Have people lost interest in soaps?

Like others, friends and I, tv chat tends to relate to Netflix and the like with occasional forays into a recommended series on standard tv, similar to GN really in recommendations for worthwhile viewing.

I stopped watching soaps when Pauline hit her husband with a frying pan .

I watched neighbours when it began for a few years but none now.

Last night I watched the Scorcsese documentary about Bob Dylan on
BBC2.

I pay for Netflix but often wonder why!
🤣😂
We have a community cinema each Sunday night. Tonight it's to be NYE. The film about Nye Bevin.
There's an interval for refreshments and chat.

Does anybody remember El Dorado. It only ran for a short while. I caught an episode on one of the TV channels the other day. It was just as bad as I remembered it.

I watched Eastenders and Neighbours for quite a while but I gave them up as I found the quite depressing. Too many arguments and bad feelings.

Don’t watch any of them. I did at one time but the story lines became so ridiculous….i just gave up.

I think I tuned into a couple of episodes of El Dorado. Talking of bad, so bad it was legendary, Crossroads. I tuned in after school when it was launched. That motel exuded sheer luxury to me at the time it was up there on a par with a BOAC bag in its desirability.

It is because “telly” options have changed so much.

I loved Coronation Street because of the mixture of age groups and backgrounds reflected in the iconic characters and of course the humour.

I didn’t think it reflected real life. I remember watching with Mum and Dad and Siblings I’d be about 3 or 4 so it was required watching for me - and sometimes even my kids,(they started to follow the Australian soaps at pre-teen age)

It was a bit of an institution wasn’t it and people did discuss it the next day, mainly because it remained current yet held on to it’s broad appeal, family viewing , not too serious not too silly but held interest, until the next episode …no one waits now.

“Corrie” had begun to mimic it’s younger cousin “ ‘Stenders” and gradually I think it lost it’s integrity- until around 2006 I had moved home, coudn’t afford a TV licence, a really crummy tv anyway…
I thought to myself “this isn’t that good anymore and I don’t believe in any of these characters- or even recognise some, do I want to be “caught out” watching this when the knock at the door comes?” Answer * NO*

Perhaps this also why I’m not as engaged with Strictly Come Dancing these last few series as I don’t recognise any of the celebs..I’m quite out of the loop.

Genuinely enjoyed Coronation Street though for 45 years of my life, but don’t miss it or any soaps and if some previously good series begins to turn into a soap I quickly lose interest🥲.

LOUISA1523

ViceVersa

I've never watched them and in all honestly, I didn't know Emmerdale was still going. I don't think I know anyone who does watch any, either.

You probably know loads they just don't say

No, I genuinely don't think I do. I was with friends just before xmas and the subject of what we watch on tv came up and there was no-one who watched soaps. Why wouldn't they say if they did?

I still watch Corrie and Eastenders and really enjoy them.
But then, I'm old. I don't think many of the younger generation watch them.

Both Corrie and Emmerdale as getting so far fetched they are ridiculous! Never see anyone washing, ironing, cleaning windows, gardening (apart from Liam's allotment which he rarely goes to but seems to be in abundance all year), polishing cars, sweeping paths..........all the normal, believable, everyday stuff!
And the amount of wine that Ruby drinks!!! FFS ITX, stop normalising excessive alcohol consumption!
The storylines on both soaps are totally unbelievable!

Before I married and left home (1975) Coronation street was on the TV and I watched it with my family (Gran loved it).

When I had my own TV I never watched any soaps until Brookside but that was short lived.

My friends and family don’t watch them and when we were altogether at Christmas we discussed if we knew anyone that does watch soaps- we could think of no one.

My go-to in the 80’s was BROOKSIDE. I loved it.
When it folded I didn’t get hooked on any of the other soaps.

OH watches Emmerdale, mainly because he fancies Charity Dingle!!.

I dont watch soaps anymore. Too many other interesting documentaries, real-life series , Netflix etc to watch …..

Did anyone see the dramatisation of the birth of Coronation Street? It was on a while back, surprisingly, on BBC. I really enjoyed it but I must admit that the last time I watched CS Ena Shaples and Minnie Caldwell were drinking milk stout in The Rovers Return.

I've never watched them at all. My daughter went through an Eastenders phase when she was about 12 but that's about it in our household.

Oh yes Brookside loved it when it was first launched, gritty story lines, launched a few acting careers.

mum2three

I used to watch them, but they have changed too much. I think the writers simply run out of ideas. Coronation Street used to have a greater mix of ages and families. The variety has gone now.
It's the same with Doctor Who. I stopped watching when it become too technical.

Really? Ken and Rita are still there and lots of children. It is quite a big age spread.

Indigo8

Does anybody remember El Dorado. It only ran for a short while. I caught an episode on one of the TV channels the other day. It was just as bad as I remembered it.

Oh I do! I'd forgotten about that! And it sure was bad. But we loved it! All the mentions of the Sorbonne. Beautiful Fizz with that extremely old unfortunate looking bloke. Good looking bloke who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. It was so entertaining in its awfulness!

Indigo8

Did anyone see the dramatisation of the birth of Coronation Street? It was on a while back, surprisingly, on BBC. I really enjoyed it but I must admit that the last time I watched CS Ena Shaples and Minnie Caldwell were drinking milk stout in The Rovers Return.

I didn’t see that, but those were the days when it had some interesting and believable characters just going about their normal business, drama provided by that shamefaced hussy Elsie Tanner!

I started watching Candy on channel 5 last night. Such a strange experience as I was thinking I know this story but the people all look wrong. In the end I watched both episodes and then had to google it. There had been another series about the same real life story so yes I knew the story but different actors. Quite a relief as I thought I was losing it.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

My go-to in the 80’s was BROOKSIDE. I loved it.
When it folded I didn’t get hooked on any of the other soaps.

Brookside is repeated from the start on the STV app (free to watch).

It is surprisingly dated, given how ahead of its time it seemed when it went out. Much more so than the old reruns of Corrie.

Funny that! Yes it did seem very modern, at the time. Max Farnham in his trendy waistcoat ordering ‘a glass of rioja’ at the bar. 😂

I think people's tastes are changing and it shows even older people want to watch Netflix and Prime rather than rely on the four main channels. I've noticed as well some of the soaps have been cancelled in rccent years and it's possible in ten years time, the three biggest ones could go.