History of the soap opera

According to 'Jen Ainsworth Soap Operas' The first Soap Operas were broadcast live on the radio the first being 'The Archers' on BBC Radio 4, which has been running on the radio since January 1st 1951. The term 'soap opera' was first used to reference the American serial drama 'Painted Dreams'. It was premiered on the 20th of October 1930, and was regularly broadcast in the daytime, where most listeners were housewives. Therefore the drama serials were sponsored by products aimed at women, mainly soap brands such as Colgate Palmolive, Procter and Gamble and Lever Brothers, this is where 'soap' originates from, and the term opera is used because of the dramatic content. 
 Soaps were moved to live TV broadcasts in the 1950's, with soaps such as The Grove Family and The Appleyard's. 

The longest-running current television soap is Coronation Street which was first broadcast on ITV in 1960, with the record for the longest running soap opera in history being held by Guiding Light, which began on radio in 1937, transitioned to television in 1952, and ended in 2009. 

EastEnders made it's debut on BBC in 1985, and became one of UK's top most rated shows and the following year in 1986 the EastEnders Christmas episode attracted 30 million views, making it the most watched scripted program in British television history. 

Soaps have always been some of the leading ways the media have shown progression in society.  

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