Following Gemma Gracewood’s call to arms yesterday, Shortland Street have decided to un-geoblock their monster 25th anniversary episode for superfans abroad.
“Five years ago when Shortland Street turned 20, the special 90 minute feature-length episode was due to air on my birthday. Alas, I was overseas, with no way of watching the events of that episode unfold, helicopter crash and all. I was going to have to rely on my mum’s brilliant over-the-telephone recaps, which always also involve a recap of the beautiful aerial shots of Auckland that you use to transition between scenes.”
When we published Gemma Gracewood’s impassioned plea to #freethestreet yesterday, it hit a nerve in Kiwis across the country and the globe. With Shortland Street turning 25 today, and tonight’s feature length episode sure to deliver more than a few surprises, how can superfans overseas get in on the action without having it spoiled for them?
Fear not, international men and women of mystery. The people have spoken. For 48 hours following the Shortland Street 25th anniversary tonight, Ferndale fans the world over can enjoy the dramatic 90 minute episode at their leisure. An ominous synopsis summarises the feature-length event: “Chris’ birthday explodes. Sass puts her plan into action.”
From 8.30pm NZT, international audiences can watch the episode here on the TVNZ Youtube channel until 8.30pm NZT on May 27. Tell your mates across the pond, this one’s going to be huge.