Giving Up On The Soaps

Shakyfan

Has anyone else reached the point where they have given up watching any of the soaps?

I started watching Coronation Street back in 1978 and Fair City when it started in 1989. But towards the end of last year I got to the stage where I completely lost interest in both and have completely stopped watching them.

freshpopcorn

I find all soaps gave their highs and lows.

Soaps do have to progress with the times rough.

We did loose interest in Eastenders a few years back because of all the shouting and the Carter's. It did seem good at Christmas.

Coronation Street is a bit tiring at the moment with the whole Roy being wrongly arrested.

washiskin

I've given up on most of them at this point.

I was a devoted Emmerdale watcher for years but I found that I hated more characters than liked so found it a slog.

I haven't watched Eastenders in years or Corronation Street - I don't know if it's the storylines or the writing but when the older characters were being phased out it all became very daytime. I think having soaps on more than twice a week stretches them a bit thin and turns them into background noise.

Shakyfan

It's too many episodes! Two a week was plenty (even 3). But with Corrie it's now the equivalent of 6 per week, Emerdale is 5 (I think). Too many characters and poorer storylines.

Purple Mountain

I watched Coronation Street all my life until 2 years ago. I started watching it when my mam and granny had it on, then as an adult I took it up myself.

But when the multiple murders/rapes/explosions/wrongful convictions took over from the true comedc roots of CS, I bowed out.

The current story lines are absolutely ludicrous and so far fetched...oh and predictable!

I don't miss it one jot.

Shakyfan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122006491#Comment_122006491

Saw an interview recently where Charlie Lawson (Jim McDonald) was asked if he could see himself returning to Coronation Street at some point. He said he doubted it because the show has changed too much - it has gone from being character driven to being issue driven.

BaywatchHQ

Trying to keep track of 4 soaps isn't easy. Often there are times when I want to watch a film but I can't as I have to catch up on soap operas. I do plan to cut out Neighbours some time. Cutting out Coronation street would save me a lot of time but it is easier said than done. If there is an after life I hope there are no soap operas in it as I've wasted enough time in this life on them.

tv3tg4

I used watch them but not anymore.

They wallow in misery and have no heart.

They are some that seem to ramble on without a script

Mo Ghile Mear

I don’t watch any soaps. Eastenders sometimes comes on immediately after Nationwide and even though I don’t watch it, within minutes I’m stressed and have to mute it or switch over to something else. All that aggro and shouting and incessant drama does my head in.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122006461#Comment_122006461

I thought that merging coro st's episodes would have helped as rather than writing 6 episodes with the need to end each on some kind of cliffhanger then could return to when it was just 3 eps in someway.

They could easily drop the second episode of Emmerdale Thursday night, I wonder why it is still there, or why it didn't merge with the first episode.

With that have either Neighbours or Hollyoaks seen improvements with their reduction in episode numbers?

Delta2113

No difference with Neighbours at 4 a week - I would still prefer 5 a week.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122768343#Comment_122768343

Has it remained popular with UK fans since it moved over to Amazon?

Delta2113

Yes sometimes it's number 1 in the Top 10 Tv shows for the U.K.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774936#Comment_122774936

Do you know what kind of figures its getting? also what is the online / social media activity like?

pgj2015

Is it me or was Emerdale funny years ago? the Dingles always up to some scheme that backfired etc now all the soaps are so serious and depressing in my opinion, especially EastEnders, its either crying or roaring at each other most times you tune it on. they need to bring back funny story lines.

Delta2113

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774999#Comment_122774999

I've seen 891.5 thousands mentioned a few months back. #Neighbours rates high on X (twitter).

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775018#Comment_122775018

EastEnders was always kind of like that, the more serious of the soaps. Emmerdale and Coro St had some humour, along with pathos. Never watched Brookside but even though it was heavy on social issues it seemed to have humour intermixed with it. Home and Away always had some humour with Alf and Marilyn, but both it and Neighbours were teeny pop type soaps, Home and Away seems a little older now.

Not sure what the right thing to do is, some soap fans might be disappointed with return to a 30min 3 episode week for Coro St, though it would be interesting to see the result of such a change. But could Coro St bring in a couple like Jack and Vera now?

angel eyes 2012

I stopped watching Coronation Street due to that awful character Gemma and the unnecessary, endless shouting. I stopped watching Eastenders after the Ronnie and Roxy exit, it was completely over the top.

I watch the classic Coronation Street episodes now and again on ITV3 as I missed a number of them the first time around. Overall, though it's hard to see a future for soaps with the declining ratings and reduction in demand for terrestrial television.