From a outsiders view!-from a other forum - Soaps

prisoner_2005 · 27-09-2005, 00:15

I don't watch any soaps, but have seen bits of all of them. Corrie gets all the plaudits at the moment and Eastenders the critisism, mainly for being not light-hearted enough (like the often ridiculous Corrie). Forgive me if i'm wrong, but aren't soaps meant to be like real life? Erm, real life is mainly depressing on the whole...can't see why Eastenders is not the clear winner.

I've made a Topic on this matter not to course anger but to address this qoute because i think the lad has a valid point here.

Pop Princess · 27-09-2005, 01:52

Real life can be depressing at times but I don't think EastEnders is always realistic. Neither are all the soaps however 100% about everyday realism. This person is saying EE is the most realistic but how many of us have killed someone? About 6 or 7 people in EE have in some form or other. How many of us have had a body dug out from under our local pub? How many of us have slept with our boyfriend's 50 something father to trap the boyfriend into staying with us? How many of us have been having a relationship with two siblings while managing to make sure neither found out for weeks? How many of us have been blackmailed into sleeping with someone in order to pay off our partner's debts? How many of us have married our adopted half sister? How many of us have gone on the run to Rio or on the run from prison or on the run from a gangster? That is just a few of the plots in EE over the last year or so and I am guessing it would be a very small percentage of us that would say any of that really happened to us. So do I think a lot of the stuff in EE is realistic? No.

I could say the same for the other soaps though - How many of us have tried selling our baby? How many of us have killed a parent with a wrench? How many of us held our father hostage and ended up killing the woman he loved? How many of us have have gone through even a tenth of what Zoe Tate has over the years? So I would say all the soaps have realistic stories but also a lot of escapism plots that are entertaining simply because they are not about most people's everyday lives. I would say no one soap is more realistic than the other. Each of them seem to have a fair share of realism and escapism. It's usually the small things that feel less real. Like when the Millers were pleading poverty while having a Sky box. I think that created more fuss on here about realism than Zoe sleeping with Den or Chrissie murdering Den and burying him!

SULLA · 27-09-2005, 02:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by prisoner_2005

I don't watch any soaps, but have seen bits of all of them. Corrie gets all the plaudits at the moment and Eastenders the critisism, mainly for being not light-hearted enough (like the often ridiculous Corrie). Forgive me if i'm wrong, but aren't soaps meant to be like real life? Erm, real life is mainly depressing on the whole...can't see why Eastenders is not the clear winner.

Consider yourself forgiven .Soaps are basically about Entertainment

iiHEARTy0u · 27-09-2005, 06:28

I think more people actually prefer drama to comedy in most cases.
Drama makes you want to see more whereas one liners are just there to fill things up.

Well that's what i think.

DenWatts · 27-09-2005, 08:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pop Princess

that created more fuss on here about realism than Zoe sleeping with Den or Chrissie murdering Den and burying him!

Murderous bitch!

Sean Preston · 27-09-2005, 09:53

I would hate to think soaps have to reflect real life. In a lot of cases they do, but really soaps are a form of escapism and entertainment too. I dont' want to watch a soap where I can see everything thats happening could or can happen to me. Some things I identify with in soaps, for instance Todd's storyline in Corrie was going on at the very same time I was going through similar circumstances. There are elements to storylines that people can identify with but more often than not, the storylines are exaggerated and made more dramatic to add the escapism element, which is great and why they get such good ratings.

I like the odd funny one liner in the soaps, and it does my head in when people are saying on EastEnders don't do comedy, why should they? The comedy on EastEnders is contrived and doesn't suit it. They are much better off doing the one liners, and having dramatic moments with a hint of black humour, Den's funeral was fantastic because it was dramatic, and it was also pretty funny, Peggy shouting "Chrissie Watts!" and then "Murderer" was so pantomine, it was quite funny.

James Lamont · 27-09-2005, 10:16

If soaps reflected only real life, they would be pure boredom.

rita1 · 27-09-2005, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Lamont

If soaps reflected only real life, they would be pure boredom.

Yes. All the characters would be sitting at home watching the soaps on TV after a hard day at the office - probably with their dinners on their laps - not heading off to the local for a daily confrontation.

Sean Preston · 27-09-2005, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Lamont

If soaps reflected only real life, they would be pure boredom.

Absoloutely, all my scenes would either be in the office, on the bus, at home, or in bed asleep. They'd have to have a special weekend episode just so I could be seen out and about lol And all that would ever happen are arguments over the bathroom, mithering about money, talking about weddings and their boyfriends etc. God I'm falling alseep here

DenWatts · 27-09-2005, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Preston

Absoloutely, all my scenes would either be in the office, on the bus, at home, or in bed asleep. They'd have to have a special weekend episode just so I could be seen out and about lol And all that would ever happen are arguments over the bathroom, mithering about money, talking about weddings and their boyfriends etc. God I'm falling alseep here

Sounds like Big Brother - which makes me fall asleep as well.

Nancy Leathers · 27-09-2005, 10:52

Only the other day my brother bigamously married my aunt. This was despite refusing to go to my father's fourth wedding this year to a teenage bride, who all subsequently died from mysterious illness that have all the hall marks of a rusty axe to the head. Meanwhile mys ecret child that I had without anyone knowing has jumped around in age just so that she can fit in conveniently with moments of my life.

Soaps represent real life alright.

Think the OP is wrong about Corrie getting all teh plaudits on this forum which they have been postiong in for some time now! Soaps get a mixture of reaction on the forum some fair and some unfair. Also not sure why you take the attitude life is boring. life is what you make and all that. Go-on live a little. Why not propose to your adopted brother and get married. Have an affair with your husbands bald brother and record yourself talking about it.....

Or not

prisoner_2005 · 27-09-2005, 12:01

Heres my take of it-

I think Eastenders gets alot of stick mainly due to the fact that people know its just like real life but they dont want to think of life like that and to be honest.

Corrie gets a wee bit of stick but i don't think they get to much because people want life to be Corrie (Sean taking beer to Elain)

rita1 · 27-09-2005, 12:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by prisoner_2005

Heres my take of it-

I think Eastenders gets alot of stick mainly due to the fact that people know its just like real life but they dont want to think of life like that and to be honest.

Corrie gets a wee bit of stick but i don't think they get to much because people want life to be Corrie (Sean taking beer to Elain)

That's very deep - you're a philosopher prisoner_2005!!

The Turk · 27-09-2005, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by prisoner_2005

Heres my take of it-

I think Eastenders gets alot of stick mainly due to the fact that people know its just like real life but they dont want to think of life like that and to be honest.

Corrie gets a wee bit of stick but i don't think they get to much because people want life to be Corrie (Sean taking beer to Elain)

Did you even read Pop Princess' post?

welsh_revival · 27-09-2005, 15:40

People watch soaps for drama not comedy, if i wanted to watch a comedy id watch friends or little britain, somthing that does comedy amazingly well. Not Corrie.

LlamaKing · 27-09-2005, 15:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by prisoner_2005

Heres my take of it-

I think Eastenders gets alot of stick mainly due to the fact that people know its just like real life but they dont want to think of life like that and to be honest.

Corrie gets a wee bit of stick but i don't think they get to much because people want life to be Corrie (Sean taking beer to Elain)

It's Eileen

I'm glad Corrie does humour. When we had the Mad Maya week we had the hilarious foursome (Deirdre, Liz, Eileen and Frankie) having a knees up. It was a joy to watch a fitted in perfectly with all the fires going round.

Same with Killer Katy, if it wsa just that storyline running with another emotional rollercoaster people would have switched off. This is the time of Fred trying to bottle water and the heart warming tale of Ray trying to be with Deirdre and giving her and Ken his blessing.

Some storylines are abit stupid though. Koi-Carp springs to mind - but we weren't force fed only this each episode it with a sub storyline. Same with the mascot stuff - although this started off a bit rocky it's slowly turning into a love story. Awww.

EE gets stick from the last two years because it was absolute cow pat. It has improved but still people are going to be giving it stick because of the past. When it has been consistant for a period of time then the flack will go and it will be getting praise. Opinions don't change instantly.

prisoner_2005 · 27-09-2005, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by welsh_revival

People watch soaps for drama not comedy, if i wanted to watch a comedy id watch friends or little britain, somthing that does comedy amazingly well. Not Corrie.

HERE HERE!

27-09-2005, 00:15	#1
prisoner_2005 Banned User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 280	From a outsiders view!-from a other forum I don't watch any soaps, but have seen bits of all of them. Corrie gets all the plaudits at the moment and Eastenders the critisism, mainly for being not light-hearted enough (like the often ridiculous Corrie). Forgive me if i'm wrong, but aren't soaps meant to be like real life? Erm, real life is mainly depressing on the whole...can't see why Eastenders is not the clear winner. I've made a Topic on this matter not to course anger but to address this qoute because i think the lad has a valid point here.

27-09-2005, 01:52	#2
Pop Princess Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,754	Real life can be depressing at times but I don't think EastEnders is always realistic. Neither are all the soaps however 100% about everyday realism. This person is saying EE is the most realistic but how many of us have killed someone? About 6 or 7 people in EE have in some form or other. How many of us have had a body dug out from under our local pub? How many of us have slept with our boyfriend's 50 something father to trap the boyfriend into staying with us? How many of us have been having a relationship with two siblings while managing to make sure neither found out for weeks? How many of us have been blackmailed into sleeping with someone in order to pay off our partner's debts? How many of us have married our adopted half sister? How many of us have gone on the run to Rio or on the run from prison or on the run from a gangster? That is just a few of the plots in EE over the last year or so and I am guessing it would be a very small percentage of us that would say any of that really happened to us. So do I think a lot of the stuff in EE is realistic? No. I could say the same for the other soaps though - How many of us have tried selling our baby? How many of us have killed a parent with a wrench? How many of us held our father hostage and ended up killing the woman he loved? How many of us have have gone through even a tenth of what Zoe Tate has over the years? So I would say all the soaps have realistic stories but also a lot of escapism plots that are entertaining simply because they are not about most people's everyday lives. I would say no one soap is more realistic than the other. Each of them seem to have a fair share of realism and escapism. It's usually the small things that feel less real. Like when the Millers were pleading poverty while having a Sky box. I think that created more fuss on here about realism than Zoe sleeping with Den or Chrissie murdering Den and burying him! Last edited by Pop Princess : 27-09-2005 at 02:09.

27-09-2005, 06:28	#4
iiHEARTy0u Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Scotland xx Posts: 8,528	I think more people actually prefer drama to comedy in most cases. Drama makes you want to see more whereas one liners are just there to fill things up. Well that's what i think.

27-09-2005, 09:53	#6
Sean Preston Banned User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 298	I would hate to think soaps have to reflect real life. In a lot of cases they do, but really soaps are a form of escapism and entertainment too. I dont' want to watch a soap where I can see everything thats happening could or can happen to me. Some things I identify with in soaps, for instance Todd's storyline in Corrie was going on at the very same time I was going through similar circumstances. There are elements to storylines that people can identify with but more often than not, the storylines are exaggerated and made more dramatic to add the escapism element, which is great and why they get such good ratings. I like the odd funny one liner in the soaps, and it does my head in when people are saying on EastEnders don't do comedy, why should they? The comedy on EastEnders is contrived and doesn't suit it. They are much better off doing the one liners, and having dramatic moments with a hint of black humour, Den's funeral was fantastic because it was dramatic, and it was also pretty funny, Peggy shouting "Chrissie Watts!" and then "Murderer" was so pantomine, it was quite funny.

27-09-2005, 10:16	#7
James Lamont Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Norwich Services: NTL 600K, Sky Digital (Full), NTL (Full), Claranet Dial Up Posts: 2,918	If soaps reflected only real life, they would be pure boredom.

27-09-2005, 10:52	#11
Nancy Leathers Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Leafy Cheshire Posts: 1,800	Only the other day my brother bigamously married my aunt. This was despite refusing to go to my father's fourth wedding this year to a teenage bride, who all subsequently died from mysterious illness that have all the hall marks of a rusty axe to the head. Meanwhile mys ecret child that I had without anyone knowing has jumped around in age just so that she can fit in conveniently with moments of my life. Soaps represent real life alright. Think the OP is wrong about Corrie getting all teh plaudits on this forum which they have been postiong in for some time now! Soaps get a mixture of reaction on the forum some fair and some unfair. Also not sure why you take the attitude life is boring. life is what you make and all that. Go-on live a little. Why not propose to your adopted brother and get married. Have an affair with your husbands bald brother and record yourself talking about it..... Or not

27-09-2005, 12:01	#12
prisoner_2005 Banned User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 280	Heres my take of it- I think Eastenders gets alot of stick mainly due to the fact that people know its just like real life but they dont want to think of life like that and to be honest. Corrie gets a wee bit of stick but i don't think they get to much because people want life to be Corrie (Sean taking beer to Elain)

27-09-2005, 15:40	#15
welsh_revival Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cardiff Services: BT & BT Vision Posts: 959	People watch soaps for drama not comedy, if i wanted to watch a comedy id watch friends or little britain, somthing that does comedy amazingly well. Not Corrie.