[Jon]

I assume by self-parody, he means they’re repetitive and increasingly outlandish. He’s entitled to that view but isn’t the same poster a famously a fan of American professional wrestling and James Bond films?

I just don’t understand why someone would be so triggered by programming that don’t interest them but do obviously to other people.

It’s relatively cheap drama, but it would be cheaper for broadcasters not to produce anything and show repeats or something in their place. So they exist mainly because their is an audience albeit declining.

[London Lite]

Personally I think it's the slow burner soaps that are performing better in this multi-platform market for soaps, Doctors is on a small budget, but the writing is excellent with a small cast and continues to tick PSB boxes. Yet it's a daytime show out of the BBC Daytime budget and takes long breaks between scheduling.

Emmerdale is the soap that really has evolved and become part of the mainstream. Once a sleepy drama about farm life, it's now as mainstream as Corrie and outperforms EastEnders, which with the decline in linear share is really looking to be a bloated soap in comparison to Emmerdale and Doctors.

Neighbours I think will be the benchmark to see if soap can evolve on the streaming services. Without having to worry about ratings, it's something that will be a slow burner and could lead to others moving soaps possibly to either premiering or box set on their streaming service first before the linear showing. EastEnders have for the last two years every summer have uploaded a weeks worth on box sets, which personally for me is more convenient to bulk watch on a Monday evening than wait for the BBC One airing. (Usually I watch just after 8 on iPlayer).

[all new phil]

There certainly are, but none to the degree that soap operas have.  Most shows or indeed genres once they have descended into self-parody get put out of their misery.  Occasionally a show, or indeed a genre will descend into being a self-parody of a self-parody.  They then hurriedly end those.  Only soap operas have descended below self-parody of a self-parody of a self parody, and yet, maybe because of their overall cheapness to produce, soap operas are still being made and still descending further into the morass of levels of self-parody that would have ended other genres.

By way of contrast, reality shows, another genre that I have nothing but disdain for, haven't yet done more than flirted with self-parody yet, so there is still plenty of life left in that genre, no matter my own personal disdain for it.  Soap operas, on the other hand, arer so far into the levels of self-parody morass that frankly to me it's amazing they haven't yet been put out of their misery.

What are you on about.

Self-parody, I think. 

Btw… something doesn’t feel right about any of this.

[cityprod]

I assume by self-parody, he means they’re repetitive and increasingly outlandish. He’s entitled to that view but isn’t the same poster a famously a fan of American professional wrestling and James Bond films?

I just don’t understand why someone would be so triggered by programming that don’t interest them but do obviously to other people.

It’s relatively cheap drama, but it would be cheaper for broadcasters not to produce anything and show repeats or something in their place. So they exist mainly because their is an audience albeit declining.

Repetitve & increasingly outlandish?  Repetitive isn't so much an issue, there's only so many stories you can tell anyway, before you start repeating yourself, but as long as yoou tell the stories well, with enough cosmetic changes to not make it too obvious you're telling a story again, it's fine.  The increasing outlandishness is part of the problem, but also the fact it seems to me to be making a mockery of what these shows were originally designed to be.  And the genre has done it so much that it's strayed so far from the original intent of these shows, that it no longer resembles anything close to what they were.  There are already genres out there like Telenovela that do the same kind of melodrama that soap operas have come to rely on and do it better.

American Professional Wrestling?  Yeah, also British (I grew up on it), Japanese, Mexican and others.  Yeah, there are some aspects of that whole history that I don't care for (ahem, Katie Vick), but overall, it's meant to be escapist.  You're not meant to take it too seriously, and most don't.  Soap opera fans on the other hand are well known for taking what happens in those shows so seriously, they start petitions and campaigns for their favourite characters.  They get wound up if anything delays or postpones their favourite show, even for a minute. 

James Bond films?  Yeah, I like them.  But again, it's escapist material and deliberately designed to be that way.  Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, the MCU, and many other films and TV shows that I love, all have one thing in common.  They are designed to be escapist entertainment, and not taken too seriously.  Again, soap opera fans, looking at you...

Triggered?  Far from it.  I see soap opera fans get triggered when football coverage or tennis coverage delays or postpones their favourite show.  Rather, I am baffled how these shows have lost so much audience over the years, and yet not been cancelled outright.  Many a show will lose significant audience over time, just like soap operas have, and get cancelled.  Nothing can last forever.  Lots of these shows have had amazing runs that would easily put them in a list of most successful shows of all time, but to my eyes, they're already limping, badly.  Yet broadcasters refuse to put them out of their misery.  In recent years in the US, the daytime soaps have slowly ended, because they were well past their Use By dates.  I think it's time that some of our soaps ended too.  It's just my thoughts and opinions.

[Asa]

Btw… something doesn’t feel right about any of this.

I think it’s that so much good faith and kindness had gone into it ever since the announcement that doing a 180 mere months later makes it feel a bit flat.

Ultimately it’s great news for the fans and testament to them for keeping it alive and Fremantle for believing in the show. I certainly didn’t see a streamer ever picking it up.

It’ll be very interesting to find out the details - how many per week, how long it’s been commissioned for. How many of the cast they can get (and want) back. Can they even film on the street anymore? Time jump opening with another Susan monologue filling in the gaps maybe. And although back on Channel 10 it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll get a primetime billing, especially if they’re still not funding it.

[bilky asko]

In recent years in the US, the daytime soaps have slowly ended, because they were well past their Use By dates.  I think it's time that some of our soaps ended too.  It's just my thoughts and opinions.

It's interesting you should mention the US soaps - Days of our Lives moved from NBC to Peacock to become a streaming-only soap.

In terms of ratings, the top-rating US soap (The Young and the Restless) gets a lower number of viewers in raw terms than Coronation Street, Emmerdale, or EastEnders.

[AJB39]

What are you on about.

Self-parody, I think. 

Btw… something doesn’t feel right about any of this.

I can see where you’re coming from, and it’s not because I don’t think soaps can succeed in the streaming world. That remains to be seen. It’s because I think the finale in July was perfect. It was wonderful to see former cast members coming back and it felt like the right time to say goodbye. When shows of all kinds make comebacks they are rarely as successful the second time around, and I fear that may be the case again. When the show does end again I don’t think the former stars will be as happy to come back.

[BBCMeridian]

I assume by self-parody, he means they’re repetitive and increasingly outlandish. He’s entitled to that view but isn’t the same poster a famously a fan of American professional wrestling and James Bond films?

I just don’t understand why someone would be so triggered by programming that don’t interest them but do obviously to other people.

It’s relatively cheap drama, but it would be cheaper for broadcasters not to produce anything and show repeats or something in their place. So they exist mainly because their is an audience albeit declining.

Repetitve & increasingly outlandish?  Repetitive isn't so much an issue, there's only so many stories you can tell anyway, before you start repeating yourself, but as long as yoou tell the stories well, with enough cosmetic changes to not make it too obvious you're telling a story again, it's fine.  The increasing outlandishness is part of the problem, but also the fact it seems to me to be making a mockery of what these shows were originally designed to be.  And the genre has done it so much that it's strayed so far from the original intent of these shows, that it no longer resembles anything close to what they were.  There are already genres out there like Telenovela that do the same kind of melodrama that soap operas have come to rely on and do it better.

American Professional Wrestling?  Yeah, also British (I grew up on it), Japanese, Mexican and others.  Yeah, there are some aspects of that whole history that I don't care for (ahem, Katie Vick), but overall, it's meant to be escapist.  You're not meant to take it too seriously, and most don't.  Soap opera fans on the other hand are well known for taking what happens in those shows so seriously, they start petitions and campaigns for their favourite characters.  They get wound up if anything delays or postpones their favourite show, even for a minute. 

James Bond films?  Yeah, I like them.  But again, it's escapist material and deliberately designed to be that way.  Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, the MCU, and many other films and TV shows that I love, all have one thing in common.  They are designed to be escapist entertainment, and not taken too seriously.  Again, soap opera fans, looking at you...

Triggered?  Far from it.  I see soap opera fans get triggered when football coverage or tennis coverage delays or postpones their favourite show.  Rather, I am baffled how these shows have lost so much audience over the years, and yet not been cancelled outright.  Many a show will lose significant audience over time, just like soap operas have, and get cancelled.  Nothing can last forever.  Lots of these shows have had amazing runs that would easily put them in a list of most successful shows of all time, but to my eyes, they're already limping, badly.  Yet broadcasters refuse to put them out of their misery.  In recent years in the US, the daytime soaps have slowly ended, because they were well past their Use By dates.  I think it's time that some of our soaps ended too.  It's just my thoughts and opinions.

Yes and some people like myself would say that you are in the minority.

[cityprod]

Repetitve & increasingly outlandish?  Repetitive isn't so much an issue, there's only so many stories you can tell anyway, before you start repeating yourself, but as long as yoou tell the stories well, with enough cosmetic changes to not make it too obvious you're telling a story again, it's fine.  The increasing outlandishness is part of the problem, but also the fact it seems to me to be making a mockery of what these shows were originally designed to be.  And the genre has done it so much that it's strayed so far from the original intent of these shows, that it no longer resembles anything close to what they were.  There are already genres out there like Telenovela that do the same kind of melodrama that soap operas have come to rely on and do it better.

American Professional Wrestling?  Yeah, also British (I grew up on it), Japanese, Mexican and others.  Yeah, there are some aspects of that whole history that I don't care for (ahem, Katie Vick), but overall, it's meant to be escapist.  You're not meant to take it too seriously, and most don't.  Soap opera fans on the other hand are well known for taking what happens in those shows so seriously, they start petitions and campaigns for their favourite characters.  They get wound up if anything delays or postpones their favourite show, even for a minute. 

James Bond films?  Yeah, I like them.  But again, it's escapist material and deliberately designed to be that way.  Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, the MCU, and many other films and TV shows that I love, all have one thing in common.  They are designed to be escapist entertainment, and not taken too seriously.  Again, soap opera fans, looking at you...

Triggered?  Far from it.  I see soap opera fans get triggered when football coverage or tennis coverage delays or postpones their favourite show.  Rather, I am baffled how these shows have lost so much audience over the years, and yet not been cancelled outright.  Many a show will lose significant audience over time, just like soap operas have, and get cancelled.  Nothing can last forever.  Lots of these shows have had amazing runs that would easily put them in a list of most successful shows of all time, but to my eyes, they're already limping, badly.  Yet broadcasters refuse to put them out of their misery.  In recent years in the US, the daytime soaps have slowly ended, because they were well past their Use By dates.  I think it's time that some of our soaps ended too.  It's just my thoughts and opinions.

Yes and some people like myself would say that you are in the minority.

Erm, 5.5 million watch soaps.  Population of UK is, what 64-65mlln???  Just where is the majority again???  It ain't watching soaps.

[cable]

Yes and some people like myself would say that you are in the minority.

Erm, 5.5 million watch soaps.  Population of UK is, what 64-65mlln???  Just where is the majority again???  It ain't watching soaps.

is that 5.5mln people or households? there's about 28mln homes in the UK