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Over the years, there have been endless arguments about the value of soaps. For some critics, they are no more than mindless entertainment. Others believe they are the only programmes that tell the truth and show society as it really is. Whatever the critics say, the fact remains that millions of people tune in eagerly to their favorite serial every day. The soap opera has succeeded in capturing the imagination of the entire world.

Why are soaps so popular? The most important reason is that they are about the daily activities of ordinary people, and they usually center around a small community or a large family. However, soap operas are much more dramatic than real life. It allows the scriptwriter to create a complicated plot, with five or six different story lines all running at the same time. The stories are usually based on problems within personal relationships and family life, so the viewers can easily identify with the feelings and opinions of the characters. They can see that the lives of the people on the screen are not so very different from their own.

Some viewers even start to think of the TV characters as real friends and family. They write letters to their favorites, giving them advice and offering their own opinions, and sometimes copy their styles of dress and behavior. Events like births, weddings or deaths in soaps are always followed with great interest. If a favorite character is unfairly treated, this usually provokes strong reactions. In one famous soap, a woman was sent to prison, and viewers started a national campaign to have her set free.

Soaps may also be popular because they offer easy entertainment. Viewers don’t have to concentrate very hard to follow the story. The same characters are seen every day, and the stories move along quite slowly. If viewers are forced to miss their favorite soap for a couple of weeks, there’s no need to worry. They only need to watch one or two episodes to catch up again. This is because the script constantly refers back to past events, and because each storyline takes a long time to develop.

Another important reason why soaps attract large audiences is the use of a technique called the “cliff-hanger” ending. This means that each episode always ends at a critical point in the story. A dramatic incident such as an argument is deliberately cut short by the closing title sequence. This technique almost guarantees that thousands of viewers will tune in to the next episode to find out what happens next.

In between episodes, viewers can speculate with their friends about the direction that the plot may take. The only way to find out if they are right or wrong is by watching the next episode. Some viewers say they enjoy gossiping about the soap as much as they enjoy watching the actual program. As well as trying to predict what is going to happen, they like to analyze the behaviour and motives of the characters, and compare with their own lives.

According to their fans, soaps are good for you. They are good entertainment, but they also provide “food for thought,” allowing viewers to think about a range of issues and problems of everyday life and relationships.