At its inception, the soap was targeted towards an adolescent and young adult audience, but now has broadened its appeal to all age groups. It has famously covered many taboo subjects rarely seen on British television. Beginning with a cast of 14 characters, it now has upwards of 50 regular cast members. The longest-serving actor is Nick Pickard, who has played Tony Hutchinson since the first episode. The programme has won 39 British Soap Awards, 18 "Inside Soap" Awards, one TRIC Award, and one National Television Award. It won the award for Best British Soap twice, in 2014 and 2019; its first win broke the 15-year tie between rival soap operas "EastEnders" and "Coronation Street".