Shortland Street: What's in store for 2011?
EXCLUSIVE: Shortland Street Producer Steven Zanoski
reveals just what he has planned for the new season of NZ's
favourite drama.
"The new season opens up with a bang, picking up our characters in
jeopardy just moments after we left them in the burning
building.
I'm not going to throw out any spoilers in terms of who gets out of
the fire... let's just say the after-effects are long ranging;
nothing is going to be the same in the survivors' lives
again.
These Christmas cliffhangers shake up everything
.
This direct pick-up is a change from recent years in which time
has passed between the end of last season's episode and the
beginning of the new year.
This time round we're back in the thick of the action.
It's a return to classic cliffhanger storytelling.
Scotty is on the run after his shocking attack on
Tracey.
There's obviously something very wrong with Scotty.
What we'll discover when he's captured is that the post-traumatic
shock he was diagnosed with masked a deeper issue.
Scotty is suffering from Capgras Syndrome.
This is a psychological disorder that makes the sufferer believe
that the person closest to them has been replaced by an identical
looking imposter.
While effective diagnosis can cure Scotty, he has to live with the
consequences of what he did to Tracey.
The other character potentially facing a death-sentence is Luke
Durville, last seen bundled into an unmarked van for attempting to
expose the true identity of the criminal that Isaac operated
on.
We find out Luke's fate in the first episode back.
Isaac's life begins to unravel as a result, as he becomes more and
more obsessed with hiding his dodgy dealings.
We're set to see Isaac go through a big change this year: a man
driven to hide his past.
It's typical on
Shortland Street that characters
have secrets in their back-stories; while with Isaac all of his
secrets have been played on-screen.
He's taking the audience on a wild ride through 2011, and involving
the most unexpected characters along the way.
Look out for a surprising new romantic interest for Isaac in '11 -
one that is certain to upset Brooke.
There are changes aplenty in the medical side of the
hospital.
Coming soon are two new staff members played by
Shavaugn Ruakere and Natalie Medlock, filling places left by
departing characters.
At the end of 2010
we said goodbye to Tania Jeffries and early up in
the new season, further cast members leave us.
This is always a sad time behind-the-scenes and also an opportunity
to refresh the show with new characters and stories.
In addition to the new cast members joining us in '11, we're also
returning more than one past audience favourite.
Stay tuned!"
SHORTLAND STREET'S NEW SEASON STARTS ON MONDAY 17TH JANUARY
TV2.
Watch 2010's action-packed season finale here.
