Help me pick up an international soap

[Chris B]

Well, I tried to find a cable company that would allow me to watch the African soaps, but that's not happening. Now I'm thinking I need to pick up a British or Australian soap. I saw a few weeks of Home and Away when Tammin Sursok was on it and I saw a tiny bit of Neighbours when Holly Valance was on. I have very little memories of either. What is the tone like? Or either worth checking out? Any notable stories unfolding?

With the British soaps I've only seen Hollyoaks, which I've watched on and off since Kirkwood arrived. Right now it's just too dull for me to attempt another try. I've been thinking Emmerdale and I've always been interested in Coronation Street, but it seems difficult to get into. Any particular stories of interest on these two? I do recall seeing Eastenders when it aired on BBCAmerica and it did nothing for me so I won't try that one.

Whichever soap I choose I plan on going back at least two or three months so I can get a good grasp of the characters. I may just have to watch one week of each to make a decision. It depends on the responses in this thread!

[DRW50]

Emmerdale can initially be difficult to get into because it's a very stylized soap with very jagged characters, with very odd histories, but if you keep plugging away it will usually be worth the wait. There are some clunker stories and the pacing is a bit too slow but there's some good stuff.

The main story I'm enjoying right now, or hoping to enjoy, is the one with Aaron, who is a little punk, very damaged, finally letting his guard down and making a new friend, pure as driven snow farm boy Adam. He was drawn to Adam more and more, until finally he tried to kiss him. Adam spurned him and was in disbelief, since Aaron was dating Adam's sister. A lot of people, myself included, were hoping that Adam and Aaron might be on the road to a relationship, but apparently that's not happening, and it will be more about Aaron trying to suppress and ultimately accept what he is. I think there's some good potential in this story, as Aaron would be a very unique gay character for a soap.

If you want some more soapy fare, there's Ryan (JP from Hollyoaks) about to get involved with the girl who is, unknown to either of them, his half-sister, and there's the crazy campy Sally Spode storyline. She is so obsessed with the vicar, she burned down his church, nearly killing his wife, who was trapped inside.

Corrie is very uneven and a bit dull and plot-driven now but they are getting a new producer.

[DRW50]

Here's the first part of the story about baby Daniel's cot death, which was a superb storyline.

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[jfung79]

Honestly it sounds like maybe British soaps are not for you, and I don't mean that in a condescending way, just the truth. They tend to be more about daily life, and if you found some of them boring already you will probably continue to feel that way.

[Chris B]

Well I did watch Hollyoaks for 3 years so I definitely understand British soaps. Not only that, but Footballers Wives, Shameless, Coupling, Mile High, X Factor, TOTP, Worst Week and so many other British programs. Also, my favorite American soaps (Peyton Place, Knots Landing and Ryan's Hope) are all about real people and are more character based. It's not exclusive to the British soaps. The two episodes I saw on WoST of Coronation Street were like your typical sweeps episode on a US soap. And Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Crossroads seem far from traditional kitchen sick dramas from what I've read and seen.

British soaps may deal with working class people, but their problems can be just as outrageous as those on American soaps. Maybe better written and more daring, but roughly the same thing.

[Ben]

So, for my 2 cents worth...

Emmerdale: This show drove me away a couple of years ago, and I haven't returned since. But, I've heard/read/seen bits that show it's improved. As Carl's said, it has a mixture of storylines currently playing out - Psycho Sally seems fun, and they have Olena, the illegal immigrant...

Coronation Street: A month ago I'd have said, avoid like the plague, but since Carla's return, it has... well, that particular story has improved, even though the majority of the show hasn't. If you're going back 3 months, the only thing of worth, is the Carla/Tony/Maria/Roy storyline, which kicks into high gear when Tony has a heart attack, and subsequently confesses his murderous misdeeds to Roy. I'd say the show, as a whole, is a work in progress, that's showing signs of improvement. The aftermath of Tony's confession, and the ramifications for Carla, has been awesome; Sunita is a welcome return, and really spices up Dev, and I don't even mind the inclusion of Bernie. 2010 also looks promising, with Joe & Gail's wedding, and Joe's subsequent exit - a story that's ripped from real life headlines.

But, it has major flaws. "Molvin" has to be the worst storyline of the decade, and what makes this so bad is the fact that the affair has being propped by the producers as being great, and representing loads of bored housewives, who it would seem are all bitchy sluts. The storyline had no build up, which meant the affair was left field and never really made any sense, the actors have no chemistry, and Molly has regressed back to a character she no longer is. The twist that Sally (Kevin's wife) has breast cancer, does nothing to help this story, and neither does Molly's upcoming baby plotting. But, as a new viewer, I'd be interested to see if you have a different perspective on this. Generally, the show can be a bit mundane, boring, even without the crappy storylines, oh, and watch out for demonic David Platt - once you've seen him scheme, you won't want to see it again, and again, and again.

Home & Away: I'd advise you not to tune in right now, as they've been playing out a year long mystery storyline, involving people smuggling, and it is starting to wrap up now (thank God), and you might get a bit lost. Character development is not that crash hot; lots of disasters befall the beachside town every other week, and this year has felt more like Law & Order, than H&A. On the other hand, you could simply start now (don't do a 3 month catch-up), which would introduce you to the characters and their set-up, in prep for the 2010 season, which is moving away from crime, and going "back to basics." Be warned, H&A can be very plot-driven, melodramatic, and annoy the hell out of you, but when it's good, it's very good. It just all depends.

Neighbours: When this show is good, it's awesome, but when it's bad, it's a bore. 2009 has been really up and down, and it's main problem is Series Producer, Susan Bower, who is a little agenda driven, and really, is out of touch with the fans. She has a teen obsession, and they are taking over the show. BUT, I'd still recommend Neighbours, b/c it's back in a good patch, and its saving grace is the adult stories. This show is showing signs of improvement, and I'd specifically recommend you start with ep 5793, which kick starts the destruction of Dan & Libby's marriage that spirals into an even bigger story for 2010. Neighbours have also proven in the last couple of years, that they can do mental health storylines - most notable are: Susan's MS and Sam's bipolar. If you do pick Neighbours, then I'd recommend watching these past specific eps 5707; 5733-5740. From ep 5737, things get very emotional, and very well acted; this set of episodes, and the proceeding block of eps demonstrate how good the show really can be.

As you can see, there isn't one show that I can recommend as being 100% great, but Corrie and Neighbours, in particular, are show signs of improvement; Emmerdale, it would seem, is already improving, while H&A hasn't really started yet.

[Chris B]

So many choices! I'm starting Neighbours with the week of Dec 7th, I'm assuming from the British broadcast so that's the week when episode 5793 airs. I'm going to do a week of Emmerdale and Corrie and hopefully out of the three one with interest me. I'm somewhat tempted to check out Hollyoaks, but I've been so disappointed everytime I tune in. Hollyoaks Later was the worst because it was so good and I know the main show isn't nearly that good so it's kinda sad.

[Sylph]

Watch the Greek one.

[Chris B]

For Coronation Street my test week will be the week of September 28th. Emmerdale from October 5th and I was shocked to see they air six episodes a week. It better be damn good!

[DRW50]

Chris, I know I've already said this, but there's also some good Emmerdale stuff on Youtube, if you want to see any of it, PM me and I can try to remember some links.

(Sorry, I forgot you already watch Hollyoaks)

There's some good Corrie stuff online too, the Richard Hillman saga, and some of the 60s clips.

[Chris B]

Watched my first episodes of Corrie and Neighbours. Wasn't too impressed with either, but I'm going to wait the week out. I know stories rotate on soaps and it takes time. One thing I noticed about Corrie was that the sets and overall production seems cheap compared to Hollyoaks. I was expecting better production values since it's higher rated. The Neighbours episode was centered around the young people and a girl going to a dance try out. It seemed very lightweight. This show would be perfect on SOAPnet since it has so many teens and the accents are very clear and easy to understand. Emmerdale is next.

[DRW50]

Hollyoaks is supposed to be young and hip. Corrie is supposed to be cheap and industrial.

[Chris B]

Regardless of what the show is supposed to be about, I still expected better production values. Even for a soap. I thought Corrie was almost the GL of British soaps in terms of production values. Now I'm curious to see how Eastenders looks just to compare. It looks like a show in need of a revamp from the production side. Updated sets, new cameras, better lighting. Something. As for the story, I still can't say. I feel the episode I watched was mostly the B stories and characters. I didn't really see any stars or anyone who sparked any excitement in me. The episode was centered around the non-wedding of this frumpy woman. Everyone around her didn't seem to want her marrying this man and she decided not to because of something with her brother.

My first episode of Emmerdale was a total success! The main story seemed to be this brunette young woman's mother returning to town with a young son. She hates her mother for abandoning her, but I believe the mother is staying and trying to redeem herself. This story caught my eye. The actors seem good and I'm glad I caught a story from the beginning. Another thing I liked about this show is that I saw people of all ages. Grandparents, middle aged people, twentysomethings. There was something for everyone and a real sense of community and family. In the episode of Corrie it was just random people thrown together so I didn't get a true sense of the show. On Neighbours the episode centered around a few teens so again, not much I could gather thus far.

Another nice treat about Emmerdale was seeing John Paul! Hollyoaks' loss is definitely Emmerdale's gain.

[Ben]

And this is why I said ep 5793, and not 5791. As I also mentioned, the show is very teen obsessed (it never used to be), and the first 2 eps are all about the teens, but plough on through them, and you'll reach gold (at least as a long-time viewer I think it's gold). Another thing to keep in mind, is that Neighbours is G rated, which means it has a hell-of-a-lot of restrictions placed on it, and prior to 2009, they always pushed the boundaries, but this year, they've gone a bit backwards - hence the lightweight feel. Those other special eps I mentioned, will definitely give you a great feel/perspective for the characters. You'll meet the adult cast in the other 3 episodes.

It's taken me a while to figure out which ep of Corrie, you actually watched, and now that I have, I've realized that I skipped those episodes surrounding that stupid wedding. John & Fiz are another couple that's been propped, despite the majority of fans finding them a bore. The storyline should have ended when John went to prison. As for the production values, well, ITV did slash their budget this year; the pub got an update, but I swear it's been made slightly smaller. The sets have been in need of a major update for ages now, but since the budget cuts, I can't see that happening anytime soon.

Eastenders looks better. I meant to ask before, but what year were the episodes that you last saw on BBCA? The show has changed a lot these last few years.

I'm glad you like something, and Emmerdale is in a good place at the moment. You're talking about Charity - she has a colourfully long, and rich history.

[Chris B]

Okay I tried with Neighbours, but I don't think there is any hope there for me. It's just too sugary sweet. Even the sets. Everything looks a little too polished and "G" for me. I'm warming up to Corrie. I like Fizz's ginger brother and these two older people I'm assuming are their parents. I was so excited to see that woman from Hearsay who plays Michelle! She was my favorite part of Hollyoaks: In the City, but they killed her off after two or three episodes. Also liked Rosy and Luke the two people she was interacting with. I can't say I enjoy the middle eastern man and his daughter. She's very annoying. It looks like Corrie is worth going another week and seeing the show develop.

Emmerdale I haven't watched anymore episodes yet, but I'm sure I'll continue to enjoy it.