Shortland Street

Well I think there is a demand in the HTV Wales region for local programs - cant speak for the other regions however - but a lot of effort is put into the HTV Wales programs and there are some people who want to watch them rather than a NZ soap so I suppose we are lucky to get SS at all considering they are supposed to put local progs in the 2.30pm slot in all the regions.

According to Welsh viewers Carlton did not rejoin the network transmission and instead are one episode behind the other regions in Wales at least this shows they are fully commited to screening the show but it does seem rather an odd thing to do.

Yes thats right - I dont think ITV1 or Carlton care about SS much as they are dropping it again next week for the Royal Welsh Show so if there is something better to show they drop it.

I e-mailed Carlton to ask them why Wales are one episode behind the other regions and they replied with this



So maybe they will show the missing eps in another slot

Jez it appears that HTV Wales hasnt missed ANY episodes at all - but are just one episode behind the 'network' version. If they can do this now why didnt they leave HTV 2 and a half behind if they have the capability to give different regions different episodes of SS!

I agree they could have left HTV show 1998/9 eps as they certainly had the rights to screen them as they were old Central episodes I think.

Why didnt they just take the show off Central/London also last Thursday surely that would be logical as all regions would be one episode behind where they would have been - Central and London viewers would have complained if it was dropped but losing one episode isnt as bad a Wales being behind everyone else!

Hmmm - i think Carlton have made the correct decision by NOT dropping anymore episodes on HTV Wales leaving Wales one episode behind the rest. I dont like your suggestion saying that losing one episode isnt as bad as being behind!

Id prefer to see them all in order regardless if we are one episode behind now! Im sure Wales will catch up very soon!

Well I dont mind missing an episode that much as you can work out what has gone on by the end of the next episode anyway but I meant ITV1 London/Central/West should have also dropped the episode that day meaning all regions would be at the same stage.

Do you watch SS now and what do you think of 2001 storylines? I think they are OK but it will never be as good as it was in 1996-1999 and I dont care about the new characters half as much as I did about the old ones and there are just too many new people in it (apart from Rachel, Waverly, Nick) but the show is still quite good in quality.

I would mind as would a fair few others, Shortland Steets core fan base has and still is in the Central region, Carlton know this, that is why it has increased to 4 days a week, still not the 5 Central viewers are used to but now it is the other regions that are holding us in the Central region back to have Wales hold back Central and London the two biggest itv franchises is unrealistic.

The reason I suggested Central and the other regions hold back an episode when Wales needed the slot was not to stop them watching the show or anything like that, I just thought it would be easier to have all regins screening the same episode on the same day.

I also dont think we can blame HTV for the 3 and 4 day a week - remember the network had the Friday slot until Easter so there was not a lot they could do about that and Central are showing regional progs on a Friday, they obviously have to like the other regions otherwise they would show it on a Friday and overtake the other regions as they obviously dont mind them showing different eps on different days.

Well HTV Wales are opting out of Shortland St yet again on Tuesday 5th August to show highlights of the Eisterfodd. AFAIK there are no other Welsh events in the near future after this as we have had the Urdd, Llangollen and the Royal Welsh so we should be clear now until its takes its break for the Rugby World Cup in October.

But we are 3 eps behind the other Carlton regions - surely it would be better if we were in-line with them - maybe they will show it on a Friday for 3 weeks when the regional program ends so we will catch up?

We have reached September 2001 storylines now - wont be long until we reach the 2001 finale which was shown on 14th December 2001. Storylines are hotting up atm

Well I think HTV should have kept with the original storylines from the previous series of SS that they broadcast!

This current series isnt a patch on the old one and i dont care if HTV Wales do skip the odd episode here and there for a regional programme!

There is bound to be a slot vacant for catch up sometime around the rugby world cup!

BUMP