SOAP OPERAS In the 1930s, when radio was still in its infancy, broadcasting stations in the USA wondered what type of progra

SOAP OPERAS
In the 1930s, when radio was still in its infancy, broadcasting stations in the USA wondered what type of programmes they should put on during the daytime. They came up with the idea of producing serials that would be on the radio every afternoon telling a continuous story. To keep the listeners’ interest, there would be far more crises occurring than in real life. Knowing that the majority of the audience would be women, the broadcasters decided that the women in the serials would be strong characters and the men weak. The serials were an instant success with listeners. As the radio stations were paid for by advertising, these programmes always carried advertisements and, since one of the most frequently advertised products was soap, the programmes became known as Soaps or Soap Operas.
It was really by chance that the soap opera appeared in Britain. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) had no interest in producing this type of programme but during the Second World War it was thought that the Americans should be shown how well the British people were standing up to the war. For this reason, a soap opera was written for the North American service of the BBC; it was called Front Line Family and showed how a typical English family, the Robinsons, was living during the war. Some people in Britain managed to hear the programme and asked for it to be broadcast for the British audience. The BBC were unwilling to do this but finally agreed and broadcast the programnne in Britain, but changed the name to The Robinsons. The programme ran for six years.
Other soaps were introduced later, one telling the life of a doctor’s family and another, The Archers, about life in a country village. The original aim of The Archers was to inform farmers of new developments in agriculture. The serial began in 1951 and is still to be heard on five evenings every week.
Some attempts at soap opera began to appear on television in Britain in the mid-1950s but it was not until 1961 that the first real soap opera appeared. This was shown, not by the BBC, but by commercial television. The serial, called Coronation Street, was about the lives of people living in a working-class street near Manchester. Although the serial was planned to run for only thirteen weeks, it is still to be seen several nights every week and almost every week has more viewers than any other programme on British television.
The BBC never managed to produce a really successful soap opera until 1984, when it introduced Easterners. This programme is about life in an area of the east end of London. For a time it had more viewers than Coronation Street and still rivals it as the most popular programme on British television. There is a major difference between the two programmes in that Easterners concentrates on often rather depressing realism whilst Coronation Street, although having serious storylines, always contains a strong element of comedy.
1. What problem did broadcasting stations in America have in the early days of radio?
A. How to reflect real life. B. What to broadcast during the day.
C. What type of serial to produce. D. How to entertain women.
2. Why did the radio stations make women have the strongest characters in soap operas?
A. Because men usually have weak characters. B. Because no men would be listening.
C. Because women deal better with crises. D. Because the audience would be mainly female
3. Why was the name soap or soap opera given to these programmes?
A. Soap was often advertised during the programmes. B. Soap companies advertised the programmes.
C. Soap companies owned several radio stations.D. Soap was the only product advertised during the programmes.
4. Why was the programme Front Line Family made?
A. To tell the Americans why the British were at war.
B. To tell the Americans how the British were living during the war.
C. To tell the Americans how the British were winning the war.
D. To tell the Americans why the British stood to win the war.
5. Why did the BBC begin to broadcast Front Line Family in Britain?
A. Because people in America liked it. B. Because the BBC thought it would run for six years.
C. Because people asked to hear it. D. Because the BBC changed its name.
6. What do we learn about The Archers in this passage?
A. The programme was about a country doctor. B. It could be heard every evening of the week.
C. It was first broadcast before 1951. D. The aim of the programme was to educate farmers.
7. What do we learn about Coronation Street?
A. It has always been the most popular programme on television.
B. It has lasted longer than expected.
C. It was the first real soap on to be shown on BBC television.
D. It takes place in central Manchester.
8. How is Coronation Street different from Easterners?
A. It is funnier. B. It has a stronger storyline. C. It is more serious. D. It is more like real life.