Top 10 Soap Operas of All Time

Emmerdale

Coronation Street

Keeping the British theme, I am going to take you North to Coronation Street in Weatherfield, the longest running soap in the UK. Its working class characters will make you laugh, cry and scream at the TV and even take circumstances personally - you think it’s real. Ken Barlow is still going strong as is the Rovers Return. Character Gail has been in the soap 35 years now and four husbands later, she vows to plough through the rotten story lines she’s been given.

Eastenders

Being quintessentially English and from the South, I have to start with a home-grown soap opera, obviously! Set in and around Albert Square, a fictional street in the fictional borough of Walford in East London, it follows the lives of residents of all ages, genders and social groups, touching upon relevant themes and issues of the time. It has now been going 25 years and I reckon someone has died in the Christmas episode everytime! I will never get over the time when Tiffany got run over.

Hollyoaks

One for the teenage telly lovers and the youngest of the bunch at a mere 15 years. Started in 1995, the soap targets 16-24-year-olds centred round the local college and has some colourful characters. Based in the Chester suburb, the soap doesn’t take itself too seriously but also tackles serious issues and over the years, it has done a much better job than previously. The male characters are famously good looking and always feature on my calendar – it’s a shame Calvin has been killed off now though! There have also been a couple of spin-off series for steamier storylines.

Brookside

Sadly, after 21 years on Channel 4, the Liverpool based soap opera came to an end in 2003 and I sorely miss it. It was always a little bit on the wild side and sometimes over dramatic but it kept viewers on their toes. When it came to controversy, producers pushed the boundaries and became well-known for broadcasting one of the first lesbian kisses on British TV. It was also the first soap to bring us the beloved omnibus!

Doctors

Neighbours

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