Line #105 Main/SoapOpera


1	[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/timedays.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:325:There was a ''lot'' of sex and suffering to go around in 1976, with 14 daytime soaps on US network television at the time. Pictured: Doug Williams (Bill Hayes) and Julie Olson (Susan Seaforth Hayes) of ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'', often cited as the first soap SuperCouple.]]
3
4	->'''Joey:''' Well, I get the medical award for separating the Siamese twins. Then Amber and I go to {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}} to meet our other half-brother, Ramone. And that's where I find the world's biggest emerald. It's really big--but it's ''cursed.''
5	->'''Chandler:''' God, that is good TV.
6	-->-- ''Series/{{Friends}}'', "The One Where Doctor Ramoray Dies"
7
8	A soap opera is a {{melodrama}} with a large cast experiencing dramatic emotional events in their day-to-day lives, usually broadcast five days a week. Many of the plots are about sexual relationships, family issues, and occasional [[VerySpecialEpisode topical issues]] like addiction or infidelity. It is often set inside in domestic locations. American soaps tend to have wealthy, glamorous characters; British shows tend to have [[KitchenSinkDrama working-class characters living in modest houses]]. Designed to be viewed intermittently, so that a single event may be stretched over three or more days, with multiple narrative threads overlapping.
9
10	A genre of storytelling [[OlderThanTelevision which began on radio in the United States in the early 1930s]], it got its name because its high drama was often interspersed with [[MerchandiseDriven adverts for, well, soap]]; Procter & Gamble, manufacturer of such products, was the sole sponsor and producer for many of them. But there's no '[[RadioDrama soap radio]]' anymore; with one exception (''Radio/TheArchers''), the genre is mainly-associated with television. For a long time in the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates, you could actually be fired for referring to your show as a "soap opera"; the proper term was "daytime drama". It's no longer enforced, but referring to it as a soap in front of actors or crew will still occasionally earn you a dirty look.
11
12	From the beginning it was viewed as a genre that mainly appealed to women. In fact, the entire genre was basically invented by one woman, Irna Phillips. Phillips created the UrExample (''Painted Dreams'' on WGN radio in Chicago in 1930), the GenrePopularizer and TropeCodifier (''Series/GuidingLight'') and was the key figure in the genre's transition from radio to television, creating the first daily daytime TV drama (''These Are My Children'' in 1949), helping ''Guiding Light'' transition to video, and creating two more genre staples in television: ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' and ''Series/AnotherWorld''. Soaps were ''very'' important in laying the groundwork for scripted television. It's even been argued that ''all'' TV dramas are ultimately riffs on the standard soap template (basically, soaps are to TV drama as {{Blues}} is to {{Rock}}).
13
14	The main staples of soap storytelling are the {{Cliffhanger}}, not just from episode to episode, but each ''scene'' will usually end with one, and DramaticIrony--much of the suspense comes from the audience learning important information long before most of the characters do, and anticipating what happens when they ''do'' find out. Death is [[FirstLawOfResurrection not a big concern]] in the world of soaps; to the point that ''Series/{{Friends}},'' after Dr. Ramoray (Joey's character) had "his brain crushed" on ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'', joked that he could yet return -- [[BrainTransplant and he did]]. However, most shows enjoy ''[[TonightSomeoneDies pretending]]'' that anybody can be snuffed out at any moment – particularly during a commercial or episode break. The truth is that [[ActorLeavesCharacterDies contract re-negotiations]] are the leading cause of permanent death. Story progression often takes a backseat to what people actually want to see: {{Cat fight}}s and [[TheMasochismTango screaming matches]] and [[LoveDodecahedron every imaginable configuration]] of characters sleeping with each other. These habits are widely-mocked in other works whenever a soap appears or is mentioned. (For parodies of the soap genre, look up SoapWithinAShow.)
15
16	American soaps were typically LongRunners, easily extending themselves for years and even decades if successful (the record-holder being ''(The) Series/GuidingLight'', 1937-2009). Similarly, German and other continental European soaps typically follow this practice, lasting for years and years.
17
18	On a country-by-country basis, the main difference is the social class of people being portrayed: American soaps often featured [[CastFullOfRichPeople filthy-rich characters with chic clothing and gorgeous mansions]] (think ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' or ''Series/Dynasty1981''). Australian ones usually feature [[MonochromeCasting middle-class suburban white people]], often young and healthy (''Series/{{Neighbours}}'', ''Sons and Daughters'', ''Series/HomeAndAway''); while British soaps are either lower-middle class (''Series/{{Brookside}}'') or grimly and grimily working-class (''Series/EastEnders'', ''Series/CoronationStreet''). These class divides are not 100% certain but tend to dominate; see Creator/TheBBC's aspirationally-luxurious ''Series/HowardsWay'', which ran for several years, but never won the hearts of viewers like [[KitchenSinkDrama "kitchen sink"]] soaps did. The feature common to all three flavours is that there is no one main character: Rather, characters drift in and out of [[CharacterFocus focus]] as the storylines go on. Some characters may be more memorable or have more influence on TheVerse than others, but [[EnsembleCast nobody can be said to be the protagonist]]. (See also: SoapWheel.)
19
20	Britain often run their soaps in UsefulNotes/PrimeTime, as they do with their favourite Aussie imports, and so do Australians themselves. In contrast, American stations traditionally quarantine soaps into a late-morning or early-afternoon timeslot. That said, daytime soaps were reliable moneyspinners for the American networks from the days of {{radio}} all the way into TheNineties, and served as a career springboard for many actors and actresses who went on to great success in more "legit" film and TV productions.
21
22	Although soaps originated in the U.S., the genre there has undergone a severe decline to the point that media analysts have declared it [[DeadHorseGenre effectively dead]]. During the transition to TheNewTens, four of the longest running and most successful soaps in history reached their finales: ''Guiding Light'' (still the longest continuous narrative in human history, even in 2022) was cancelled in 2009 after 72 years; ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' ended in 2010 after 54 years; ''Series/AllMyChildren'' ended in 2011 and ''Series/OneLifeToLive'' ended in 2012, both having run for over 40 years. Those were the first casualties, but not the last. There are several popular, somewhat interconnecting theories as to why soaps have declined in UsefulNotes/NorthAmerica:
23
24	#The first is the rise of women in the workforce, brought on by a combination of the feminist movement and massive economic upheaval. When soaps began, women were still primarily housewives who would be home during daytime, which has long been the domain of soaps in America; meaning they had a potential audience of nearly half the American adult population. However, as more and more households became dual-income or "woman-primary" (i.e. a woman is the main breadwinner, either because she's single or she earns a higher income than her partner), there simply isn't anybody home to watch. One potential sign of this is that the most-successful daytime soap currently airing is ''Series/TheYoungAndTheRestless'' on CBS, which runs most often in a 12:30 PM Eastern/Pacific timeslot. People who work a typical 9-to-5 job will be able to tune in during their lunch break. The remaining big-hitters, ''Days of Our Lives'' (on NBC), ''Series/TheBoldAndTheBeautiful'' (on CBS) and ''Series/GeneralHospital'' (on ABC) air outside lunch hour in Eastern/Pacific time at 1:00, 1:30 and 2:00 PM respectively. To further prove the point, those shows air at 12:00, 12:30 and 1:00 PM in the Central and Mountain areas, allowing them to draw in lunchtime audiences there. ''Side note'': This is also why ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' is so popular among college students who are well-outside the target demographic: The 11 AM timeslot happens to occur during typical college lunch hours.
25	#The second is that the TV landscape in general has inverted in America. Hard to imagine now, but soap operas were traditionally allowed to be edgier, whereas UsefulNotes/{{prime time}} was staunchly conservative. Back in [[TheFifties the '50s]] and [[TheSixties early '60s]], ''Series/ILoveLucy''[='=]s Lucy and Ricky Ricardo weren't allowed to say the word "pregnant", and ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow''[='=]s Laura Petrie was criticized by MoralGuardians ...for wearing pants. As primetime TV has gotten raunchy, daytime TV has conversely become somewhat stodgier. They seem to have intersected during the [[TheSeventies mid-1970s]], when [[Series/AllMyChildren Erica Kane]] and [[Series/{{Maude}} Maude Finlay]] both got landmark abortions within a few months of each other. Soaps had a brief surge during TheEighties with the likes of Supercouple [[Series/GeneralHospital Luke and Laura]], but by that point, Prime Time was creating "family" shows with topical themes such as ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' and ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''; both sitcoms, and both dealing with hot-button issues such as HIV and domestic violence (to say nothing of TV dramas of the time), whereas soaps began to retreat into nostalgic Americana. In addition, the soap opera has become part of the DNA of television drama: Shows like ''Series/MelrosePlace'' or (more-recently) ''{{Series/Empire}}'' show that people still have an appetite for soaps, it's just that the mechanics of a serialized daytime show can't keep up with prime time, either in [[NoBudget budget]] or [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants writing.]]
26	#This could be related to the above reasons: With more women entering the workforce, women who ''do'' stay home are generally doing so by choice rather than societal pressure. As such, they're likely to hold conservative views about gender roles, gay rights, and various "social justice" issues, forcing showrunners to tone things down in order to retain viewers. It also explains why prime time has invaded daytime's old territory: The housewives who watched soaps before the rise of feminism have evolved into liberal-leaning working women who watch prime time shows in their free time.
27	#This is not helped by the fact that the built-in audience for soaps is disappearing due to age. Due to the reasons outlined above, potential viewers who would replace them have no interest in following along, and it would [[ContinuityLockOut take literal decades for them to get caught up.]]
28	#When reviewing the first year of the NBC soap ''Series/{{Passions}}'' for his web series ''WebVideo/TVTrash'', Chris "The Rowdy Reviewer" Moore concluded that it all boils down to pacing. On a weekly, one-hour episodic television series, there's usually one main central plot and maybe one or two b-plots. Whereas on a daytime drama which airs five days a week, there's roughly at least [[FourLinesAllWaiting five or six plots running concurrently.]] Because the soaps are trying to cover them all at once in a single episode, you rarely get a single scene which runs more than a minute (or approximately ten minutes in total of each plot per episode) before cutting to a whole different set of characters for whom you may or may not care anything about! This means that a single plot thread (especially ones that have the highest potential to rope in viewers) could be dragged out for weeks or, more likely, months.
29	#Another theory cites two specific events in [[TheEighties the late '80s]] and [[TheNineties early '90s]] as the reasons why audiences started tuning out: [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes the 1988 WGA strike]] and the UsefulNotes/OJSimpson trial (see also ''Film/OJMadeInAmerica''). The former caused soaps to run without experienced writers, leading to a sharp decline in quality, and coverage of the latter not only knocked the soaps off the air for several weeks, but provided viewers with a real-life drama to enjoy, thanks largely to the media circus caused by Judge Lance Ito allowing cameras into his courtroom. Declining viewership caused the networks to put less effort into their daytime shows, creating a vicious cycle of sinking quality and ratings. To top it off, shortly before the first "legacy" soap was cancelled, there was another WGA strike (in 2007-08).
30	#The rise of reality TV in the late 1990s has also given viewers what soaps used to, at less cost to the networks and with less predictability for viewers.
31	#There's a conspiracy theory similar to UsefulNotes/TheRuralPurge which alleges the networks wanted to get out of the soap business because they were so expensive to produce compared to talk and RealityTV. However, since soap opera fans are notoriously loyal (often bonding generations of family members), the networks have been deliberately [[ScrewedByTheNetwork sabotaging]] them, slashing budgets and hiring outside writers with distaste for the genre.
32	#Then there's the rise of cable networks and streaming options, which not only give viewers more shows they can watch, but also skims away some of the acting pool for daytime. In the past the lower-tier of scripted television, which included soaps and Made-for-TV movies, was still pretty limited with only a few networks; even in the 90s, when cable TV was exploding, acting roles were still limited and you'd be lucky to get offered a soap role in order to get your foot in the door. An up-and-coming performer taking a role on a soap has to deal with limited pay and exposure, plus a challenging workload (soaps typically record around 70 pages of script a day, putting them much closer to stage acting than film or TV acting in terms of labor). These days, with 450-some primetime and streaming shows, rather than taking a three-week role as a nurse on ''General Hospital'' to 'break-in', or hanging around a daytime set looping through the same plot point for years, you can easily get better pay and exposure as a recurring character on a Creator/{{Netflix}} series, which would look better on a résumé, with more potential for creative clout. It's often speculated that talent [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor are more-easily sidelined or killed off]] on daytime than in primetime ([[Series/GreysAnatomy Shonda Rhimes]] notwithstanding!), because of the unusual norms of daytime casting.
33
34	Many in the industry predicted that, while the soap opera will live on in American TV, the last of the classic daytime serials could be off the air by 2015… a prophecy which didn't come to pass. However, it is true that by then, only four 'prestige' soaps remained: ''General Hospital'', ''Days of Our Lives'', ''The Young and the Restless'', and ''Bold and the Beautiful'' – down from 19 in 1969 and 12 as recently as 1990. [=SOAPNet=], the one cable network dedicated to the genre and where most of the programs repeat, was removed from many cable systems in early 2012 to be replaced by Disney Junior, which was used as an excuse by ABC's daytime chief to kill ''All My Children'' and ''One Life to Live''.[[note]]Although many soap fans feel that the truth is that then-ABC daytime chief Brian Frons, who had a history of cancelling soaps dating back to the series ''Santa Barbara'', as well as firing veteran cast members without warning, had a vendetta against fans for rejecting his vision of what the ABC soaps should be: Namely an emphasis on gratuitous sex and violence over storytelling.[[/note]] In 2022, NBC announced that ''Days of Our Lives'' would move exclusively to the Creator/{{Peacock}} platform, meaning that for the first time since 1949, NBC would have ''zero'' soaps airing terrestrially. This move led to speculation that the other three soaps might similarly migrate to streaming-only, but 2024 saw what might be signs of a network soap resurgence, with ABC announcing that ''General Hospital'' would stay on the network for the foreseeable future, and a surprise announcement from CBS that they'll be debuting the first new network soap in a quarter-century (the last one being ''Series/{{Passions}}'' in 1999) in January of 2025, called ''The Gates'', which “follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community," in cooperation with the unlikely alliance of Procter & Gamble and the NAACP.
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36	Practically every nation on earth has soap operas (radio and TV), and loads of soaps is one thing you can ''always'' bet on an expatriate/tourist station carrying, regardless of country. The U.S. military's Armed Forces Network carries [[RealMenWearPink all four current U.S. soaps]].[[note]] This isn't as ridiculous as it seems. In addition to AFN needing to also cater to wives of service members who live on-base, being on active duty in a combat zone paradoxically means one has a '''''lot''''' of downtime in between operations, but when that downtime is isn't always predictable. The drawn-out meandering plotlines of classic soaps are ideal for that situation. For similar reasons, farmers have long been a significant PeripheryDemographic for soaps.[[/note]]
37
38	For the modern variant, see PrimeTimeSoap or SupernaturalSoapOpera.
39	There is a "Latin" School of soaps, called {{Telenovela}}s to uncouple them from the Anglo school (encompassing the US, UK, and Australia), which are the standard in almost every nation from Mexico southwards. The Japanese equivalent is {{Dorama}}.
40
41	Aside from the fantastic elements (and even there, [[MagicRealism the line is blurry]]), this is largely the DistaffCounterpart to {{comic book}}s, although the fans of that medium will never admit it.[[note]] Coincidentally, ''Guiding Light'' and Creator/MarvelComics even had a crossover comic book made in 2006. Also, [[Characters/DCAUHarleyQuinn Harley Quinn]] was partly based on Calliope Jones, the character that her original voice actress Creator/ArleenSorkin played on ''Days of Our Lives''.[[/note]] ProfessionalWrestling has at times been called "Soap Operas for men."
42
43	Not to be confused with ''WesternAnimation/SoupeOpera''.
44
45	!!Tropes named in honor of the genre because of their connections to it:
46	* {{Soaperizing}}
47	* SoapOperaDisease
48	* SoapOperaOrganScore
49	* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome
50	* SoapWheel
51
52	!! Other tropes strongly associated with soap operas:
53	* AbortionFalloutDrama
54	* AbusiveParents
55	* AffablyEvil
56	** FauxAffablyEvil
57	** WickedCultured
58	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys
59	* AlphaBitch
60	** LovableAlphaBitch
61	* AntiHero (very common in modern soaps, with [[Series/GeneralHospital Luke Spencer]] as the TropeMaker)
62	* AntiVillain (besides the CardCarryingVillain types, soaps also need morally compromised characters to do bad things to help extend storylines)
63	** ForcedIntoEvil (often due to threatened {{blackmail}})
64	* TheArtifact (popular legacy characters who are no longer part of the main storylines still show up once in a while, to [[PanderingToTheBase make the fans happy]], especially in the annual ChristmasEpisode)
65	* TheBabyTrap
66	* BettyAndVeronica
67	* BigBad
68	* BigGood
69	* BigScrewedUpFamily
70	** DysfunctionalFamily
71	** TangledFamilyTree
72	* BitchInSheepsClothing
73	* {{Blackmail}}
74	* BrainlessBeauty
75	* ButICantBePregnant
76	* CatFight
77	** DesignatedGirlFight
78	* CityOfAdventure
79	* ClearMyName (being the victim of a FrameUp is a rite of passage for a soap {{Face}})
80	* ConvenientComa
81	* DatingDoSiDo
82	* {{Doppelganger}}
83	** IdenticalStranger
84	* DysfunctionJunction
85	* EasyAmnesia
86	** AmnesiacLover
87	* EvilMatriarch
88	* {{Exposition}} (especially when it comes time for TheReveal)
89	** AsYouKnow (helps the audience keep track of all the characters and storylines)
90	* FaceHeelTurn
91	** HeelFaceTurn
92	** HeelFaceRevolvingDoor
93	* FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo
94	* FemmeFatale
95	** FilleFatale
96	* FirstLawOfResurrection (AnyoneCanDie on a soap, but anyone can also come BackFromTheDead)
97	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling
98	* GambitPileup
99	* GoldDigger (a common female villain, but a heroine of modest means also often gets wrongly accused of this if she falls for a rich man)
100	* HalfSiblingAngst (soap opera characters are far more likely to have half-siblings than real people, often on both sides)
101	* HypocriticalHumor (more commonly PlayedForDrama or DramaticIrony than laughs, but hypocrisy is pretty much universal among soap characters)
102	* IHaveYourWife
103	* IncestIsRelative
104	** IncestSubtext
105	** SurpriseIncest
106	** VillainousIncest
107	* [[InfidelityIndex Infidelity]]
108	** GoodAdulteryBadAdultery
109	** MistakenForCheating
110	** TheMistress
111	* TheIngenue (often a NaiveEverygirl as well)
112	* LongLostRelative
113	* LostLenore
114	* LovableRogue
115	* LoveDodecahedron
116	* MamasBabyPapasMaybe
117	** LukeIAmYourFather
118	** LukeIMightBeYourFather
119	** LukeYouAreMyFather
120	* MysteryFiction (Ongoing mysteries are a surefire way to pique fan interest, but watch out for...)
121	** NeverTheObviousSuspect
122	** RedHerring
123	* NeverMyFault (the AntiHero and AntiVillain characters ''never'' take responsibility for any damage or harm they cause)
124	* PoisonIsEvil
125	* ProtagonistCenteredMorality (as long as the audience is supposed to root for you, you can get away with ''anything'' on a soap)
126	* RapeAsDrama
127	** AttemptedRape
128	** ChildByRape
129	** DateRape
130	** DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale
131	** FalseRapeAccusation
132	** RapeAsBackstory
133	** RapePortrayedAsRedemption (a common way to [[HeelFaceTurn redeem female villains in past decades]], largely a DiscreditedTrope now)
134	* RelationshipRevolvingDoor
135	** DivorceIsTemporary
136	* {{Retcon}}
137	* SecretOtherFamily
138	* SexualExtortion
139	* SexyDiscretionShot (love scenes obviously can't get ''too'' explicit, so they'll usually cut away right when things start getting hot, sometimes dissolving or cutting to a post-coital scene)
140	* SoBeautifulItsACurse
141	* SplitPersonality
142	* StarCrossedLovers
143	* SuperCouple
144	* SwitchedAtBirth
145	* TroubledButCute
146	* TwinTropes (galore!)
147	** BackupTwin
148	** EvilTwin (and often EvilBrunetteTwin)
149	** ImpersonatingTheEvilTwin
150	** PlayingTheirOwnTwin
151	** PolarOppositeTwins
152	** TwinSwitch
153	** TwinTelepathy
154	** UncannyFamilyResemblance
155	** UnknownRelative
156	* VerySpecialEpisode
157	* WeddingEpisode
158	** SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace
159	* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield (soaps tend to use fictional locales with vaguely-defined geography; ''Series/GuidingLight'' was actually set in a city called Springfield)
160	* WillTheyOrWontThey
161	* WorldOfHam (soap scripts are very broadly written and almost require overacting, but the best performers know how to still come across as genuine and not overdo it)
162	* WrongSideOfTheTracks
163
164	!! Tropes ''about'' soaps used in other genres:
165	* AddictiveForeignSoapOpera
166	* DaytimeDramaQueen
167	* ExplainingTheSoap
168	* SoapOperaOrganScore
169	* SoapWithinAShow [[note]]''Series/OneLifeToLive'' had the Soap Within a Soap ''Fraternity Row''.[[/note]]
170
171	!!Examples
172	[[index]]
173	* ''Series/AllMyChildren''
174	* ''Series/AnnaUndDieLiebe''
175	* ''Series/AnotherWorld''
176	* ''Radio/TheArchers'' (radio soap)
177	* ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns''
178	* ''Series/{{Ballykissangel}}''
179	* ''Series/TheBoldAndTheBeautiful''
180	* ''Series/{{Brookside}}''
181	* ''Series/CentralParkWest''
182	* ''Series/CoronationStreet''
183	* ''Series/{{Crossroads}}''
184	* ''Series/DarkShadows''
185	** ''Series/DarkShadows1991''
186	* ''Series/DaysOfOurLives''
187	* ''Series/EastEnders''
188	* ''Series/TheEdgeOfNight''
189	* ''Series/{{Emmerdale}}''
190	* ''Series/GeneralHospital''
191	* ''Series/{{Generations}}''
192	* ''Series/GuidingLight''
193	* ''Series/GuteZeitenSchlechteZeiten''
194	* ''Series/TheHavesAndTheHaveNots''
195	* ''Series/HeleneEtLesGarcons''
196	* ''Series/{{Hollyoaks}}''
197	* ''Series/HomeAndAway''
198	* ''Series/LoveOfLife''
199	* ''Series/{{Loving}}''
200	** ''Series/TheCity1995''
201	* ''Series/MaryHartmanMaryHartman'' (a comedic daytime soap)
202	* ''Series/NightAndDay''
203	* ''Series/{{Neighbours}}''
204	* ''Series/OneLifeToLive''
205	* ''Series/{{Passions}}''
206	* ''Series/PobolYCwm''
207	* ''Series/PortCharles''
208	* ''Series/RyansHope''
209	* ''Series/SantaBarbara''
210	* ''Series/SearchForTomorrow''
211	* ''Series/SchlossEinstein''
212	* ''Series/ShortlandStreet''
213	* ''Series/{{Soap}}'' (a prime time {{Sitcom}} utilizing a soap opera format)
214	* ''Series/SunsetBeach''
215	* ''Series/TheYoungAndTheRestless''
216	[[/index]]

Context Main / SoapOpera