So, one of my main goals while I’m here is to try and get
at the root of why soap operas are so much more popular in the UK than they are
in the US. In fact, one of my Cultural Studies peers over here was shocked when
I told her that, back home, I am frequently ashamed and embarrassed to admit my
love of soaps. In order to do this, however, I should probably start watching
some, don’t’cha think?
Tonight I sat down and watched two episodes of “Coronation Street” and one episode of “EastEnders.”
Let’s start with the former…
“Coronation Street” (a.k.a. “Corrie”) started in December 1960. This means that, following the cancellation of US America's “As the World Turns,” “Corrie” became the longest running soap currently in production. (Just for giggles, here’s a scene from one of the 50th Anniversary episodes, which featured an explosion, tram crash, and a viaduct’s destruction—skip to the 59 seconds mark:)
Now, in doing a bit of preliminary research for this post, I discovered that “Corrie” has actually released (circa) six straight-to-video films. Soaps on DVD format is something that is only just recently being experimented with back home (e.g., a special DVD featuring key holiday episodes from ATWT), so this is definitely something I want to look into a bit more…
As far as the episode I watched tonight: I found it to be somewhat cute, for the most part. As I noted on Facebook while chatting with some pals there, right off the bat, there is a difference in class when it comes to characters in US and UK soaps—and, to be fair, other academics, most notably Christine Geraghty and Dorothy Hobson, have already noted this. US soaps are all about the upper echelon fighting over businesses and money, whereas UK soaps seem to be about people trying to survive.
Also—and bear in mind that I need to think this line of thought through a bit more, as well as watch some more episodes—“Coronation Street” (and possibly “EastEnders”) kind of brings with it the casual, easygoing vibe of a pub. Like you want to get cozy with it. Conversely, American soaps are all sparkle and spectacle, and looking for the drama. I don't know, I might completely revise this thought later, but that's the gut-reaction I'm having at the moment. I definitely want to follow-through with the pub atmosphere connection, though…
By way of comparison, and also to showcase the ideas I’m discussing above, I want to juxtapose two clips: the first is from yesterday’s episode of “Corrie,” and the other is from my favorite soap back home, “The Young & the Restless”:
Now, both of these clips take place in one of the favored watering holes on the show. Of course, you’ll notice the class signifiers right off the bat—the clothing, the atmosphere, and the treatment of the respective bar-keeps. If you’re more familiar with the American brand of soaps, however, you’ll also notice a certain…casual intimacy between the “Corrie” characters. Again, I can’t quite articulate what I’m trying to say yet, but, damn it, there’s something there!
Now, let’s get to the other show I watched tonight: “EastEnders.”
First things first: I want you to watch these credits:
Okay, now back up a
minute!
I want to tell you about three serendipitous moments I had while
watching this show tonight
First Moment: my
friggin’ school is in the logo! The show’s fictitious setting (the London
Borough of Walford) is right across the river from UEL.
 |
| I marked my campus in red to help you out... |
Second Moment: Already
in this blog, I’ve mentioned a couple of times my love for the movie “Beautiful Thing.”
Well, one of the reasons I love that movie so much is because of the character
Leah Russell, played by Tameka Empson:
Given that, you can understand my surprise at finding her
in “EastEnders,” where she plays the character Kim Fox. (And then my further
surprise at learning that Linda Henry, who played the mum in “Beautiful Thing”
was also in “EastEnders” at one point!)
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| Leah grew up to have some fierce hair! Growin' up with them gay boys did her good! |
Third Moment: A few blog entries ago, I posted one of my favorite “French & Saunders” clips:
Obviously, Dawn French was (lovingly) mocking Debbie Allen from "Fame":
But then, in last night’s “EastEnders,” was Leah—I’m sorry, Kim (Ms Empson) doing this:
Ho. Lee. Cow. Worlds. Colliding.
At any rate, “EE” started in February 1985, and is centered around the citizens of Albert Square. In Christine Geraghty’s book, Women and Soap Opera: A Study of Prime-Time Soaps,* series creator Julia Smith stated: “We decided to go for a realistic, fairly outspoken type of drama which could encompass stories about homosexuality, rape, unemployment, racial prejudice, etc., in a believable context. Above all, we wanted realism” (p. 16).
Perhaps this sense of realism is the difference I’m looking for?
By the way, if you’re curious, some of my non-US friends on Facebook have described the difference between US and UK soaps as follows:
NC: “British soaps are all about how horrible life is…American soaps seem to be extremely more glamorous than ours, which are all about poor people scratching a living. people in american soaps always seem to be loaded…While theres definitely a lot of (usually dark) humour in the soaps, they are always dark and depressing. Every christmas day Eastenders has to try to out do itself with something worse happening than the year before it”
AB: “Try Eastenders! Its the Anti USA soap! its gritty and realistic (and they dont stay in the same room in the same conversation for two years!”
TC: “…I think the soaps are very realistic in that they don't attempt to over glam things in their look at working class life. You will find these characters on every street in the UK. The characters have always been super accessable and thats why I think people take them intk their hearts so much. Check out Emerdale it's based on rural/country life and is the alternative choice to Corry or Eastenders. Hollyoaks is the mid teens to.mid twentys soap. All about kids in collegenand Uni. The only tuing I watch regularly is Emerdale.”
Once again putting aside the academic stuff for a moment, I want to point out one character from “EastEnders” who caught my attention right away: Dot Cotton, played by 84 year old June Brown. I don’t know too much about her yet—other than her portrayer has an amazing sense in hats…
—but look forward to learning more about her. Right off the bat, I’d love to do a analysis of this character versus Jeanne Cooper’s Katherine Chancellor character from “The Young & the Restless.”
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