Soap operas originated in the 1920s as radio broadcasts advertising soap powder to American housewives. They were primarily aimed at women and aired after mealtimes to match the traditional female lifestyle. Storylines, characters, and settings are influenced by the target female audience and designed to be relatable so audiences can empathize or relate to the 10-15 main characters and their interweaving storylines. Soap operas provide catharsis and escape from everyday life by continually airing for years and becoming part of cultural identity.

1. Soap opera
basics:
Originated in 1920’s in the USA.
Since there wasn’t television at the time it was broadcasted on the radio.
It actually started and its aim was to advertise soap powder to American housewives.
Soap is a feminine genre - the genre is primarily aimed at women.
This affects scheduling – soaps are usually built around the lifestyle of traditional women
whose work is based in the home and soaps are usually aired after mealtimes when there is
a lull in the day.
Target audience also affects storylines, narrative perspective, characterisation, settings, and
costume.
Soap operas usually run continuously, in the same time spot, on the same days, broadcast by
the same institutions, for years. Because they are repeated so often, they become part of
the cultural psyche. They become a part of who ‘we’ are.
The characters become ‘people’.
Storylines usually are relatable – audiences can watch and understand what is happening,
and empathise with characters. Or hate them.
Some storylines can be outrageous e.g. baby-swapping in East Enders.
Most soap has between 10 – 15 main characters, with overlapping, interweaving storylines.
Storylines overlap to keep audiences interested. Different strands can run alongside each
other but develop at different times.
Catharsis: emotional cleansing. The purging of negative emotions by watching another
person goes through something similar/worse.
Soaps become an escape from everyday life.