Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/Week 18, 2006

Shortland Street is a New Zealand soap opera set in a modern metropolitan hospital in the fictional suburb of Ferndale in Auckland City. It is New Zealand's longest running soap opera, and began screening on 25 May 1992. It is broadcast on TV2, one of TVNZ's free-to-air channels, five evenings a week at 7pm. According to the official website the show has a viewership of 700,000 per night. Shortland Street aired its 3,000th episode on June 23, 2004. It has also been shown in some regions of ITV in the United Kingdom, RTÉ in Ireland, and UK.TV in Australia.

The first episode 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 television.

Many New Zealand actors' careers have been launched by, or included a role on Shortland Street. The most recognisable (to New Zealanders, at least) are probably Temuera Morrison ("Dr. Hone Ropata") and Martin Henderson ("Stuart Neilson"). Recently featured: Military history of New Zealand · Rotorua · Jean Batten · Archive