Hello lemmings,
I am not exactly a fan of soap dramas, however through regular visits at my moms place i end up watching these shows (specifically the german shows “Alles was zählt” and “Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten”).
Until this year, the drama was worth it because Doctor Who aired inmediately after and i think Donna Noble, Martha Jones, Clara Oswalt etc. are much more entertaining.
Over time i’ve noticed that the plots have become much more dramatic. Schemes have become much more schemey, crimes have been commited and became more crimey and the drama has become seemingly constantly more dramatic.
Now my question is: Am i mistaken with my impression? Is there a name for this drama creep? Does this also happen to other long-running soap dramas where you live?
I think thats a common problem with most long running shows. It starts off normal enough, with logical plots but as time goes on the writers need to come up with new and better stuff to keep people watching. A lot of the really great shows out there were great because they had an end in mind and actually ended. They wrote in a way that drove the story towards that ending. The never ending shows like soap operas/dramas don’t have that option so they have to get crazy with the story. Disclaimer: ive never watched soap operas personally.