Soap and Flannel

I'm posting this in Writers Discussion as it is (particularly) a writers viewpoint I'm interested in.

Soap Operas, like or loathe or can't bring yourself to watch?

Personally, I'm in the latter camp but was told by a producer recently that if I wanted to write for BBC 1 than I had to watch BBC 1, and that meant Eastenders. Which came as a shock.

They just seem so unrealistic to me, esentially everyone shagging everyone else in the street. No street I've ever lived on has been like that. Most of the time you never even knew your neighbours name, let alone how long it took them to.... never mind.

What does anyone else think?

Eastenders us shit. Noone in it can act and the so-called humour in it isn't. And is anybody in it likeable?

I have said this before but Emmerdale is brilliant. So many likeable characters and so much great humour.

I'd love to write for Casualty or something though.

All soap is mind-numbing. Even to hear it in the background (when g/f watches it), you can tell it's soap (all have distinct rhythm/way of speaking/patterns that are distinct from every other type of programme). They, in fact, get on my f**king nerves quite frankly.

It riles me to even type about them. I'm getting wound up.

Dan

It's not supposed to be realistic, you numpty.

I watch Eastenders, and a bit of Coronation Street, when I'm in the mood.

Quote: zooo @ July 24 2008, 10:36 PM BST

It's not supposed to be realistic, you numpty.

I watch Eastenders, and a bit of Coronation Street, when I'm in the mood.

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Watch f**king Emmerdale! It's definitely the best!

You get paid £100,000 a year for writing for corrie or benders, I think that says it all.

Don't! Don't watch any of it! Look how much porn there is on the internet! Look at that instead!

Quote: Simon Stratton @ July 24 2008, 10:42 PM BST

You get paid £100,000 a year for writing for corrie or benders, I think that says it all.

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But what does it say? Traders get millions a year, but I don't want to do that either! I enjoy writing and I wouldn't enjoy writing at all if it was for soap.

Dan

Quote: Simon Stratton @ July 24 2008, 10:42 PM BST

You get paid £100,000 a year for writing for corrie or benders, I think that says it all.

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I'd love to.

I'd get Charity to be a stripogram or have Louise have an implant.

I'd totally write for a soap. No shame in that. There's nothing wrong with doing something just for the money.
As long as you can carry on writing your own stuff too.

Quote: David Chapman @ July 24 2008, 10:38 PM BST

Watch f**king Emmerdale! It's definitely the best!

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Really?
Isn't it a bit smelly farmer?

Coronation Street can be quite funny. In its way.

Some excellent sitcom writers have written for Corrie in the past - Jack Rosenthal, John Stevenson, HV Kershaw, Julian Roach, Geoffrey Lancashire, Vince Powell & Harry Driver.

Even the best drama writer of this decade, Paul Abbott, wrote for Corrie

Quote: zooo @ July 24 2008, 10:51 PM BST

Really?
Isn't it a bit smelly farmer?

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There's hardly any farm in it at all now.

And Andrew Collings. Wrote for Eastenders.

As did someone on here. (Or more than one?)

Quote: David Chapman @ July 24 2008, 10:59 PM BST

There's hardly any farm in it at all now.

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Does it still have any Dingles though?
They scare me.

Quote: zooo @ July 24 2008, 11:02 PM BST

Does it still have any Dingles though?
They scare me.

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Loads of Dingles. They breed like rabbits and new ones keep turning up.

*shudder*

Matthew Graham and Tony Jordan wrote for Eastenders, they've done pretty well since (bar bonekickers I suppose)