Soap Opera Conventions 2: Settings

Settings in British soap opera

British Soaps tend to have a strong regional identity, for example, is set in the East End of London while Manchester is the setting for Coronation Street. 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 and narratives. For example, early episodes of Emmerdale Farm (Granada, 1972-) centred on the Sugden family’s life living and working on a Yorkshire Dales farm, and so rural themes were central to the programme's storylines. Also, the extensive location filming was a significant factor in the early popularity of the programme, with the production crew making the most of the spectacular scenery.

British Soaps generally place a lot of importance on community (both in their set design and narrative themes) as they are often set around a small residential area, such as Albert Square in Eastenders. They also tend to include a central meeting point where all the characters interact and major story lines develop, for example The Rover's Return

Coronation Street or The Queen Vic in EastEnders. These contained sets have benefits from a production point of view because producers can save money by using the same set for many different character encounters.