7/6/2023 0 Comments Soap opera centralThe distinction you're looking for is that many people say that if you increase the production values, it's still a "soap". Some series may have higher production values ( Dallas being an archetypal example). Johann might spend a season stealing Karen's inheritance, but they'd never spend a season helping the CIA catch Iranian spies. But not a lot externally - No high-concept stories, no epics, no world-changing story arcs. There is high drama amongst the characters with arcs across many episodes. As the definition was broadened to include things like Dallas which were not midday daily shows, critics latched on to the term "soap", and it stuck.īut the writing makes them a "soap" - it is hasty, and all about interpersonal relationships, because that's universally appealing and easy to film in simple sets. Soap opera was the (sarcastic) name, since they aired between 11 am and 3 pm, were mainly watched by homemakers (housewives), and so the commercials were homemaking supplies such as soap. That's what makes House of Cards not a soap. For that reason they avoid "big head" stuff like revolution plots or intergalactic wars. Needless to say, they're not meant to start watching at episode 1 you're expected to join the fun today and then tune in tomorrow, and they're written to encourage that and to "hook you in". They were so cheap they didn't bother filming or videotaping the as-aired episodes. They were cheap shows to begin with, and at that tempo, they pretty much had to be done live, or in a live (3-camera) format with very simple editing. These aired for 30 minutes every weekday. The prototypical soap opera was a show like General Hospital. This is a big difference between serials and soaps - you can't possibly watch a soap opera from episode 1 they're so hastily produced they didn't even keep the tapes. If you catch the show every Monday at the laundromat, you'll be totally confused - why is Babylon-5 fighting Earth all of a sudden? They became serialized - there are fewer (or no) "Groundhog Day" episodes, events cause irrevocable changes, and it's super confusing to join in the middle. Some shows threw away the opportunities for syndication, to tell a deeper tale in a big story arc. Non-serial: almost any sitcom, 2-1/2 Men, The West Wing (mostly), Star Trek: Next Generation Serialized (not soap) If you catch the show every Monday at the laundromat (even though it airs daily), that should work. That's because real money was made in syndication, and small stations don't want to deal with airing sequence, and want a show anyone can start at any episode and enjoy. The show always reset back to starting conditions no evolution ever happened, it's jokingly called "Groundhog Day". Wesley has saved the day, Riker's latest fling has moved on, Sam Beckett has finished his work and "quantum leapt", Monk and Psych solve the case, etc. What serialization isn't: From the 1960s to 1990s, in the vast majority of TV shows, every episode starts the same, and ends right there. There's not a high concept, story arc, external villains, or greater purpose.ĭon't confuse "serialized" and "soap opera". TLDR: A "Soap" is a serialized show that's about ordinary people having interpersonal drama.
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