Soap episodes are relatively short (most instalments run for just 30 minutes), but three or four episodes may be screened per week, often with an omnibus edition at the weekend. In recent Soaps, scenes also tend to be quite short; two minutes or so is considered the maximum viewing time for one scene to avoid the audience becoming bored.
A defining feature of the Soap Opera genre is that plots are open-ended, with several stories running at the same time. Three, four or even five storylines will be in progress during any one episode, with the action alternating between them. As one narrative is resolved, another completely different one with different characters will already be underway. One storyline may end, but there is no overall narrative closure because Soaps (unlike other television dramas) are designed to continue indefinitely. Because of this narrative approach, Soap Operas are sometimes described as being ‘open text’.A Soap episode will usually end with a ‘cliff-hanger’; a suspenseful, un-concluded piece of dialogue or action, which will tempt viewers back for the next episode. Similarly episodes often begin with a ‘hook’ in which one or more of the narratives from a previous episode is continued. Special episodes might focus on characters that have left the main show, or current characters in a location outside of their usual surroundings. Occasionally a special episode will be given over to an established, well-loved character. Soaps concentrate on continuous narratives that deal with domestic themes and personal or family relationships. Births, marriages and deaths are frequently used to inject drama into a Soap and are a useful ways of introducing new characters and storylines, or getting rid of old ones. Illness and accidents also frequently appear in storylines, which has the interesting effect of making viewers aware of a variety
of medical conditions.
Particularly controversial storylines are dramatic and entertaining and can also increase ratings, as they attract media interest and public debate, which helps to publicizes the Soap. Of course, it must be remembered that what is considered to be controversial changes over time.
Socially relevant storylines help Soaps to remain realistic and maintain their popularity. Soap Operas try to be as relevant as possible to their audience, focusing on storylines and characters that viewers can relate to. However, like any television programme, Soaps have to be entertaining, which is why they tend to focus on the more dramatic aspects of ordinary life; death, birth, marriages, personal crises, and controversial social issues. The link between Soap characters and storylines is pivotal to the success of the genre. Ultimately the characters serve two main purposes; they are a vehicle for the plot, and figures for the audience to relate to.
Characters are often introduced to a Soap with built-in storylines, such as serious illnesses or a secret in their past. This provides interest from the outset, however, writers must be careful not to link a character too closely to one particular narrative, otherwise they will outlive their usefulness once the storyline has been resolved and become boring. Also, many Soaps tend to base their characters on basic stereotypes which can support different sorts of storyline. For example ‘the loveable rogue’, ‘the tart with a heart’ and ‘the gossip’ can support stories with a comic element, whereas ‘the gangster’ and ‘the bully’ can contribute towards more dramatic storylines.
Most other television genres have central characters that provide the focus of the action, but Soaps have large casts which the action moves between. This helps to keep the storylines interesting over a long period of time and by focusing on just a few characters in each episode, the audience has time to get to know them and to become emotionally involved in their stories.
Soap characters often reflect the concerns of their target audience. Hollyoaks is a modern Soap aimed at a young audience, and so the characters tend to be young and attractive, with concerns reflecting those of its viewers, such as university life, exam pressure, sex, jealousy and drug use.
British Soaps tend to have a strong regional identity with Hollyoaks being set in and around Chester. This helps to make each programme more realistic by placing it in an identifiable setting.
A Soap’s setting also has an effect on its characters. Soap Operas are generally described as being ‘more realistic’ than crime and fantasy-based dramas. There is a longstanding tradition towards social realism in British Soap, that is, a ‘warts and all’ presentation of the world as people experience it, rather than an idealised version of reality. These Social realist Soaps explore lives and social issues that seem broadly ‘realistic’, even if the idea that all these issues could arise in one small place seems rather unlikely! Hollyoaks could be described as “gritty”.
Some Soaps use elements of more than one style. Hollyoaks, for example, sometimes appears to be social realist, but also adopts the light entertainment approach of Neighbours, which its younger audience finds more enjoyable. Every element of a Soap contributes to its overall realism, including characters, storylines, setting, scripts and production elements such as music, lighting and camera work. The sets, music, lighting and camerawork in British Soaps all serve to support the genre’s broadly realist aims.
Sets tend to be based on buildings and outdoor spaces we use in everyday life, including parks, streets, houses, shops, pubs and offices. These are usually built especially for filming, but are made to look like real buildings as far as possible.
Other than the theme tune, music is rarely used in other British Soaps, unless it comes from the action itself. For example, a character might hum a tune as they’re working or have the radio on in the background of a scene. This is not the case in Hollyoaks,
Camera work is also simple, generally avoiding tricks of any kind. ‘Point of view’ or ‘high angle’ shots are rarely used in Soaps, instead the camera shows the action very much as a casual observer would see it if they were watching from nearby. Similarly, lighting is used fairly simply; special effects are not used, rather lighting replicates sunlight or the lamps in someone’s home.
All of these things help to create a fictional world that mirrors the real world that viewers recognise. Soap Operas were originally developed with a female audience in mind, and the characters and storylines of modern Soaps are similarly aimed at this audience. Consequently, Soap Opera narratives are mostly built around domestic concerns (mainly home, family and relationships) and show how ‘ordinary people’ might cope with the ongoing struggles of day to day life. Similarly, Soap Operas frequently feature strong female characters of all ages and appearances that viewers can identify with. While women still form the largest Soap audience, it is also worth noting how many teenagers (of both genders, but especially girls) are Soap fans. Indeed, certain mainstream Soaps (Neighbours, Hollyoaks) have been structured specifically for a teen audience, with many settings (such as schools, cafés and bedrooms) familiar to that age group and many storylines catered to their concerns. There are many reasons why audiences might enjoy watching Soaps.
Some people watch Soaps because they offer a more dramatic representation of their own lives and concerns; others because it pleases them to see and hear other people’s problems, which distracts them from their own. Some viewers simply enjoy looking into other people’s lives. Since Soap Operas are fictional (and so have no real ‘victims’) we can be nosey without feeling guilty.
Viewers enjoy learning about the complex relationships between different characters and watching them develop over time. Soaps also present narrative puzzles – opportunities to guess what is going to happen next, based on prior knowledge of the characters and their fictional histories. Over time, regular viewers become semi-experts on their favourite Soaps, and their detailed knowledge gives them further pleasure.
The pleasure for a Soap fan does not stop at watching the programme. Further enjoyment can be gained in talking about the programme with other fans, reading the huge number of magazines and books devoted to the subject, and collecting items of Soap memorabilia. As a result a profitable industry has grown up around Soap Operas. Commercial broadcasters such as ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 operate differently from the BBC, selling advertising time in-between their programmes to fund programme production. The more popular the programme, the more the broadcaster can charge for airtime, because advertisers want their products to be seen by as many people as possible. Soaps are one of the most consistently popular television genres, and so advertising slots in Soaps are expensive to purchase.
Similarly, commercial broadcasters can negotiate sponsorship deals, linking their programmes with a particular product in return for large sums of money. Like any other programme, Soap Operas are scheduled at a time when their target audience are likely to be watching, whether that is during the day (to attract a non-working female audience) or after school (to attract a teenage audience).
Channels maintain an unspoken agreement that they will not schedule their Soaps at the same time, because many Soap fans watch more than one Soap and so a planned ‘ratings war’ would not help either broadcaster. Careful scheduling of Soap Operas has added financial benefits for commercial television companies. Because advertisers sell their products to a particular type of customer, they will buy advertising time when that particular audience are likely to be watching. This gives us another clue about the sort of audience that may be watching a particular Soap; if an advert during that Soap is promoting beauty products, it is likely that the programme attracts a mainly older female audience, and if CDs and magazines are being advertised, it is likely that the programme is aimed at a younger audience. From the point of view of broadcasters, Soaps are very useful because they are relatively cheap to produce, yet can generate large audiences. They are relatively cheap to make because the same sets, costumes and props can be used again and again, and very little location filming is needed. They are also quick to produce – they tend to focus on dialogue (which is cheap and quick to film), rather than action (which is time-consuming and expensive to set up), and each minute of recording tends to take about an hour to film. This may sound like a lot, but on large film sets it can often take days to successfully direct a
few seconds of action. Also, Soaps can run for years without coming to an end and so producers can make the most out of the money they invest. The current cast of Hollyoaks (a Soap very much aimed at a young audience) has produced two annual calendars; ‘Hollyoaks Babes’, featuring the female cast, and ‘Hollyoaks Hunks’, featuring the male cast. It was also announced in 2008 that the Soap was to launch its own ‘his’ and ‘her’ fragrance. Because Soaps have such large casts they are able to represent many different social groups – different age groups, classes, genders, sexual preferences, races and religious beliefs.
Over the years, British society has changed to encompass many more social groups and lifestyles. Because Soaps aim to be as realistic as possible and represent the different audiences that may be watching, they have to ensure that their characters are similarly diverse. Set in and around the fictional Chester suburb of Hollyoaks and its local higher education college, the majority of the characters are in their late teens or early twenties and since it began in 1995, the cast has expanded from just seven major characters to approximately fifty cast members.
There is also a tradition in British Soap in particular for strong female characters. Women are still the largest audience for Soap Operas, and so female characters are often the best developed, offering characterisation and storylines that the audience can relate to and sympathise with.
Soaps have also been criticised for their use of character stereotypes over the years. ‘The loveable rogue’, ‘the tart with a heart’, ‘the put-upon wife’, and ‘the stroppy teenager’, have been seen in most British Soap Operas, but how accurately do they represent the complexity of their audiences’ own lives and personalities?
What Soap Opera conventions can be identified?
– How are different social groups represented?
– What sort of audience is the Soap Opera aimed at?
– What institutional issues are relevant?
What evidence can you see in this extract that the programme is aimed at a young audience?
Think particularly about the cast, characters, storylines, dialogue, setting and use of music.
– Would you describe these scenes as realistic?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollyoaks
