Soap Operas History

Where did soap operas orignate from?

“This dates back to the nineteen thirties and forties when the idea of having daily series on the radio started in America. Each day the story ended with melodramatic suspense and listeners had to wait until the next day to see the outcome of that particular part of the plot.

Who are they traditionally aimed at?

Soaps are aimed at and traditionally watched by females

Why are they nicknamed soaps?

These Dramas that were originally aired at the outset of Radio had for supporting advertisers Detergents companies because they were on so early (before noon) that only housewives and maids hear them as they were cleaning the house, washing dishes, doing laundry. In other words they could hear their favorite story as they clean the house. And the one constant of all these melodrama's as they jumped from radio to black/white television were it's detergent advertisers and hence the nickname "Soap Opera" was born.

What is the longest running british soap and when did it start?

Coronation Street began on TV in December 1960.