Backstory DVDs about Soap Characters

Something that most people know about me is that I love television. And those who don’t know that about me may have at least realized I’m interested in the medium because this is not the first time I’ve written about it on this blog. The truth is that I find a lot of things about TV absolutely fascinating and wonderful. When it comes right down to it, I love stories and there are certain storytelling genres that are completely unique to TV.

One of these genres is the Daytime Serial, better known as Soap Operas. Say what you will about soaps (bad acting, cheesy writing, repetitive, etc.), they are a completely unique way of telling stories that would not work the same way in any other medium*. The casts and crews work non-stop to produce a new episode five days a week all year round with no reruns. Even the most devout soap fans would concede that some of the criticisms are accurate, but with their demanding production schedule soaps should be forgiven if production value suffers in favor of consistency.

Despite the fast production pace and resulting inconsistent quality, there are many times when soaps achieve greatness. Whether in the form of a ground-breaking social-issue storyline or in a memorably good acting performance, the soap genre has moments when it genuinely impacts fans’ lives. Sometimes those moments even go on to impact popular culture at large. I would give examples here, but I think I have already given the impression that I am a much bigger soap fan than I truly am. My point here is not to come off as some sort of soap nut, but simply to say that the genre deserves more street cred than most people want to give it.

One of the interesting aspects of soap operas is the history that exists between all of the characters on the shows. The most successful soaps remain on the air for decades. In that time, viewers are introduced to many changing characters and relationships: romances blossom, characters age, families grow, murders are committed, multiple personalities are exposed, long lost evil twins appear in town to destroy lives, etc. It can be exciting to see all these changes over time, but it can also be hard to keep the facts of each character’s life straight.

Something that should exist to help soap fans remember the details of their favorite characters’ lives is a series of DVD “biographies” of those characters. Long time fans would be interested in those DVDs as a way to reminisce about characters. For younger viewers, this series would help inform their viewing of current storylines, providing insight into why certain characters act a certain way toward one another. This could also work as a series on a network like SoapNet. Many see soaps as a dying genre and this could possibly help to gain new viewers or revive viewers who have strayed away their favorite shows.

Does something like this exist? Which soaps have you been exposed to?




* I’m aware that Daytime Serials started in the days of radio, long before they began airing on TV. Still, I believe the genre has evolved and enjoyed success in a way that is unique to television.