Soap opera Soap opera A soap opera is an ongoing drama serial on television or radio, featuring the lives of many characters and their emotional relationships. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas being sponsored by soap manufacturers. BBC Radio's "The Archers", first broadcast in 1950, is the world’s longest-running radio soap opera; the world's longest-running television soap opera is "Coronation Street", first broadcast on ITV in 1960. The first serial considered to be a "soap opera" was "Painted Dreams", which debuted on October 20, 1930 on Chicago radio station WGN. Early radio series such as "Painted Dreams" were broadcast in
Soap Opera Update Soap Opera Update Soap Opera Update was a magazine dedicated to the coverage of soap operas, co-founded by Angela Shapiro in 1988. The magazine was published every three week. It was purchased by Bauer Media Group in 1992. The magazine became popular on newsstands in the mid-1990s. However, due to a lack of subscriptions and promotion, and criticisms for mediocre content and "lazy" press coverage, the magazine was discontinued in late 2002. In 2006, the "Update" began issuing "Soaps In Depth" and releasing an annual issue to review the soaps of the past year and preview soaps for the new