and unrealistic.

The only clue i got was the *beep* clue.

Shortland street have probley set a record for the most lame and unrealistic police representation ever done on a series that was not a comedy. (and I'm talking about a old corny British comedy.) Or some thing like blues glues.

But hey Shortland street can be pretty cool. I mean they totally support being a lezz or gaybo. Cant have a good soap with out disappointing the Dyke's. Evan better lets get her pregnant. Better yet lets kill her girlfriend and make your baby her sisters boyfriends. Nice and juicy the way i like it. Mean while 15 year old school girl losses her virginity to a boy who is gay with her brother. IM LOVING THIS SHOW!!!! This is just from the top of my head. They are so politically correct its lame.

Watched 17th may with chris,s house on fire front the street view was worst ive ever seen so fake surely you can do better than this its nz show going downhill with limited spscial effects.

I don't see why we need to copy the Brits and have our own version of Coro street. Nevertheless it could have been made a lot better. The writing and storylines are dreadful and dull, the acting is absolutely terrible, no one can seriously act well and its at the very bottom of the heap when it comes to television. Long over due for a cancellation. Far better shows have sadly got cancelled.

This show has been going a horribly long time

Maybe we wanted this to be General Hospital or ER or something?

But it's full of the most dreadful script, actors and plots.

I wonder if some of the long term actors really wonder where they went wrong in their careers and chose not to develop themselves further.

I mean - Marton Csokas, Karl Urban & Tem Morrison did it. Leaving this dreadful drama behind. Dead horses have more use for society than this show ever will and it's another sad and apparent reveal at how bad NZ is at making something original tv wise. Now and again we create a gem - but this show is nothing more but left over tinfoil covering badly cooked chicken = avoid at all cost.

In it's original form, "Shortland Street" had a certain naive charm. It was cheesy, it was bad, but it was a soap opera, it was filmed locally (about two minutes from my house, to be exact) and we were young so we forgave it's flaws.

Over the eight years it's been on, however, there's been a definite drop in quality. The early writers of "Shortland Street" knew it was drivel, so nothing was taken very seriously. Minnie's devotion to American soap "Tides of the Heart" was an opportunity for SS to poke fun at itself. Unfortunately, the self-depreciative remarks have gone, as have the enjoyably silly story lines. Current writers seem to believe they're writing Montana Sunday Theatre...only without the talent. Consequently, storylines are now delivered in deadly ernest, and those over the age (and IQ) of 15 are beginning to turn off.

I regret to say that I find this television programme boring, predictable and totally lame. But what do you expect, it is a melodramatic soap opera, is it not! The characters are shallow, more predictable than the sorry plotline we endure every week. It does, however, match other soaps ie 'The Young Doctors', 'Sally Jessie Raphael' and 'The Young and the Restless'. Fortunately, this will never equal ER or even Chicago Hope.

Being a New Zealand resident, I get a first-hand look at this 8 year old soap opera, which stars some of New Zealand's finest acting talent.

Starting in May, 1992, SST got off to a rocky beginning in it's home country. The ratings weren't that great, yet the producers were still optomistic. However, only a year after, the ratings picked up, and now it's come to be a way of life in NZ. Yep - nearly every house will have the TV on channel 2 at 7pm, to watch their fave soap.

Over the past 8 years keen followers have seen Nick, Kirsty, Rachel and the gang battle diseases, broken hearts and evil maniacs as they try to live life as the script-writers see fit. Many an actor have walked into the Clinic Reception, and let's hope Shortland Street Medical Centre will keep it's doors open for a long time to come!

I have kind of a love/hate relationship with this show - sometimes it is gripping, funny and touches on various social issues pretty well, and other times the story and the characters are so stoopid I want to scream! I've been watching it off and on since the beginning of 1992, there's been times when I can't miss a single episode, other times when I couldn't care less. Shortland St does pretty good villains, though - the characters of Mckenzie Choat, Oscar Henry, Greg Feeney and Aleesha Cook (among others) are all unforgettable!

Ive watched the odd bit of Shortland Street over the years and what astonishes me is how incredibly bad the acting is in this show and yet somehow this doesnt seem to bother the people who watch this show religously. I wondered whether perhaps part of being taken on as an actor in Shortland Street is NOT having the ability to act? I say this in all seriousness. Is part of the likeability of Shortland Street that the acting is so bad? Are actors maybe encouraged to "act badly"? Ive seen actors who have been with the show since the beginning and seen their acting in more recent years and I can honestly say that their acting ability has not changed in all the years and if anything appears to be worse, so I do wonder "is that Shortland Streets charm, that it is so bad?

Shortland Street was pretty good for a soap (although I prefer Home and Away, which has more excitement like a gun-toting, crystal-meth addict on the lose), but Shortland Street has gone down hill.

If you like your programs with 99% relationship stuff and 1% excitement, then you might like the 2005 series of Shortland Street. I haven't actually watched much of it, but I can tell from the ads on T.V. that relationships are the main source of entertainment for 2005.

But, if you can see episodes before 2005, it has had some good stuff and the end of year cliffhangers are a must for most viewers of this type of soap opera.

Shortland Street was first judged as a half-a***d, no-brainer of a show. However, over the years, it has become almost impossible to miss. Everyone in NZ will have their TV's switched on to watch New Zealand's most daring, successful and brave show.

The thing that makes Shortland Street such a winner is it's creativity with it's characters. Take Beanie for instance, she's a tattoo-covering-body-piercing-hair-shaving tomboy who also manages to have a largely interesting emotional side and men are attracted to her. Then there is Caroline, the nurse who we've all come to know and love as a straight and guy-attracted girl, turns out to be a lesbian when girl-getter Catalin comes along in 1999. One of the biggest stand-out characters so far has been Oscar Henry, a frightening, raping, but good man who you never know if you love or hate. The writers are always thinking up imaginative ways to get new characters and let the old ones leave, and most of the scripts written for this show are quite fascinating and intriguing. Although it has it's bad side, Shortland Street is able to deal with death, romance and several other mature elements and do it in a completely professional and believable way, making it one of the most valuable doctor-hospital-nurse TV shows in history.

All said, Shortland Street is a near-perfect TV show that sometime's goes off-track, but always manages to grab your attention when you least expect it.

I rate Shortland Street 9 out of 10.

Shortland Street is a mint soap opera set in an Auckland A&E private medical clinic.Boy,I tune in to watch the antics of the nurses and doctors having love triangles.Beats Crossroads any day here in Britain!

The acting is good,the storylines are gripping and they have some of the biggest studs and stunners ever(arise Angela Bloomfield and Tameura Morrison)