Narrative Themes in British soap opera.
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 useful ways of introducing new characters and story lines or getting rid of old ones.
Illness and accidents also frequently appear in story lines, which has the interesting effect of making viewers aware of a variety of medical conditions. Indeed, over the years, Soaps have shown an increasing interest in story lines built around social issues, such as illness, homelessness, crime, unemployment, racism, sexuality, drug abuse, domestic violence, and bullying. These story lines can have a strong impact on viewers, for example, when Britain was
Illness and accidents also frequently appear in story lines, which has the interesting effect of making viewers aware of a variety of medical conditions. Indeed, over the years, Soaps have shown an increasing interest in story lines built around social issues, such as illness, homelessness, crime, unemployment, racism, sexuality, drug abuse, domestic violence, and bullying. These story lines can have a strong impact on viewers, for example, when Britain was
becoming aware of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s, EastEnders featured a story in which one of its central characters, Mark Fowler, contracted AIDS from his wife, helping to dispel social myths that only gay men were vulnerable to the virus.
Particularly controversial story lines 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 - what might have shocked viewers in the 1960s (such as unmarried mothers) is now considered too tame to be the focus of a major soap story line, and some of today’s soap concerns (such as homosexuality) would never even have been mentioned thirty years ago.
Socially relevant story lines help soaps to remain realistic and maintain their popularity. Soap operas try to be as relevant as possible to their audience, focusing on story lines 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.
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