How do Soaps do it?

[palabravampiress]

I consider any serial drama that utilizes an an ensemble cast and survives on commercial advertisement revenue (like LOST, for instance) to be a soap opera, although I do recognize daytime soaps and primetime soaps to be distinct sub-categories within that genre. Also, I recognize that the term soap almost always refers to daytime dramas. I don't think that's because of any real difference in genre as much as I think it's just due to the different types of advertisers that are likely to be drawn toward daytime ad slots vs. the advertisers that are likely to be drawn toward primetime ad slots.

Edit:

Let me ask you this: On soaps...right now...is there one couple you can truly ROOT for? One that strikes all the right chords...gets you to laugh/cry/scream,etc.....give you the romantic butterflies?

The answer,sadly,is NO. If they're not torturing a couple with one circumstance after another(see Zach and Kendall of "All My Children" as the prime example of this),then they're falling in and out of love faster than they can do laundry.

Umm... I'm rooting for Luke and Tracy on GH. They can make me laugh, cry, scream, etc.

 

[Vicariously]

Let me ask you this: On soaps...right now...is there one couple you can truly ROOT for? One that strikes all the right chords...gets you to laugh/cry/scream,etc.....give you the romantic butterflies?

The answer,sadly,is NO. If they're not torturing a couple with one circumstance after another(see Zach and Kendall of "All My Children" as the prime example of this),then they're falling in and out of love faster than they can do laundry.

yes there are several if there werent then the viewers wouldnt watch...face it the whole reason people keep tuning in is beause they want to see what becomes of a character, and usually that means what happens in their relationship/ If they couple doesnt get the emotion from any viewers than why would they care to watch???

my favorite of Daytime Couples unfortunately is no more:

Danny and Michelle -GL
Jonathan and Tammy- GL

(Jason Cooke) Shawn and Belle- days (now not so much)

and recently I have wanted to explore Sami and EJ as a couple on Days
as well as see what the future has in Store for Max and Stephanie and quite possibly Chloe and Shawn all days characters. (I betrayed Shawn and Belle as their fan when Shawn was recasted and the chemistry lacked)

 

[Randy Giles]

I consider any serial drama that utilizes an an ensemble cast and survives on commercial advertisement revenue (like LOST, for instance) to be a soap opera, although I do recognize daytime soaps and primetime soaps to be distinct sub-categories within that genre. Also, I recognize that the term soap almost always refers to daytime dramas. I don't think that's because of any real difference in genre as much as I think it's just due to the different types of advertisers that are likely to be drawn toward daytime ad slots vs. the advertisers that are likely to be drawn toward primetime ad slots.

So do I. I think they're just called "serial dramas" because a lot of them are geared towards people who wouldn't watch if they were openly called "soap operas" because of the association with daytime shows. But shows like Lost and Alias are definitely soaps. 🙂