BABE-BOLYAI UNIVERSITY, CLUJ-NAPOCAFACULTY OF LETTERSDEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

BRITISH AND AMERICAN SOAPSA COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN FAMILY AFFAIRS AND PASSION

STUDENT: ASSIGNMENT ADVISER:TUNYOGI ANDREA PROF. DR. MIRCEA ZDRENGHEAMA BRITISH CULTURAL STUDIES1ST YEARCLUJ NAPOCA JULY 2015TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Introduction: The brief history of soap operas..32. Soap operas in general...53. A short presentation of the British soap Family Affairs74. A short presentation of the America soap Passion..105. A comparative analysis between Family Affairs and Passion.136. Conclusion...177. Reference.18

INTRODUCTION: THE BRIEF HISTORY OF SOAP OPERASThe term soap opera recalls various reactions from the people who hear it. Many of them consider it a waste of time, a never ending story, something dedicated exclusively for women, useless as a bubble of soap and the list may continue with these slightly negative opinions about this genre. Opinions are mostly conclusions based on different experiences and feelings about a certain topic. They may vary according to the person who formulates it. When analysing soap operas and attempting to formulate general conclusions, it is essential to focus on facts rather than opinions. Focusing on facts means firstly to look back to the origins of this genre, observing how and why was it created. The aim of this introduction thus is to go back to the origins of the soap operas before attempting to analyse and compare two actual productions. There are two questions in focus: why and how. What was the purpose of these soap operas and how was it possible to create them? Initially, soap operas were broadcast on radio and not on TV. In the 1920s, the radio industry searched for sponsors to increase their profit. The businesses that sponsored the radio products were mainly those selling household goods. They sponsored short, 15 minutes radio serials and in return, they had the possibility to advertise their products during the shows. The most significant sponsor in the history of the soap operas was Procter & Gambles Oxydol soap powder.[footnoteRef:1] Consequently, the name soap opera is coined after this soap producer started to sponsor the short radio programmes. [1: http://soaps.about.com/od/listsandtrivia/a/Soaps_Name.htm]

These radio serials were exclusively dedicated to women. Why is this so? It is generally known, that women did the housework and were home all day. Consequently, both serials and advertisements were dedicated to them. The first radio series called a soap opera was Painted Dreams debuted in 1930.[footnoteRef:2] [2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera#Evolution_of_the_daytime_serial]

Soap operas have gradually evolved from their short 15 minutes productions. A major change occurred in 1952, when the television started to broadcast a soap opera which was running on radio. The Guiding Light was the first soap opera broadcast by American televisions and also represented the transition of soaps from radio to television.[footnoteRef:3] Together with this transition, the length of the episodes started to increase up to 25-50 minutes, and the radios were no longer broadcasting soap operas. It became exclusively the matter of the TV. [3: http://onelifetolive.about.com/od/articles/a/A-Brief-Overview-And-List-Of-The-Most-Popular-Daytime-Soaps.htm ]

The popularity of the soap operas started to grow. These were called daytime soaps because they were broadcast during the day, and as it has been pointed out, to women who were mostly at home and did the housework. However, after 1980, another major shift has occurred in the life of soap operas. More and more women were no longer working at home and this fact caused a significant decrease in the viewing rates. The focus was then turned to the prime time soaps which were broadcast in the evening, offering the possibility to be watched after work. The first prime time soap was Peyton Place broadcast on ABC, between 1964 and 1969.[footnoteRef:4] Consequently, prime time soaps became more popular than daytime soaps after 1980. [4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera#Evolution_of_the_daytime_serial]

This brief history of the soap operas meant to present how and why did they appear, who were the main audience and how did they evolve from a short 15 minutes radio programmes to 50 minutes TV series. Before actually comparing two soap operas to highlight the differences and similarities between a British production and an American one, it is necessary to point out those typical features that characterize a soap opera. The list contains the most important features that are usually applicable to all soaps, be it British or American or of other origin. The particular differences between the British and the American soaps are going to be highlighted when comparing and analysing the British soap entitled Family Affairs and the American soap entitled Passion.

SOAP OPERAS IN GENERALEvery TV or radio production has a purpose. Generally, there are two major categories in which almost every programme can be fitted. TV programmes can inform the viewer or it can entertain them. Usually news, sport, weather forecast, etc. are meant to inform the viewer, whereas films, quizzes, reality shows, etc. are meant to entertain. The major purpose of TV productions is entertainment. People seek relaxation in these programmes after a long day of work, and as so, these entertaining programmes must be formed in the way to fulfil this need. Therefore, they shouldnt require intellectual effort to be understood, and should convey information that are interesting and also relaxing at the same time. Soap operas are included in the category of entertainment, and form a part of the popular culture, meaning that they are addressed to the mass rather than to a certain closed group of people. The popular culture somehow has a negative connotation, whether it is a book that belongs to that category or a film or a soap. However, it is very popular among people as its name shows, and brings much profit to the producers. Consequently, housewives, who were doing the housework every day, sought entertainment in the short radio series and after that in the soap operas broadcast on TV. In order for these programmes to entertain, they had to be created in such ways to achieve this aim. Moreover, the maintenance of the viewing rates was also a crucial aim, so the producers had to focus on different tactics to maintain the viewers curiosity. As so, there are some major characteristics of the soap operas that are somehow essential for the maintenance of this genre.First of all, the most important feature of a soap opera is the open narrative form.[footnoteRef:5] This means that every episode ends with an unsolved problem (cliffhanger), making the viewer curious of the next episode, to find out the solution to the particular problem. It also means, that there are more than one story lines that run at the same time. Each storyline is shown for a few minutes, then the story, the setting, the characters change, and another story is presented. After these sequences, the initial storyline is resumed and the cycle continues on and on. As Albert Moran says: that form of television that works with a continuous open narrative. Each episode ends with a promise that the storyline is to be continued in another episode.[footnoteRef:6] [5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera] [6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera]

Another essential characteristic of the soap opera is its topic or theme. Usually, it presents very familiar themes, ones that can be found in everyday life. It focuses on family issues, everyday troubles at home or at work, love affairs, successes, deceptions, consequently, all those issues that a human can experience in his/her own life. It is very probable that the explanation considering the topics would be that people like to see those things on screen that happen to them every day because they can associate their own life with it. However, it is quite paradoxical that people seek entertainment and relaxation in viewing on screen the everyday routine of the characters, when logically this wouldnt entertain them. Consequently, soap opera producers must have a deep knowledge of the human psyche, not just to build up situations which are interesting enough, but to build up the characters in the most authentic way. Speaking of characters, this is the third pivotal feature of the soap operas. These characters are built as to reflect the actions and the mentality of everyday people, but they are highly stereotyped. Character development is almost totally absent, which means that the negative characters, as well as the positive ones remain like that from the beginning to the end. Some stereotypical characters would be: the good girl, the decent husband, the villain, the loving mother, the unfaithful husband, the bastard, etc. It is very essential to observe the way of characterization. The viewers draw conclusions based exclusively on the characters actions, and rarely on other characters comments. There isnt a narrator that may describe the characters as in books for example. Moreover, the viewers draw these conclusions immediately after a few minutes of watching the episodes. A simple gesture at the very beginning of the first episode can indicate that the particular character is a positive or a negative one. Some characters are appealing, others are not. Some of them grow up in front of the cameras, while others age and die. It is just like in real life. Another key word in the world of soap operas is the plot. This aspect must be constructed as carefully as the characters. These two features intertwine, making a successful outcome. Actually, the whole soap opera is based on the plot. Due to the fact that it has many episodes, the plot runs in a wider space and time than in case of the films. Thats why it mustnt get flat. The producers always have to come up with new ideas to develop the events, to add new conflicts, new situations and new problems to be solved. This short overview of the most important features of soap operas meant to introduce the aspects which are going to be analysed when comparing the two soaps. As a conclusion, the focusis going to fall on the open narrative form, topic, characters and the plot. The next part of the essay focuses on the presentation of the British soap entitled Family Affairs.FAMILY AFFAIRS[footnoteRef:7] [7: The information about this soap are provided from the following website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183068/]

(SHORT PRESENTATION)

[footnoteRef:8] [8: Image provided from the following website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11296183@N00/2898692607]

Family Affairs is a British soap opera that debuted in 1997 and its final episode was broadcast in 2005. The running time of each episode was 30 minutes, which included the adverts too. It was aired on Channel 5, and produced by Thames Television. The total number of the episodes was 2285. The setting is a fictional outer London suburb, and the main characters that represent the nucleus of the series, are the Hart and Gates families. Most of the action takes place in the middle-class suburb houses of the characters. But these are not the only scenes. Typical soap opera locations are bars and restaurants where the characters meet and discuss with each other their problems. In this soap, the characters meet in the bar restaurant called The Lock. The characters can be categorized in some typical stereotypes: the parents (Chris and Annie), the 24-year-old virgin (Holly), the police (Melanie), the schoolboy (Jamie), the conservative (Elsa Gates), the drinking partners (Tim, Roy), the villain (Pete), the bisexual (Susie Ross), the troublesome teenage son (Liam), the meddling gossiper (Sadie), the shameless wife (Cat), the strident local owner (Dusty McHugh), the mouthy daughter (Yasmin), the conscientious son (Benji), the gay (Clive), etc. In 1998, Brian Park, who was the producer of Coronation Street, was appointed as the new producer of Family Affairs, and due to this, some major characters were written out, those who formed the members of the Hart and Gates families, and were the basis of this serial. In 2000, the previous location had also changed. The focus fell on Stanley Street, a fictional district in West-London. Moving to Stanley Street, the characters started to live busy outdoor life. The external settings grew, as they often visited shops, terraces, internet cafs, mini-markets. The initial meeting place, The Lock was sold, in favour of an old-fashioned pub. This meant that a certain stage in the serial was brought to an end. The main meeting place was now The Black Swan, Petes pub. As it has been pointed out above, the soap operas have multiple storylines, which present separate stories that run at the same time. Each storyline is presented for a few minutes, then there is a shift to the next one, and then the first one is resumed. In Family Affairs, after the setting is brought to Stanley Street, new storylines appear. The Warrington family brings new issues to the serial. Many storylines are around Peter Callan, the villain, and his affairs and murders, but the new ones focus on the Warrington family issues such as: marriage problems, family scandals, love affairs. In 2002, a new character joined the crew, Ben Galloway, who starter to work at the internet caf, and later revealed that he was gay. It is recorded, that Ben was the first actor who kissed another man in a British daytime programme. In 2003, with the arrival of the new producer, Alison Davis, other major changes have occurred in the serial. Not only the old characters were cast out, but also one of the meeting places, the internet caf, was set on fire. Shortly after its destruction, a new restaurant was built in that place by the Boulter family. It is important to note how symbolic these public places are. Their destruction and rebuilding symbolize the renewal of the storyline, the new directions that are taken in order to refresh the whole story. This is an essential tactic of the soap opera producers. As it has been mentioned above, the stories must be renewed, to maintain the viewers attentions. It is also important to present contemporary problems and issues. In case of soaps that run for year like this one, the issues must be up to date, because in eight years the world goes through many changes and peoples interests also change. In the latest storylines (from 2004 to 2005), the inclusion of modern problems and issues are visibly outstanding compared to the beginning of the serial in 1997.These are: murder, rape, prostitution, suicide, blackmail, drug use, brother-sister relationship, etc. Another attempt to renew the storyline was the plan of Sean O Connor, the new producer of the film, after Alison Davis. However, Channel 5 announced, that they would not renew the series for 2006, consequently, on 30 December 2005, the final episode of Family Affair was broadcast on TV. In 2005, the serial won the British Soap Awards and was praised of the way it illustrates such groups as lesbians, gays, paedophiles. One viewers comment about this soap is: Family Affairs is without a doubt the best of all the UK soaps. Why? Take the quality of the production first - There is a cinematic style to all the camera work, using jibs and dollies - keeping the cameras moving, all these things add up to a "professional" production []. Secondly, the show's writers keep the plot lines within semi-believable boundaries, choosing to deal with everyday characters and situations []. Last, but certainly not least, is the superb cast who interact superbly. Actors like David Easter (Pete Callan) and Nicola Duffet (Cat Matthews) have an absolutely brilliant "natural" on screen friction.[footnoteRef:9] [9: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183068/]

[footnoteRef:10] [10: Image provided from the following website: http://www.snipview.com/q/Family%20Affairs%20characters]

PASSIONS[footnoteRef:11] [11: The information about this soap are provided from the following website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192917/]

(SHORT PRESENTATION)

[footnoteRef:12] [12: Image provided from the following website: http://maddiecarroll.blog.cz/1111]

Passion is an American soap opera, debuted in 1999, the last episode being broadcast in 2008. The running time of each episode was 60 minutes, and it was broadcast on NBC (from 1999 to 2007), and on The 101 Network (from 2007 to 2008). It was produced by NBC Studios, NBC Universal Television Studio and Universal Media Studios. The central setting of this serial is a fictional town called Harmony. It is essential to note at the very beginning that the plot is highly mixed with paranormal events. There is a character, Tabitha Lenox, who is a witch, and the other character, Grace, who represents the good, constantly has visions of an angel girl who warns her about the evil. However, the main nucleus of this soap opera is the life of four families, each one being very different from one another: the Cranes (rich white family), the Bennetts (middle-class white family), the Russells (Afro-American family) and the Lopez-Fitzgeralds (half-Mexican, half-Irish family). This variety shows that in case of this soap, there is a mixture among different cultures and this leads to the assumption that the storyline is going to be very complex with many conflicts and problematic situations. Similar to soaps, it has a multitude of storylines that run simultaneously, like the love triangle among Gwen, Ethan and Theresa, the good vs evil fight between the witch and Grace, love affairs, betrayal, illness, poverty, etc. Some stereotypes are also found in this production: the powerful rich man (Julian Crane), the poor girl falling in love with the rich boy (Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald), the innocent virgin girl (Charity Bennett), the love triangle (Gwen-Ethan-Theresa), the evil witch and her sidekick (Tabitha and Timmy). The scenes are shot in various locations. Mostly they are shot is one of the familys houses, on the beach, in forests, in dungeons and hidden corridors, in carnivals, etc. This shows that the settings are very varied and the action is not limited to one specific setting. Besides these, there are extravagant scenes shot outside Harmony, where unbelievable things use to happen like: shipwreck, visions, unpredictable marriages, amnesia, tsunami, murder, sacrifice, etc. The locations outside Harmony are: Bermuda, Mexico, Rome. There are also a set of motifs and allusions to other works (films, books) that are incorporated into the storyline of this soap opera. These are: Gone with the Wind, Carrie, Titanic, I Dream of Jeannie, Brokeback Mountain, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Wizard of Oz, The Da Vinci Code, The Little Mermaid and Wicked. Besides these allusions, there are some motifs around which the story is constructed. One of them is the strong Catholicism which is typically connected to the Mexican culture. As it has been mentioned before, one of the core families are Mexican, therefore the serial highlights this cultural aspect by creating strongly faithful characters like Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald, who is often seen praying with a rosary. Another core motif in this soap is a strong believe in destiny and in soul mates. From the very beginning, there are characters that are meant to be together and they finally marry after fighting many obstacles and many cultural impediments (like Theresa and Ethan). This soap operates with a notable technique. The characters are often remembering past events and analyse them over and over again. Much time of the episodes is dedicated to these recurring events and those daydreams that seem real, confusing the viewer, and leading him in error until it finally reveals the truth. All these element demonstrate how complex this soap opera is, fascinating, confusing, manipulating the viewer.Due to the fall of the viewers rate, the NBC cancelled the continuation of the show in 2007. The last episode was broadcast on August 7 2008. The following viewers opinion may indicate why it got to this end: I used to really enjoy this soap when it started out in 1999. The story lines and characters were interesting, intricate and refreshing. But after about 3-4years, the plot just went downhill. The soap was using the exact story lines when it began, the constant same struggles of the truth comes out, oh no it doesn't, and here is comes, and again no it didn't, and it goes on. The dialog and plot is repetitious, there is essentially no development in the characters, they make the same mistakes over and over, and over, they remain in the dimension that they were first portrayed or they become senseless characters that lack any senses.[footnoteRef:13] [13: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192917/]

After presenting the two soap operas separately, it is time to make a comparative analysis, between the two, highlighting the differences and the similarities, focusing mainly on the British and American aspect.[footnoteRef:14] [14: Image provided from the following website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passions]

Original cast of Passions FAMILY AFFAIRS AND PASSION(A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS)Soap operas have some common features that make them belong to this genre, but after a closer analysis, it becomes obvious that they have a few distinctive features considering the country where it was produced. In the following comparative analysis, the focus is going to fall on the differences and similarities between the British and the American soaps. Two productions are going to be analysed comparatively, the British soap Family Affairs and the American soap Passion. Firstly, Family Affairs is produced in the UK by Thames Television, while Passion was produced in the US by NBC and Universal Media Studios. There is a difference between the running time of the two soaps. Family Affairs runs for 30 minutes including adverts, whereas Passion runs for 60 minutes. It can be concluded, that the American soaps have longer episodes than the British soaps. Both productions are nearly broadcast in the same period, Family Affairs between 1997 and 2005, and Passion between 1999 and 2008. Besides those similarities that were highlighted in the chapter dedicated to the presentation of the general characteristics of soaps, there are some major differences that must be pointed out considering the British and the American soaps. It is not surprising that these differences occur because every country interprets things differently even if the root is common. It is not possible for an American soap to build up the characters or to construct a plot with exactly the same elements or with the same style as the British soap does and vice versa. Thats why these productions bear the marks of their specific mentality and style. One of the major differences is the issue considering fiction and reality. British soaps tend to focus more on reality, and try to present an atmosphere where the viewer has the impression that he/she is actually watching real events. On the other hand, the American soaps focus more on the fictional, fantastic side of the events, trying to fascinate the viewer, often confusing them, and leading them in error. This typical feature is clearly visible in the two soaps in question. Family Affairs, though presenting a fictional suburb of London, it tends to be as realistic as possible, with street names (Stanley Street), restaurant names and clearly defined geographical places. Passions on the other hand present a town called Harmony and does not indicate the exact location of this town. Even its name suggests that it is symbolical and its purpose is not to create the sense of reality. What can demonstrate more the reality vs fantasy duality than the plot of each soap. In Family Affairs the plot is constructed as to spread a sense of reality. The characters, their actions, their problems and solutions reflect real actions, problems and solutions. The viewer can easily identify himself/herself with one character and may act the same way in the same situation. Family problems, fights, forbidden relationships, even murder, rape or more extreme situations happen in everyday life as well. On the other hand, Passions clearly passes the boarders of reality. It is true that the majority of the characters seem real and act as such in situations that may also be real, but there are many fantastic elements that lead the viewer to a fictional world, such as witchcraft, dolls came to life, gates leading to Hell, sacrifices, angels, visions, daydreams, etc.. The locations are also more varied. The characters travel abroad, to exotic places (Mexico, Bermuda), and they usually end up in extraordinary situations. For example, Sheridan Crane disappears in Bermuda and when she is found, she has amnesia. On the other hand, in Family Affairs, the locations are very limited, mostly to the characters house or to Stanley Street, where they can interact with everyone and meet them in their symbolical meeting place, firstly The Lock and after that The Black Swan. All these things demonstrate so far that the American soaps are more complex form every point of view than the British soaps. They tend to focus on a dreamy world (perhaps this is related to the concept of The American Dream), to grab out the viewer from the real world and lead them to a place where everything is possible, whereas the British soaps are much more down to Earth and present the cruel, problematic, everyday reality that surrounds everybody, be it a character or a spectator. Here is the opinion of a viewer that highlights the aspects mentioned above: British soaps are more realistic and working class. [] I think American soaps should take a lesson from our British soaps. We need more believable characters that look more like our audience.[footnoteRef:15] Another viewer also highlights these major differences: It seems that American soaps are like an escape from the everyday. A life so unlike our real lives that it is refreshing to see. My only argument against them is everyone on American soaps seems rich. Even when they say they are poor they still look rich. British soaps however don't seem to have the escapism vibe of American soaps, for the most part minus kidnapping, baby stealing and murder it depicts life of everyday brits. It is very true to life. Most Brits lives seem to center around their fave neighbourhood pub. Most characters are not wealthy like on USA soaps. British soaps has successful mix of the real life and fantasy.[footnoteRef:16] [15: http://soaps.sheknows.com/youngandrestless/board/478887/page/4/] [16: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100228063316AATJwPj ]

Continuing the idea of the viewers opinion mentioned above, it is important to analyse the character construction in both British and American soaps, because there are some significant differences that need to be highlighted. Starting from the idea of extravagance that surrounds the American soaps, it can be concluded that the characters must also be extravagant. In American soaps, the physical aspect of the actor has a huge importance. It is enough to have a look at the pictures inserted above, to observe the attractive appearances of both male and female actors in Passions. On the other hands, in Family Affairs, the actors are more like ordinary people, with a nice physical aspect, but not exaggerated. The stereotype of the rich is also a fundamental element in the American soaps. In Passions, this rich, white and powerful businessman is represented by the character of Julian Crane, whose family practically controls the town where they live. In Family Affairs, the difference among the social scales is not so evident. No one controls the life of other characters as in Passions. Sarah Lyall also sustains this fact in the following article, written for the New York Times: While American shows feature fabulously glamorous business tycoons, brilliant heart surgeons, gorgeous fashion models and rich people who don't seem to have to work, British soap characters work in gas stations, fish-and-chips shops and corner grocery stores (and are actually shown working) or who have no jobs and live on the dole.[footnoteRef:17] Or they own a restaurant or an internet caf, as in case of Pete and Roy in Family Affairs. Last, but not least, both in British and in American soap operas there are those stereotypes in which practically every character can be categorized. [17: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/29/arts/on-british-soaps-the-poor-and-the-jobless.html]

The last feature that is going to be discussed in this comparative analysis, refers to the daytime or primetime aspect of the soap operas. As it has been mentioned before, the most important difference between these two categories is that daytime soaps run during the day and are mostly dedicated to women that work at home and do the housework, while primetime serials run in the evening, when most people are at home and watch TV for entertainment and relaxation. The American soap differs from the British soap in this aspect too. Most of the American soaps are daytime soaps while the British ones are primetime soaps. This is the case of Passions and Family Affairs too. While the former is a daytime soap, the latter is a primetime soap. There are some notable differences between these two types. First of all, the shooting techniques are not the same. This means that the daytime soaps are recorded on a videotape with a multi-camera setup, using more than one cameras to capture the images. Due to this, the quality of the video is lower. On the other hand, the primetime serials use another technique, the single camera shot, where one camera is used, and the images are shot on film not on videotape. Consequently, the quality of the image is higher.

[footnoteRef:18] [18: Images provided form the following websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup, andhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup]

multi-camera shot single camera shot

There is a special technique of multi-camera shooting to capture the characters facial expression which is called close up. This means, that the characters expression is shown for a few seconds, without any dialogues. This technique is frequently used in daytime soaps, and also in Passions too. The last scene of each episode ends with close ups. In a nutshell, these were the major differences between a British soap opera and an American soap opera. It has been demonstrated that each has its own typical characteristics besides those common features that are found in every soap opera. Family Affairs bears the typical marks of a British soap, considering the plot, the topics, the settings, the characters and the whole impression that leaves in the viewers, whereas Passions is the best example to illustrate the American fantasy world with exotic places, extravagant characters, complex storylines and mythical elements, leaving a totally different impression in the viewer.

CONCLUSIONThe aim of this essay was to draw a comparison between a British soap opera and an American soap opera, highlighting the differences and the similarities between the two types. To illustrate the differences, two productions were chosen, one British, entitled Family Affairs, and one American, entitled Passions. Based on the comparative analysis drawn between the two productions, some general conclusions were formulated, regarding the characteristics of each type.Before actually comparing the two productions, some necessary information were pointed out, referring to soap operas. First of all, it was important to define the term soap opera and to look back on how and why did it appear. After that, it was necessary to point out the major characteristics of soap operas in order to make it clear what is going to be analysed further on. The next step was to actually present each soap separately before attempting to compare them and draw general conclusions. Finally, the comparative analysis between the two soaps highlighted the major differences considering each type. The focus fell on the plot, the characters, the topic, the specific stylistic elements and on the camera settings. It has also been pointed out that beside these differences, each soap bears the mark of the common characteristics of this genre. Some viewers opinions have also been included in the analysis to sustain the facts that were mentioned. Returning to the idea mentioned in the introduction, that soap operas are a waste of time, let us contradict this opinion and conclude the essay with the following argument illustrated on the picture below:

[footnoteRef:19] [19: Image provided from the following website: http://mediaburnout.blogspot.ro/2014/09/soap-operas-101.html]

REFERENCE

http://soaps.about.com/od/listsandtrivia/a/Soaps_Name.htm2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera#Evolution_of_the_daytime_serial3 http://onelifetolive.about.com/od/articles/a/A-Brief-Overview-And-List-Of-The-Most-Popular-Daytime-Soaps.htm 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera#Evolution_of_the_daytime_serial5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera7 The information about this soap are provided from the following website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183068/8 Image provided from the following website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11296183@N00/28986926079 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183068/10 Image provided from the following website: http://www.snipview.com/q/Family%20Affairs%20characters11 The information about this soap are provided from the following website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192917/12 Image provided from the following website: http://maddiecarroll.blog.cz/111113 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192917/14 Image provided from the following website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passions15 http://soaps.sheknows.com/youngandrestless/board/478887/page/4/16 https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100228063316AATJwPj 17http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/29/arts/on-british-soaps-the-poor-and-the-jobless.html18 Images provided form the following websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup19 Image provided from the following website: http://mediaburnout.blogspot.ro/2014/09/soap-operas-101.html18