Shortland Street is, apparently, the longest-running New Zealand devised drama (aka soapie) on television.
Shortland Street is, apparently, the longest-running New Zealand devised drama (aka soapie) on television.
In terms of televisual longevity it is only nudged aside by Country Calendar — a show which when it began was rolled out in black and white.
That factor is the ultimate sign of extended age.
Although it's the reverse in my case.
My hair used to be coloured and now it is white.
But there's a more enduring drama (occasionally soapie) series which has been going on for more than a century... longer than television for that matter although it takes a great chunk of what's called "air time" these days.
Never used to.
Used to emerge on the airwaves via the radio.
Now we get this oddly-scripted show in sound and vision.
Politics huh?
Not a subject I should veer toward as I don't pay a great deal of attention to it, although it does have a certain entertainment value.
And it can be most mysterious in that you never really know what could happen next.
And that, of course, is always a very important component of any high-profile drama.
You only have to mention two words and the tales and talk and tsk tsks emerge.
Trump or Brexit.
The British PM has stepped down because her Brexit plans unravelled, and meanwhile Boris Johnson has re-emerged having been in a sort of publicity vacuum of recent times.
He clearly did not have any of his own personal Brexit discussions with a barber though.
So yep, turmoil has spread across the political landscape of Blighty and it's all because of Brexit... which when the term was first coined I thought was a new type of cellular phone.
Meanwhile, over on Channel Oz, there was a sensational finale to the eagerly anticipated "Who Will Be The Next PM?"
This was one of those shows where everyone reckoned they knew how the grand finale would be rolled out.
It was an obvious script, the audiences across the states of Oz declared.
It would follow the obvious path, as the cast of "Who Will Be the Next PM?" had been an ever-revolving one... they only had a character contract for a year...maybe two at most?
And then Scott Morrison, the man they said was set to leave the stage, retained the role.
"How did that happen?" the audiences asked.
But hey, everyone loves a great mystery.
Which is the only word to describe Donald Trump's rise to the White House but we'll leave him alone for now.
Far too bewildering, although good comedies are worth their weight in gold.
Or fences.
And so, to our long-running series.
It plays on screen and across the audio waves every day.
Show-wise, I guess there is potential for the always nattily attired Winston Peters to front a new fashion show called "Suits You" and they could pick out three of the MMP no-electorate folks and create a mystery show called "Guess Who We Are?"
Or maybe title it "I Wonder What They Do All Day?"
And of course shows about money are always popular, and money has been in the political headlines lately after it was revealed the accounts some MPs stacked up.
Especially some of the MPs who would qualify to be in the cast of "Guess Who We Are?"
On that note, we could have a show called "So That's Where Our Taxes Go".
Then they could make a show called "Are You Kidding?" and it could be a colourful look into some of the decisions which get made in that big chamber place called "the house".
The place some bad characters have been known to be sent from by the speaker wizard who sits in a high chair and tries to work out what the hell is going on.
And maybe a show called "Can't Be Too Tough On Them".
Episode one could feature the recent news that a members bill seeking more severe punishments for makers and sellers of psychoactive substances (which have led to about 80 deaths over the past couple of years) was turned down.
It was voted down 56-64.
So the destructive drug industry cast don't have to worry too much.
Staggering.
But then I guess crime-related shows have long been a staple part of television content, so the gummint is simply following trends?