Now Dot is no longer in Eastenders I can't remember the last time I saw anyone smoking regularly. Does anyone really believe none of the Dingles in Emmerdale would not be smokers ? If soaps are supposed to reflect life why are there so few smokers - particularly in the working class communities. It strikes me that the average person is far more likely to come across smoking on a regular basis than any of the aforementioned. No when I say daytime, I'm talking more lunchtime, not early evening.How is it that it is deemed acceptable to feature alcoholics,murderers, domestic abuse, child abuse, drug taking, kidnapping and countless other forms of deviant behaviour in Soaps yet smoking has almost been entirely eradicated ? Sky One were never really bothered with launching their own soap (I think Springhill may have been their only attempt) so why would they bother to try and launch a soap after all these years. They've no requirement to add any more soap to their schedules. BBC1 has Doctors, EE and the soapish medical dramas, BBC2 was never a soap channel, ITV has Corrie and ED, Channel 4 has Hollyoaks and Channel 5 has the Aussie soaps. The main question is regarding launching a new soap now, would be 'why?'. It was created by Phil 'Brookside' Redmond. The Channel 4 show that you're thinking of is The Courtroom. I seem to remember Channel 4 tried a daytime drama about a court house with each episode having a different court case, but I don't think that was too successful either. After Channel 5 won the rights for Neighbours, the BBC also had Out of the Blue, but that failed as well.

There was Night and Day, Crossroads and even The Royal Today, but they all failed to take. ITV spent most of the early 2000s trying to launch a daytime soap to rival Doctors. One thing that might be good is a daytime soap. The only channels that could potentially launch a soap I think are Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV2 or Sky One. ITV has got its two big soaps, there's really no room for any more on there. It's a relatively cheap way of making drama. I'm surprised the likes of Amazon Prime, Netflix etc. I don't think it matters if a new soap is not original, as long as it offers something a bit different - like a hospital soap or a crime soap etc. The acting, writing and continuity are not as good as they were years ago. It's hard to launch a new soap in this environment because the remaining soaps produce so many episodes. What you may get is continuing drama (like Holby City) that takes a break during the summer or winter. ITV and the BBC have demonstrated their trust in their flagship soaps by building new outdoor sets, I don't think they have the finances to launch a new soap. I'm sorry but I'm having difficulty keeping up with Coronation Street, and it's the only soap I watch! Viewers tar soaps with the same brush so they will do well do garner a loyal fanbase.Ĥ) Investment. Every trick in the soap book has been used.ģ) Commitment to a new soap.

Can't see a new soap being launched, certainly in my lifetime and on the big networks.ġ) What would the purpose be of launching a new soap? Coronation Street depicted social realism and the working class, Emmerdale showcased rural life, Brookside and EastEnders tackled social taboos of the time.Ģ) What storylines would this new soap opera tackle? Weddings, funerals, affairs, fights, tears, laughter, freak weather storm, explosions, rape, prostitution, LGBT, poverty, running a business.and that pretty much covers the last 15 years.

Soap opera spy