Shortland Street, New Zealand's long-running soap, changes to 3 episodes/week in 2025 with gov't aid.

New Zealand's long-running soap opera, Shortland Street, returns in 2025 with a new format: three episodes per week. The changes follow government assistance, including a ban on TV advertising on Sunday mornings and some public holidays, as well as a 40% screen production rebate applicable to Shortland Street. The show currently costs TVNZ around $20 million to produce annually.