Why are soap operas so popular?

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Why are soap operas so popular?

Television researchers have established a number of reasons why soap operas appeal to such a large and diverse audience. In this essay I will be examining these reasons with reference to my own attraction to soaps, and seeing how they fit into the everyday lives of the millions who watch them. Furthermore, I will investigate the way in which the construction and conventions of a soap opera aids its appeal. I will be considering such aspects as class, race, ethnicity and gender in order to determine the pleasures of soap opera viewing and will briefly look at their international appeal. My discussion will comprise aspects of the British soaps, for example, Brookside, Coronation Street, Crossroads and Eastenders, the American super soaps such as Dallas and Dynasty and the Australian soap Home and Away.

Dorothy Hobson conduced a set of interviews between February 2nd & 7th 1987, to establish how far the soap operas fit into the working environment of women. With the help of her secretary she set about interviewing six women who worked for Birmingham City Council: Diane, Gill, Mary, Susan, Vijya and Wendy, whose ages ranged from 23 to