Good manners and respect slide away
Standards are certainly slipping on television. Like other correspondents to these pages I am disappointed with the Shortland Street writers, not only with language used but also storylines and situations which I find distasteful. But it’s not only Shortland Street. Today a television host blithely informed viewers that there was a royal bun in the oven. Have people lost the art of good manners and respect? It seems so.
AN Christie (Rotorua)
Oh my goodness. I can’t believe I never noticed all the blasphemy in Shortland Street. Probably because compared to the outrageously far-fetched, ridiculous storylines and characters, in particular Dawn, Damo and Dylan, it’s the least of Shorty’s problems. Curious those characters’ names all start with ‘D’. It must be only a matter of time before the Devil makes an appearance on Shortland Street. I had watched Shorty since the beginning but when it was announced it would screen six nights a week I rolled my eyes to the heavens and realised this was more a penance than a blessing. Surely not, an extra dose of TK’s mumbling and Kylie’s embarrassingly bad acting. Last week I deleted my series-record booking and haven’t looked back. Now I think it’s time to share the love, and taking my cue from Shortland Street I’m suggesting something outrageous – give the half hour, six nights a week, 7pm on TVNZ 2 slot to Coronation Street. I’ve never watched Coro and don’t plan to but fair is fair. Shortland Street and its fans have enjoyed that slot for more than two decades and now Shorty is just so bad it doesn’t deserve it any more. Problems solved. Happy Coro fans, no more blasphemy. All that remains now are questions of how Gogglebox NZ and Ksenia from Married At First Sight NZ ever made it on to TV. Some things just can’t be fathomed.