Structure and Format
The proper name for Soap Operas is ‘continuing dramas’. They are called this because the episodes are not grouped into separate series, but run week-in, week-out, all year round.
Soap episodes are relatively short (most installments 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 story lines 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 story line 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 piece of dialogue or action without conclusion, 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.
Occasionally, Soaps will broadcast special episodes to coincide with real-world festivities or events such as Christmas. Other 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. These episodes are sometime referred to as 'Soap bubbles' because they are self-contained and have little impact on the storylines of the regular show.
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