Claire Sweeney chats with Michael Galvin as STV air Shortland Street

Brookside meets Shortland Street…

It might be bad news for Neighbours with reports the show is to end in its 40th anniversary year, but for Shortland Street its good news as the medical saga has this week seen its return to UK screens via the STV Player with episodes streaming on the service and tonight two episodes get an outing on the STV television service across Scotland.

New Zealand’s longest-running drama, Shortland Street, launched in the UK on Monday (Feb 17th) on free streaming service, STV Player. The platform is the first-ever UK streaming service to air brand new episodes of the showin line with its New Zealand broadcast. The medical drama first launched down under in May 1992 and has aired continuously since then on state broadcaster, TVNZ.

To celebrate the show’s UK launch the serial’s longest-serving actor, Michael Galvin, who has played Dr. Chris Warner since its first episode, was interviewed by Claire Sweeney, known for her role in Channel 4’s Brookside. The Liverpool based series was revived by STV Player in 2023, with five classic episodes landing on the platform every Wednesday.

Brookside is back on STV Player

Michael told Claire why Shortland Street has become renowned in New Zealand for its issue-based storylines: “Our writers, over the decades, have always taken very seriously the idea of trying to keep it current, so they’re always on the lookout for the issues that people are concerned about.

“The other thing about Shortland Street is that, unlike the UK, it’s kind of the only drama that’s always there. Sometimes, depending on our industry, it’s literally the only TV show being made in New Zealand, so I think the writers feel a responsibility and obligation to make sure that everything is reflected.”

Shortland Street is focused on staff working at the eponymous hospital in the fictional Auckland suburb of Ferndale and follows all the drama they face on a daily basis – both in their professional and personal lives.

The show has been a training ground for dozens of Kiwi stars who’ve gone on to enjoy major international screen success, including Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy, Virgin River), KJ Apa (Riverdale), Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho), Robyn Malcolm (After the Party, Outrageous Fortune), Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Boys) and Temuera Morrison (The Mandalorian).

Shortland Street began streaming on the STV Player this week

Richard Williams, Managing Director of Digital at STV:

“In New Zealand and several other international territories, Shortland Street has become a cultural phenomenon, so it’s a major coup for us to be able to make STV Player its UK home. The show is a magical blend of ‘just-one-more-episode’ drama, good-natured humour, warmth and topicality – everything we know STV Player viewers look for when choosing their next TV obsession.

“With Doctors concluding last year, there’s a gap in the telly market for a regular medical drama. We think Shortland Street has all the ingredients to not only fill that void, but also find its own distinctive place in viewers’ hearts among the British and Australian soaps they already know and love.”

Three new episodes of Shortland Street land on STV Player every Monday. STV Player can be found across the UK on all major platforms, including Sky Q, NOW, Virgin Media, Amazon Fire TV and Freeview Play. Stream Claire Sweeney’s interview with Michael Galvin in full on STV Player. Clare can also be seen on STV and the STV Player in current episodes of Coronation Street.

Viewers to Channel 3 in Scotland, STV, can see two episodes of Shortland Street back-to-back tonight from 9 pm