 I know what you're thinking. 'A happy couple in a soap? Are you mad?' It's a fair point. Soaps, by their very design, destroy characters' happiness at the drop of a hat to facilitate long-running storylines, with the intention being to bring audiences back for more night after night. A happy ending is therefore a rarity. Unlike other forms of TV, serial dramas offer the opportunity to see what happens after. After the first kiss. After the wedding. After the murder. With that in mind, you can almost understand why this genre of programming frequently turns their characters' lives upside down. I mean, not only does it make for great viewing, but it also makes for months-upon-months worth of story material. It's a win win. But the thing is, soaps are also a vehicle to do good. To educate their audiences and change perceptions. To ask the questions that need to be asked. To tell the stories that need to be told. To highlight the real-life issues that real people face on a daily basis. To resonate with viewers. Representation has always been top notch in the land of soap, dating all the way back to the eighties when EastEnders introduced Colin Russell and Brookside brought in Gordon Collins. Emmerdale, meanwhile, has been equally a trailblazer, with Zoe Tate becoming the first ever regular lesbian character in a UK soap, coming out in memorable scenes back in 1993. Flash-forward to the present and the ITV soap is still making great strides in this area. In fact, it couldn't be any gayer right now, with LGBTQ+ characters of all ages, which is absolutely wonderful to see. But in 2023, representation simply isn't enough. Don't get me wrong, it's great that we have so many LGBTQ+ characters on the show at the same time, but it's equally important to show these residents experience all the joys and happiness that come with being a part of that community. Mary's life was de){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
I know what you’re thinking.
‘A happy couple in a soap? Are you mad?’
It’s a fair point. Soaps, by their very design, destroy characters’ happiness at the drop of a hat to facilitate long-running storylines, with the intention being to bring audiences back for more night after night.
A happy ending is therefore a rarity. Unlike other forms of TV, serial dramas offer the opportunity to see what happens after. After the first kiss. After the wedding. After the murder.