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Tv Dramas vs Soaps?


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Old 06-07-2015, 18:01
Mr Men
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Sadly I'd rather watch a good drama or comedy than any of the soaps these days.

They're are too many episodes, boring characters and bad pacing to name a few.

I find myself being a month behind and having to bulk catch up.

Anyone else agree?
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Old 06-07-2015, 18:13
craig_25
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I agree somewhat. A good drama has the ability to have you gripped, laugh, cry, shout at the telly and really give you something to engage in. I don't remember the last time I had the same kind of passion or emotion for a soap, as I do for dramas like 'a song for Jenny' or even 'The Syndicate'. 'Ordinary Lies' was littered with ex soap stars and showed how capable many of then actually are, and I loved it, I doubt any soap can engage an audience like a good drama can, which is a crying shame, because in the past they've definitely managed it.
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Old 06-07-2015, 18:26
grazemytvaddict
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I was watching a show the other day and one of the main characters got badly injured, and was I really didn't want the character to die, I then thought how I hadn't felt like this in ages watching the soaps especially hollyoaks, the deaths are so constant on the show that I no longer care about them and they are no longer shocking.
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Old 06-07-2015, 18:33
craig_25
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I was watching a show the other day and one of the main characters got badly injured, and was I really didn't want the character to die, I then thought how I hadn't felt like this in ages watching the soaps especially hollyoaks, the deaths are so constant on the show that I no longer care about them and they are no longer shocking.
I shocked myself the other day watching the Danish drama 'The Legacy' on Sky Arts when a character after an argument with his sister went on to strangle her to death. I was literally sobbing and shouting at the TV. It was the most emotional scene I have ever seen. I don't remember having the same kind feeling toward a British Drama or Soap, ever!

The Danish are exceptional at producing unmissable drama, even if it is subtitled. We could learn so much from them.
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Old 06-07-2015, 18:50
Danny_Francis
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I've always thought TV dramas like Broadchurch, Safe House and Prisoners Wives were of better quality than soaps
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Old 06-07-2015, 19:08
Glendarroch
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I've always thought TV dramas like Broadchurch, Safe House and Prisoners Wives were of better quality than soaps
The first series of Broadchurch but the second was terrible.

I think the soaps don't have the luxury of high production values. They've got a huge quantity of episodes to go out and limited time to do them. I remember reading an interview with John Michie, who I'd always enjoyed as an actor in Taggart but who was pretty average in Corrie. He said that even the number of cameras they use in soaps is distracting and takes a lot of getting used to.

Personally I don't think it's a case of one format being better than the other. The programmes should be judged on their own merits
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Old 06-07-2015, 19:21
danyell
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Dramas aren't up to much either these days. Although I do find they put on better dramas in autumn, winter time.
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Old 06-07-2015, 19:29
Scrabbler
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Depends on the drama.


If you churn out a lot of episodes eventually the quality is going to wane a bit. I like Eastenders because it's escapism, my brain isn't required to do much thinking and it's entertaining.

I do find there's a lack of feel good dramas, where the heart is, wild at heart, born and bred, William and Mary etc were perfect for Sunday night viewing
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Old 06-07-2015, 21:13
Mr Men
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America are also doing well with their new drama releases.
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Old 06-07-2015, 21:43
NMdum1
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Perhaps its not a case of either but both - yet soaps are fluff and escapism often, or perhaps even a way for the audience to address an issue without having to live through themselves. So they do have a role, whether always good or not is open to debate.

However, if each of the main soaps offered one less episode a week and the two medical hybrids of the Holby-universe a few less episodes a year (Casualty is at 48 eps and Holby City 52 eps per year), the cast and crew would have more time to fine-tune their work. This could have advantages -

1. Blatant continuity errors like the Coronation Street one recently with Kevin Webster's son Jake might be avoided if there way more time available for the production team to double-check themselves

2. Production teams (I'm looking at you Hollyoaks) might not feel obliged to keep producing ever-more over-the-top sensationalism just in-order to keep our attention i.e. plane-crashes/bus-smashes/serial killers etc

3. Viewers might make more of an effort to see every episode rather than feel they could 'miss one here and one there because the next one will be on tomorrow'

4. The broadcasters might feel able to reinvest the money they would other-wise spend on giving something else ago with the money they've saved and maybe find a new hit or give some up-and-comer a chance to make their mark.

Slightly less might well be the difference between keeping the genre from reaching saturation-point and dying altogether, which would not be beneficial given soap operas role in giving people their first breaks and developing careers.
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Old 06-07-2015, 21:46
JohnDoe14
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I cared and felt more emotional about a web series I watched over the last 3 days than any soap in the last year.
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Old 06-07-2015, 21:52
Oldnjaded
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No contest - dramas for me every time. I watch ED and Corrie purely because there's nothing else on every night at that time. They're OK as a mild diversion and I enjoy them intermittently. On the other hand I actively look forward to almost any drama on any channel because they have a beginning, a middle and an end, a finite and often gripping sl, and are usually full of excellent actors.
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Old 06-07-2015, 22:18
Mr Men
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Perhaps its not a case of either but both - yet soaps are fluff and escapism often, or perhaps even a way for the audience to address an issue without having to live through themselves. So they do have a role, whether always good or not is open to debate.

However, if each of the main soaps offered one less episode a week and the two medical hybrids of the Holby-universe a few less episodes a year (Casualty is at 48 eps and Holby City 52 eps per year), the cast and crew would have more time to fine-tune their work. This could have advantages -

1. Blatant continuity errors like the Coronation Street one recently with Kevin Webster's son Jake might be avoided if there way more time available for the production team to double-check themselves

2. Production teams (I'm looking at you Hollyoaks) might not feel obliged to keep producing ever-more over-the-top sensationalism just in-order to keep our attention i.e. plane-crashes/bus-smashes/serial killers etc

3. Viewers might make more of an effort to see every episode rather than feel they could 'miss one here and one there because the next one will be on tomorrow'

4. The broadcasters might feel able to reinvest the money they would other-wise spend on giving something else ago with the money they've saved and maybe find a new hit or give some up-and-comer a chance to make their mark.

Slightly less might well be the difference between keeping the genre from reaching saturation-point and dying altogether, which would not be beneficial given soap operas role in giving people their first breaks and developing careers.
What a thought provoking post?
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Old 06-07-2015, 23:57
owen10
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I watch a lot of soaps
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Old 07-07-2015, 00:26
kitkat1971
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Sadly I'd rather watch a good drama or comedy than any of the soaps these days.

They're are too many episodes, boring characters and bad pacing to name a few.

I find myself being a month behind and having to bulk catch up.

Anyone else agree?
Apples and Pears really - i enjoy them in different ways.

You can't beat a really good, well made drama and as well as watching current ones i enjoy countless old ones on DVD. But they have much more money, have the luxury of not having to 'string' stories out or not give characters resolution as they have a definitive beginning, middle and end

So, at times i will find the current drama much more gripping than a Soap - The Missing last winter or HUMANS now for example but I wouldn't choose them over the Soaps - i wouldn't choose either over the other.
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Old 07-07-2015, 00:37
Hollo and Gonch
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When I was watching Breaking Bad, it actually reminded me of how I used to feel about soaps (especially from the third season on). I found the story really exciting and the characters fascinating, and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

I never feel like that about soaps any more - well, perhaps once a year at the most. I think that the whole industry around soaps, with the publicity and spoilers they put out, has lessened the impact that they have and the potential for surprise (although EE occasionally tries to surprise us). Plus the huge number of episodes has been really detrimental to the effectiveness of cliffhangers. It's not really practical or realistic to have an exciting cliffhanger five times per week.
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Old 07-07-2015, 02:18
GracieL
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Much prefer dramas these day, purely because soaps give out too many spoilers, a lot of publicity and become predictable. I love watching Silent Witness as it gets my mind thinking, problem solving etc and I actually learn something new. Soaps are no longer gripping anymore and I am constantly on the edge of my seat when I watch stuff like Silent Witness, cannot remember the last time I felt that way about a soap.

Soaps are becoming to time consuming, they take up a lot of time during the week, I can only watch one soap now as I didn't have enough time for two. Also soaps drag out storylines for far too long, one storyline on a soap normally takes the same amount of time as a whole season of a drama.

Finally the acting quality is much higher on dramas compared to soaps/
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Old 07-07-2015, 08:25
dee123
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Sadly I'd rather watch a good drama or comedy than any of the soaps these days.

They're are too many episodes, boring characters and bad pacing to name a few.

I find myself being a month behind and having to bulk catch up.

Anyone else agree?
Well aren't you a special snowflake. Thanks for stopping by.
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Old 07-07-2015, 16:28
Mr Men
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Thanks dee for the wisdom.
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Old 07-07-2015, 16:53
spunger
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America are also doing well with their new drama releases.
At onetime the Brits were making the best tv in the world but now it's definately the Americans who's shows are the best and the big worldwide hits. They simply have bigger budgets to work with, better producers, directors, writers and actors.
By comparison our tv dramas are too grim and lack the style and pizzaz of American tv.
Our soaps are now spread to thinly and populated by far far too many appallingly bad, hammy, gurning or wooden actors. It's easy to understand why they are losing their appeal.
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Old 07-07-2015, 17:07
Glendarroch
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I find that whenever this discussion arises people forget about the poor or average dramas which have been made in recent years and focus on the ones they've enjoyed. The second Broadchurch was terrible and then there are things like'The Little House,' and 'Lightfields' which are instantly forgettable, Sunday afternoon fodder.

Yes there have been some great dramas but there's also a lot that are average or poor.

Why not judge the individual programme on its own merits?
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Old 07-07-2015, 17:53
spunger
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I

Why not judge the individual programme on its own merits?
I do and apart from the odd exception our dramas have gone down the pan along with our soaps. The only genuine classic drama we've produced in the last decade was Life On Mars. Great original story with wit, style bags or energy topped off with classic on screen chemistry and performances from it's two leads.
Our soaps are no longer producing the distictive classic big name characters they once did. They'll all a bit much of a muchness or plain dreadful.
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Old 07-07-2015, 17:57
Sick Bullet
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No way you can compare a class act show like Breaking Bad and The Wire or the earlier series in Prison Break to a soap with overated trash actors and actresses.

Yes we watch them they are fun and have good times but just not a chance, give me a well acted drama with proper writing.
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Old 07-07-2015, 18:05
Glendarroch
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No way you can compare a class act show like Breaking Bad and The Wire or the earlier series in Prison Break to a soap with overated trash actors and actresses.

Yes we watch them they are fun and have good times but just not a chance, give me a well acted drama with proper writing.
But not all dramas have this. Can you honestly say there haven't been many times when you've given up on one due to poor characterisation and stories?
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Old 07-07-2015, 18:12
Sick Bullet
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But not all dramas have this. Can you honestly say there haven't been many times when you've given up on one due to poor characterisation and stories?
Yes I have given up and many, Orange Is The New Black just recently.

To be fair soaps have been going on for so long they are going to be below average you can't keep it up, but still when soaps were at their best it never came close.

A Drama can be so good that it cannot be improved, but this is rare the only three I can think off that I named personally above, Boardwalk Empire has some amazing settings though that was a class Drama.

I find it unfair to compare say a month of Kush and Stacey to a peice of The Wire, infact it is rather funny, not that anyone here is really comparing.
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