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
The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Schemering book) information about the soap opera phenomenon" and wrote a syndicated column on the genre. He was also a regular contributor to "The Washington Post Book World" and had published film and television articles in "The New Republic", "USA Today", the "Chicago Tribune", the "San Francisco Chronicle", the "New York Daily News" and other publications. Schemering is also the author of "" (1986). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Schemering book) The Soap Opera Encyclopedia is a 1985 reference book by Christopher Schemering which assembles comprehensive information about all daytime and prime time soap operas broadcast up to the date of publication. It