NZ Daily Drama Shortland Street Gets Localized in Ukraine

LONDON: A Ukrainian adaptation of the long-running New Zealand daily drama Shortland Street has launched on 1+1, following a deal signed by FremantleMedia for the format.

The 60-episode series is airing locally in Ukraine as Central Hospital and marks the first international format version of the popular prime-time series. Central Hospital, which has already sold as a tape to broadcasters in Georgia and Kazakhstan, focuses on the life of the young and able surgeon Margarita Sergeevna and the doctors and patients of the fictitious hospital.

In New Zealand, more than 6,000 episodes of Shortland Street have been produced since 1992. Set in an Auckland City Hospital, the series follows the complicated personal and professional lives of its staff, family and friends. The NZ original is produced by South Pacific Pictures and distributed by FremantleMedia.

Anne Kirsipuu, format sales director for CIS, Ukraine, Georgia and the Baltic States at FremantleMedia, said: “The local take on Shortland Street was a high-quality adaptation and launched incredibly well. We’re confident that the upcoming story lines will capture the attention of the audiences. With our rich catalog of scripted formats, we’re looking forward to introducing more local adaptations to the market soon.”