Port Richard

Port Richard is a Martonian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on NBN on 4 March 1968 and has since run for more than 13,000 episodes, making it the longest-running soap opera on Martonian television, the longest-running scripted Martonian television show, and one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world.

The series takes place in the namesake Port Richard, a fictional city in Kentona. Since the early 1980s, the show's storylines have mostly revolved around the Bryce and Webster families. The series saw a rise in ratings in the mid-1980s thanks to the "" Steven and Sandra, whose 1988 wedding brought in 28 million viewers and remains the most-watched hour in Martonian soap opera history.

The series was created by writers Peter and Laura Hutch and is produced by NBN Evening Studios. The show is filmed at The Avenue Studios in Yorkburn, Vinceria. Gordon Sears has played Charles Ralph since 1974, making him the soap opera's longest-running cast member. NBN began broadcasting Port Richard in high-definition on 2 February 2009.

Port Richard has been met with positive reception. It won the MFTA Award for Best Soap Opera in 2004. In 2010, it was listed as #4 on Cocoblue's "Top 20 Best Television Shows of the 2000s".

Conception
Port Richard co-creator Peter Hutch got the idea for the show in 1966, when he thought about making a soap opera that would revolve specifically around the middle class. Hutch's daughter, Sherry, stated in an interview that Peter sought to create a early evening drama that would have middle-class protagonists, with upper-class characters as antagonists. He pitched to NBN in 1967, and the network re

Series
Port Richard first aired on 4 March 1968. During its first year on television, its main cast consisted solely of 14 actors, 12 of whom played characters from the Bryce and Webster families.

Recording
Port Richard is taped at The Avenue Studios in Yorkburn, Vinceria. Due to the show's lower budget, it uses medium to small sets and three-point lighting technique. Some episodes that take place outside are filmed in different Vinceria locations, while others are simply filmed in-studio.

The series was originally recorded on standard-definition videotape, but it switched to high-definition widescreen video on 25 January 2008, making it the first Martonian soap opera to be produced in high definition.

Crew members

 * Executive producer: Gordon Hampton
 * Producers:
 * Series producers: Francis Louche, Bryan Brady
 * Senior producer: Joseph White
 * Associate producer: Stanford Johnson
 * Head writer: Robert Sandon
 * Script writers: Kate March, Mark Forelay, Sharon Backner, Cathy Cayman, Kevin Saber, Jennifer Vincent
 * Casting directors: Jonathan Madison, Peter F. Goodman

Storylines
Port Richard is well known for dealing with issues revolving around both romance and work life. It also covers social issues including domestic violence, depression, anorexia, and homophobia.

Since the early 1980s, the show's storylines have mostly revolved around the Bryce and Webster families. However, in more recent years, the series has included a number of storylines revolving around the Lawsons and the Turners.