Soaps- Do you still watch any?

[Napper Tandy]

Not the bar kind but the TV shows. Back in the day almost every family watched one at least. People even bought magazines to keep up with the storylines. 10-15 years ago the main UK soaps such as Eastenders and Corrie would pull in over 10 million viewers. Now they are lucky to get above 7 million for a regular episode. Corrie sank as low as 5.1 million viewers last year.

I gave up watching Soaps a good while ago, same old stories in a cycle with the continuity of the characters getting worse as the writers changed more frequently. Sure they had the odd water cooler moment like a lesbian kiss or a wife killer to boost ratings but its like groundhog day among people with a personality disorder. The endless comebacks of typecast actors doesn't help IMO. The comebacks have got so bad that Barbara Windsor whose character in Eastenders was killed off, wants to come back for one episode as a ghost!!

So do you still watch soaps or have you tuned out? Will they survive on the tv schedule?

[Mykidsmom]

nope......never had the staying power to consistently watch any..it me it would be on par with watching paint drying....maybe im adhd and dont know it.....my daughter follows two soaps religiously and loves them....

[quinner]

Never switched on a Soap in my life......not even a cookery programme and such like....

But, I do agree with free choice and I would think it very rude for somebody to comment on my personal choices....

[Mykidsmom]

different strokes for different folks right

[quinner]

different strokes for different folks right

Of course......

[bojangles]

Not the bar kind but the TV shows. Back in the day almost every family watched one at least. People even bought magazines to keep up with the storylines. 10-15 years ago the main UK soaps such as Eastenders and Corrie would pull in over 10 million viewers. Now they are lucky to get above 7 million for a regular episode. Corrie sank as low as 5.1 million viewers last year.

I gave up watching Soaps a good while ago, same old stories in a cycle with the continuity of the characters getting worse as the writers changed more frequently. Sure they had the odd water cooler moment like a lesbian kiss or a wife killer to boost ratings but its like groundhog day among people with a personality disorder. The endless comebacks of typecast actors doesn't help IMO. The comebacks have got so bad that Barbara Windsor whose character in Eastenders was killed off, wants to come back for one episode as a ghost!!

So do you still watch soaps or have you tuned out? Will they survive on the tv schedule?

No , I never watched them but unfortunately the wife watches every single one of them , so its hard to avoid them , unless you leave the room every time one of them is on . That would amount to several hours a day . One of them in particular irritates me is Eastenders as they all seem to be screaming at each other all the time .Having grown up in a house where that was the norm I find it very depressing . Another annoying thing are those bland songs you hear played over the dialogue in Australian soaps . Cringing .

[cogito]

Used to watch Brookside back in the day.

Nowadays I couldn't be arsed - but the rest of them in the house watch Eastenders still...

[Mykidsmom]

thats the one my daughter watches ffs...one day i came in hurried stressed and having to run out again and shes rabbiting on about some incident that happened.....when i was in the car driving i felt really bad i hadnt taken more time to listen to her..i thought she was relaying something horrid happening to a neighbour........nope...bloomin eastenders...she tapes them all week and sunday morning instead of going to mass shes catching up on the soaps

[Twobob]

Watched a bit of Coronation St , started a new shift 3 months ago so haven't seen any of it ........and i'm bleedin delighted , and no going back either .

[KatieMorag]

I've watched most of them regularly at different times over the years. Most recently a regular viewer of Emmerdale, but stopped about six months ago. I started watching again a couple of weeks ago but couldn't really get into it. Might catch up again as I like the routine of having something to watch at the end of the day.
But I do think soap as a genre has had its day. As NT says the plots just keep being recycled. They used to be a good vehicle for current issues, such as sexuality and race, but there's no place for such storylines anymore as most people are more enlightened, it's okay to be gay and people no longer bat an eyelid when a black family moves in next door. With such issue-led storylines off the table, there's very little left to play with except endless affairs, highly unlikely murders by pantomime villains, and (yawn) teenage pregnancy, and they've all been done to death.

[KatieMorag]

Edit: just watched Emmerdale from end of September (Holly's death) and was blown away by Natalie Robb's performance. Fantastic acting. Guess I might start watching again.......

[barefoot]

I watch Fair City on RTE and Red Rock on TV3....not into the English soaps now at all.

[KatieMorag]

I watch Fair City on RTE and Red Rock on TV3....not into the English soaps now at all.

I've never seen either of those - I could watch Fair City on RTE player, but haven't so far - is it much the same formula as British soaps or is there a difference in your opinion?

[Vico2]

I watch Corrie, not all of the time, but a lot of it. Then I usually decide I won't watch any more because once again somebody is having an affair or some other recycled rubbish. Then when I take the decision an interesting plot emerges, so I stay watching, but I don't see every episode and I never record it.

I used to watch Ros na Rún but I stopped, it is nice that it's in Irish but the acting is not up to much.

[barefoot]

I've never seen either of those - I could watch Fair City on RTE player, but haven't so far - is it much the same formula as British soaps or is there a difference in your opinion?

yes a big difference...Dublin accent and wit... and they say things like ' I'll bleedin burst ya.'...which I think is hilarious...lol.

Red Rock is showing on UK daytime TV now and apparently it's a big hit over there...