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A Study of Soap Operas Essay

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A Study of Soap Operas

Eastenders has been showing for the last nineteen years and is still going strong although on a recent vote Emmerdale came out on top. Eastenders was originally going to be called East 8. The first episode was shown on the 19th February 1985. EastEnders was shown twice a week for its first eight years, then three times a week from 11th April 1994. On 6th August 2001 it went to four times a week. This was because of its immense popularity. EastEnders is filmed at BBC Elstree studios outside North London.

Soap operas first started in the USA in the 1930`s. The name “soap opera” was chosen because many of the companies who sponsored them made washing powder, soap and …show more content…

Soap operas are usually watched by women. Eastenders can be watched by families because of the wide age range. There is a moral for the children in nearly every episode. The adults can watch everyday situations and enjoy the storyline. There are also elderly people in Eastenders so elderly people can also watch this soap opera.

There is a wide range of female characters in a soap opera. There is a wide range of ages. There are young people, middle aged people and elderly people. There is usually a good looking woman and an ugly woman. There maybe women who are married and women who are single. Some women may have a good personality. They may help people and care about others. Other women may have a bad personality. They may not help anyone and may not care about anyone. The characters are either sympathetic or unsympathetic.

There are usually stock characters and stereotypes. There is usually a witch who stirs up trouble. There may also be a slut who goes around with all the men. There is a wise woman who is always willing to give you advice. Then there is a career woman whose interest is money. There is usually a teenager, a mother, single mother, pensioner, holy woman, chorus, troublemaker, peacemaker and an ethnic character. The ethnic character is to get as big as audience as possible.

In Eastenders Sarah is the witch and the slut

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