Soaps.

Loved Eastenders tonight.

I used to teach a module called 'Soaps and Society' and haven't watched any since I retired. The Archers thread shows how listeners come to talk about plots and characters as if they're real. Just as well that the actor who plays Rob isn't visible to listeners as actors who play unpopular or villainous roles are sometimes verbally or even physically attacked in public. Rubylady, I am not suggesting that you would even dream of being so illogically involved, but some people are!

No, I'm not.

Yes that happened to Alan Howard, who played a character killed by a Blackpool tram while pursuing Barbara Knox with fell intent... oh, there was a time, pre-Battersby, when I too used to watch Coronation Street. Not any more, of course...

I love Corrie and Eastenders. I know I shouldn't. I know people look down on soaps. The people who slag them off have not usually ever been bothered to watch. These intellectual snobs are missing something that some pretty famous names have not. Who can forget sir Ian Mackellan in Corrie at his own request? Some of the characters are pure Alan Bennett. In Eastenders some plots seem based on the great Greek tragedies. More to these soaps than meets the eye if you really look. I don't. I just watch them spooling out the lives of the various characters.

Yes, I agree. It's so easy to slag these soaps off, but they bring harmless pleasure to those of us who love them. No matter how others might criticise them, or look down their noses, I shall watch Corrie and EastEnders until my last breath.

Weren't the slippers flamingoes ?
I've been longing to see Maddy look more feminine. She did it with knobs on

'Jane10* you say you love Corrie and EastEnders, and you 'know you shouldn't'. Why on earth not? Who on earth says you shouldn't? A wee bit of comfortable escapism does us not one bit of harm..... I have to admit to not being able to follow Emmerdale, though. If I've dropped some stitches way back in my knitting, by the time I look at the programme again, someone's either shot somebody, or pushed them down a hole in the moors.
C'est la vie

Loved last night's 'enders.

Bit unrealistic when the police insisted on taking statements at the lake side, instead of in hospital later!

I did have great affection for Brookside which was probably the least realistic of all soaps - body under the patio, incestuous siblings, likeable rogues, first TV lesbian kiss... Did they just run out of improbable plot lines?

Nancy looked beautiful last night, who is Maddy? Nancy and Tamwar are brilliant together.
I do enjoy watching 'Enders, pure escapism. To see Shirley's face as Linda was telling her to come to the wedding, class. One of my daughters' partners openly sneers at me for watching it. If he is still around when I pop off I am going to arrange to have the boof, boofs played at my cremation when the coffin goes behind the curtains. That'll show him!

I was wondering the same Alima - I was sure it was Nancy in Eastenders and Maddy (died in the recent fire) was in Corrie, but didn't like to say!!!! I have a similar problem with family (all of them - not just the in laws) and none of my friends watch Eastenders, although some of them will "tolerate" Corrie. I enjoy both even though I know it's pretty daft but so what? I love the idea of the "boof boofs" at the end of a cremation service, think I'll go for that too - nice to have the last laugh.......

I repeated Maddy as someone else called her that. I thought it was the actresses name

I used to love the soaps before the storylines became so convoluted. I don't watch anymore. I've become more intellectual in my choice of television programs. I'm soooo very excited at the news that celebrity BIG BROTHER is imminent.

Sorry Alima having a mad moment there, lol. But I have just checked and she is called Maddy Hill so I was right. I thought I'd heard her being called Maddy somewhere but her character of Nancy looked gorgeous. Maddy probably looks gorgeous all the time, I have no idea, I don't live with her so she might sometimes look a little rough round the edges, like we all do, you know, hair fairies been in overnight, make up not taken off, pj's on for the day on the settee chilling out, that sort of thing? I do need to go to bed.

I love Corrie which I've watched since day one (showing my age) with probably a break in my early teens. I used to watch EE - again from day one but gave that up years ago and watched Brookside from beginning to it's sad demise. I also watch Emmerdale. They all have/had ridiculous storylines with humour and tragedy but that's why we watch. I think it's daft for people to look down their noses at those who watch - it's a bit like the Strictly camp versus the I'm a Celebrity camp. We're all enjoy different things which is what keeps the TV companies going!

I used to watch East Enders but I got totally fed up with the totally improbable story lines, the number of deaths in Albert square, etc.
Life is just not like that. I have never really tried Corrie. perhaps I should give it a go.
I am addicted to the Archers. it does produce poor plot lines at times but generally plods through on really knowing the characters and how predictable

It's something about the soaps going overboard on melodramatic plot lines instead of concentrating on the characterisations of the people involved.

I find series like Holby City and Casualty also unrealistic. Hospitals the dont have fires and other major incidents at the end of every season or relatives wandering about on wards at all hours of the day and night to act out out emotional scenes and family crises.

If something is supposed to be a drama it should be at least a little realistic. However a humourous comedy like Father Ted, Dads Army is enjoyable because they have no pretentions to reality.

Anno the burring between Soap and Reality can get even more blurred when the soap is filmed in your own small town. Other than the small row of fake shops (their only set - but confusing for tourists) all the filming takes place in local houses, hotels ,schools, parks and roadsides. Doesn't help when the Soap postman looks so much like Reality postman, And when you see the actors in Reality, out for a walk or picking up their shopping in the supermarket. Admittedly the actors often look much happier when they are in Reality - like their own more cheerful twins.
But fortunately everyone says hello to everyone else here so you don't get too caught out.
When people in Soap get an important letter the address is the actual one of the house in which the scene is being filmed.
I am referring of course to S4C's less famous soap Rownd a Rownd.
(One big difference is that in Soap, nature is 6 months in arrears, with Christmas played out to a background of trees in full summer foliage)

I love Holby but, having worked in various hospitals over the years, find the least realistic part the fact that anyone arriving by car can immediately park right outside the door!!

I used to watch Holby when it first started, thought the heart surgeon was brilliant though I cannot remember his name. I stopped watching it when the surgeons started bonking each other, seemingly all the time. Does anyone remember another spin-off from Casualty, Holby Blue about the police. Something else I enjoyed and they took off.
Now I get the Maddy/Nancy thing. Bit like Tanya saying "How's Adam?" Blurring of real life and soaps!

I love Stenders and have watched it since the beginning but I often get confused. Luckily, DD2 is also an addict and has a brilliant memory so I sometimes find myself watsapping her during the show.

I like Holby and Casualty but I'm not so bothered if I miss those.

Oooh....is that a watcher of S4C upthread??

? not sure what you mean but yes gettingonabit there is the potential for an S4C Opera Sebon thread.

Are 'soaps' meant to be realistic ?