2008 Shortland Street Fan Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec 1st, 2008

85,000 votes determine the 2008 Shortland Street Fan Award Winners

With almost 85,000 votes being cast in Throng's third annual Shortland Street Fan Awards, this year's results are the biggest yet!

It's been a huge year for Shortland Street. The show celebrated its 16th season with its critically acclaimed serial killer storyline drawing to a close over a thrilling three nights. Temuera Morrison returned at Dr Hone Ropata for a six week stint. Craig and Justine played detectives to try and bring down ruthless drug company Scott Spear. We said goodbye to Toni, Craig, Guy and Justine. The Whitetails gang, their violence and criminal activities have been drawing in Keiran, Ethan, Libby and Tania. Chris Warner was toppled as CEO by Callum. Ethan and Brooke are slowly weaving their web of lies in Ferndale.

Viewers gave the show an average rating of 7.8/10, up from 7.6/10 last year. 19% scored the season a perfect 10.

"Shortland Street 2008 has been great year jam-packed with awesome storylines which have kept us on the edge of our seats! Congratulations to the writers for another wonderful year of Shortland Street! World class now."

"I have MS so Shortland Street is something to look forward to each day. Thank you."

"It just keeps getting better, even my partner has mentioned that it is so much better story line wise and acting wise, and he doesn't usually watch it."

"My secret pleasure!"

Alice Piper took out the favourite female character as well as Toni Potter winning favorite female actress but fans aren't too keen on her relationship with newcomer Ethan Pierce.

Special mention must go to Alice: could anyone have a worse year? >From being kidnapped and operated on by a psycho, getting pregnant and not knowing who the father was, being hounded by the media, nearly becoming an alcoholic, getting engaged then breaking up and then her partner being murdered, having a premature baby which died and then hooking up with the newest villain in town but her lesbian best friend is in love with her… Phew, could we just give Alice a little break next year?

Thanks to the demise of the Ferndale Strangler (Joey Henderson) who won the award last year, Kip Denton has gone from runner up to favourite male character.

Viewers had mixed thoughts on the introduction of the Whitetails gang. Some felt it provided "excellent forecasting of social issues in NZ" and praised the complexity of characters such as senior gang member Kingi. "The power of the programme in terms of its ability to link in with youth and older aged kids is quite an opportunity to remove barriers such as racism, inclusiveness, peer pressure etc, gender expectations." However others felt the show was making "gang life appealing and something that people can get away with, punish them!!!" and felt "we are stuck with gang members in New Zealand so it would be good not to have them on Shortland Street, promotion for gangs, there are too many fools here already joining gangs."

Fans on New Zealand's TV community website Throng (throng.co.nz) and Shortland Street fansite StreetTalk (streetalk.co.nz) voted on 28 awards and results of winners and runners-up are as follows:

Favourite male character
Kip Denton
[Kieran Mitchell]

Favourite female character
Alice Piper
[Libby Jeffries]

Favourite male actor
Adam Rickitt
[Michael Galvin]

Favourite female actress
Toni Potter "It's no wonder Alice (and Toni!) needed some time out from Ferndale this year, Toni's acting was superb and so intense!"
[Fleur Saville]

Hottest male
Benjamin Mitchell "TK spent too much time clothed. TK should display that torso more often and talk less"
[Adam Rickitt]

Hottest female
Faye Smythe (third year in a row)
[Anna Jullienne]

Best dressed character
Libby Jeffries
[Brooke Freeman]

Worst dressed character
Luke Durville
[Kip Denton]

Best hair
Tania Jefferies
[Libby Jeffries]

Worst hair
James "Scotty" Scott
[Brooke Freeman]

Most missed character
Toni Warner
[Craig Valentine]

Favourite new character
Kingi Te Wake
[Morgan Braithwaite]

Most likely to make it in Hollywood
Adam Rickitt
[Benjamin Mitchell]

Character you'd most like to get rid of
Ethan Pierce
[Brooke Freeman]

Favourite couple
Libby and Kieran
[Tracey and Kip]

Worst couple
Alice and Ethan
[Brooke and Ethan]

Favourite major storyline
Serial killer ending
[Scott Spear mystery]

Favourite episode
Serial killer ending (Part 3)
[Justine Jones' fake death]

Favourite quote
"I am Joseph James Henderson. Gone but never forgotten" - Joey

Rate the 2008 season overall
7.8/10

Which non-dead character would you most like to bring back
Justine
[Tuesday]

Also notable:
Hone, Guy, Rachel, Nick, Waverly, Tane, Lionel and Angus.

Best thing to happen this year on the show
Serial killer ending
Scotty and Shanti's wedding

Funniest moment
Libby fighting the gossip columnist in the bathroom at the new IV and calling her a "huckery mole"
The dinner party with Gerald's eccentric parents

Also notable:
Gerald hiding in Riley's shower
Gerald high on ecstasy
Libby's speech to people with food allergies
Kip's bare bum

"It seemed funnier this year… the lines the actors have make me chuckle!"
"I have really enjoyed Gerald's lines…he cleverest part of Shortie at the moment and he delivers the lines with aplomb."

Saddest moment
Toni's death
[Alice's baby Kelly dying]

"Too many deaths this year - too many good characters leaving. Toni was awesome and it would have been great for her and Chris to finally sort things out. Also poor Alice too much grief - the baby could have lived."

Most boring storyline
Shanti and Scotty
[Whitetails]

Biggest letdown
Craig's death
[Toni's death]

One wish for the 2009 season
For Justine to return
[Kieran and Libby to get married]

Also notable:
For Joey to return - as a ghost, or a secret twin, or in flashbacks
For Maia and Alice to get together
Resolution of the Scott Spears saga
Less deaths
More love, joy, peace, babies and happiness

More viewer comments:

"It's an amazing show! The best on TV by far! I would like to personal congratulate all of the cast and crew on creating an amazing show!"

"THIS IS THE BESTEST SHOW IN NEW ZEALAND (followed closely by Outragous Fortune)"

"Thank you for your hard work and for giving me something to look forward to in my evenings. Have a 6 year old son and he knows when Shortland Street is on it's mummy time and not to disturb me for 30 minutes. Keep it going everynight - stop closing over Christmas period as we can't wait so long for the next episode! Please make it one hour episodes the whole year long not only in winter time."

"Keep up the great work, it's nice to be reminded that the drama in my life is not as full on as Shorty's, thanks guys. x"

See past winners of the Shortland Street Fan Awards: 2007 and 2006

ends

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