Maybe I'm "becoming boring" and maybe I'm not trying to make myself sound "intellectual" - but I am still right.
Again, you're seriously misguided if you're watching any soap for the quality acting - American or otherwise.
Five "won" Neighbours because the BBC weren't prepared to "enter into a bidding war" over it - but if it were still getting viewing figures of 19 million, like it did at it's peak, then don't you think they would have been?
The fact is, actual viewing figures have been consistently declining since the '80s, to just 5.6 million for the most watched episode of recent years.
It's all there for you to read on the BBC's own website.
Incidentally, H&A is also by far the more critically acclaimed.
Soaps are very popular all over the world. They are all, by and large, crap in my opinion and i have only ever watched them because they "are on the t.v." when i'm in the room (either reading the paper, on the interweb like i am now, etc.)
One thing i seriously will never understand is how people can watch - and enjoy! - Eastenders; it's the biggest load of recycled rubbish i've ever had to sit through, yet it wins awards in the UK lerft, right and centre. I've been through some stages where i've been hooked to other soaps (Hollyoaks for a while, Corrie sometimes has some very funny one-liners) but these stages are always short-lived. Each to their own though as i do watch alot of other crap most people wouldn't touch with a barge-pole!
"You're clearly not very experienced when it comes to watching soaps then. That, or your knowledge of good acting is quite limited."
Please educate me! Who do you think is a really good soap actor/actress?
(this I really have to hear )
Soap actors are just about the bottom rung of the acting ladder, slightly above pantomime stars, but well below actors in "proper" TV shows or movies.
In the case of American and Aussie soaps (and Hollyoaks), the actors are usually attractive enough, but not talented enough to be really successful - think Joey in Friends (doesn't apply to cast members over the age of 30).
That's probably why the ones who do become household names, usually do it as pop stars rather than actors.
In the case of something like Eastenders, they just have to be able to over-act horribly.
You're coming out with some really stupid/ignorant statements, which makes me think the whole argument is pointless.
"Soap actors are just about the bottom rung of the acting ladder, slightly above pantomime stars, but well below actors in "proper" TV shows or movies."
Not really, in the UK the main Soaps are very popular and quite large scale productions, and in such a small country the actors and actresses are very well known. Coronation Street and Neighbours are two that many celebrities tend to make cameo roles or small parts because they're so sought after. Prince Charles in Coronation Street, Lily Allen in Neighbours and The Mayor of London was also in Eastenders.
"In the case of something like Eastenders, they just have to be able to over-act horribly."
Which is why it usually wins the most awards at the national soap awards, and actresses and actors from it win awards at the National television awards? Eastenders, as miserable as it can be, has some excellent acting and humour in it's storylines.
I never said soaps weren't popular, or that soap actors aren't well known (of course they're well known - they're on TV practically every day). It doesn't mean they can act though.
And what does the mayor of London have to do with the Eastenders cast being bad actors? Unless you're suggesting that Boris Johnson himself is a fantastic actor, then that's completely irrelevant. All it proves is that a lot of people watch soaps, so appearing on them is good way to improve your public image.
A lot of people bought Westlife albums too, but it doesn't mean they're talented singers.
Incidentally, that's the exact same reason why Eastenders does well at the NTAs - because they're voted on by the public (most of whom are thick as shit). I mean seriously, Loose Women won "most popular factual programme". What does that tell you about the kind of people who voted?
Eastenders actors just shout a lot, and everyone thinks wow, that was so dramatic, and so emotional... It's just lame.
This thread is brilliant. Remember kids, this is two grown men talking here. About soaps. Brilliant.
By the way, is it just me or is Adam Woodyatt due for a shot at Hollywood? He has the full range of facial expressions from slightly miffed to moderately peeved.
Has nothing to do with me being snobbish and refusing to watch something I "might enjoy" because of what others think. I have seen bits and pieces of these shows and it's like watching middle school fanfiction. There are hundreds (thousands) of tv shows on the air and I can't imagine adult males watching those shows when there's so much higher quality stuff on.
And no I'm not from the U.K. so I haven't heard of these soaps you guys are arguing over. In the U.S. soaps aren't even watched by 14 year old girls anymore. . .
I don't know, maybe it's like how American teenagers watch anime that people in japan think is awful, just because it's from Japan. Or maybe it's the novelty of these being american shows and you don't get that many over there?
Originally Posted by Matt Boothman This thread is brilliant. Remember kids, this is two grown men talking here. About soaps. Brilliant.
By the way, is it just me or is Adam Woodyatt due for a shot at Hollywood? He has the full range of facial expressions from slightly miffed to moderately peeved.
I really did laugh out loud at this statement!
For the record, i really think that there are only about 5% of all soap actors from the UK that i would class as really good actors. Granted, compared to me they are gods when it comes to acting, but surely the percentage that get snapped up for film roles in the UK/Hollywood speaks for itself (0% isn't it?), as does the percentage of soap actors who go on to do "t.v. garbage" things like commercials (Daz, anyone?), gameshows (Bradley Walsh?) and other, lesser popular soaps (The Bill was one of those graveyard shows most actors from Eastenders/Corrie went to after they were dropped).
Stacey in Eastenders - can she pull no other expression than that stupid frown, for example? Then everyone speaks about how powerful and emotional her performances are! I reckon the best bit of t.v. work she ever did was when she got caught with that guy in the hotel corridor that once!
Stacey (Lacey Turner) Is actually a very good actress, hence why she's always winning awards. Her acting in the bipolar story line was pretty damn accurate.
Based on the fact that 3 people have now shown to have knowledge in soaps, I would say that things in the UK are very different. I doubt you could find a single person in the US who isn't a 45-55 year old woman who could even name a single soap actor or character. Are UK soaps on at primetime or something?
Soaps are very much a corner-piece in British t.v. diets. The 2 biggest (Eastenders and Corrie) are on at around 7:30 - 8:00pm, i.e. "primetime". That's when most 20-80 year olds are in front of the t.v., traditionally.
Yes, it's different here - you don't have to be unemployed to be able to watch soaps.
The soaps aimed at a younger audience are generally shown early evening, and then repeated lunchtime the next day (Neighbours always used to be popular with kids because it was the only thing on when they got home from school).
The big two (Coronation Street and Eastenders) are shown at 7:30pm and 8pm (with omnibus editions at the weekends), and are the most-watched TV shows of any kind - which is just tragic.
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