List of Shortland Street characters introduced in 2024
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street in 2024, by order of first appearance.
Aiden Archer
[edit]| Aiden Archer | |
|---|---|
| Shortland Street character | |
| Portrayed by | Conan O' Brien |
| Duration | 2024 |
| Appears on | 12 December 2024 |
| Classification | Former; guest |
| Introduced by | Oliver Driver |
Aiden Archer appeared for a one-scene guest appearance in late 2024, played by American comedian and talk-show host Conan O'Brien. O'Brien filmed his scene whilst visiting New Zealand for an international travel show Conan O'Brien Must Go in September 2024,[1] with Producer Oliver Driver describing him as a "joy to have on the show" and hoping he would return.[2]
Following the resignation of Hosptial acting-Head of Surgery Boyd Rolleston (Sam Bunkall), Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) learned his long-time "frenemy" Aiden Archer was arriving in New Zealand to cover his surgeries. The two reconnected at the hospital where Aiden made it clear he took the job whilst briefly visiting the country for a romance to add to his nickname of "Dr. Love". After reconnecting, they returned to work with Aiden immediately flirting with a patient's mother.
The cameo was well received and described on Radio New Zealand as being "crafted to near perfection" and despite being "bizarre and hilarious" it was apparent "O'Brien was game to deliver whatever was written on the page - and it's equally clear the Shortland Street writers had an absolute field day."[3] Tara Ward of The Spinoff described Aiden as "deliciously absurd" and despite having only "lasted two minutes ... it was powerful enough to destabilise everything Shortland Street holds dear." His persona as "Dr. Love" was said to challenge Chris Warner's existing title.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Ward, Tara (13 December 2024). "Conan O'Brien just gave us the weirdest two minutes of Shortland Street ever". The Spinoff.
- ^ Hageman, Mitchell (5 December 2024). "Conan O'Brien's Shortland Street cameo: US TV star the 'perfect foil' for Dr Chris Warner". The New Zealand Herald.
- ^ Bhatt, Jogai (12 December 2024). "What happened when Conan O'Brien went on Shortland Street?". Radio New Zealand.