Why are soap operas so popular?

• Soap operas originated from the American radio serial dramas of the 1930's.
• The undemanding nature of soap operas can be seen as a contributory factor of the genre's popularity.
• Soap operas concern with everyday people and their everyday lives, with empathsis on their problems, big or small, appears to be one of the main reasons soap operas are so popular.
• A famous quote by Ang in 1985, "When I sit down to watch, I belong to the family in a way...I can enter into all the characters because they're so familiar."
• Viewers enjoy forming a participatory relationship with the characters.
• The formation of parasocial relationships enables soap opera viwers to gain pleasure from being able to understand how a certain character feels or behaves in particular circumstances.
• The catharsis, the purging of emotions by watching others live through the same situation is one of the main pleasures for regular viewers of 'social realism' soaps.
• Viewers often use the behaviour of a character in order to justify their behaviour in a similar situation.
• Soap operas are also popular due to its continuity, regularity and familiarity. It has been labelled as a 'ritual pleasure' which offers reassurance in its longevity.
• The theme tune, being a familiar sound to our ears, makes the viewer aware that an episode is about to begin and also confirms the setting of the soap.