Soaps - A Spy In The Camp?

[lankeela]

How comes they always manage to have exactly the same storylines? Wedding may or may not go ahead, car won't start - two soaps on the very same day? Do they have spies in the other camp and if so why would they have the same storyline? Can it be coincidence as it happens so often.

[johnk]

There are only a certain number of storylines which are repeated over and over again so sometimes they come into sync on the different soaps. You could also ask why the characters are the same and even look the same.

[Ken4155]

I suppose there will always be the element of 'we can do that better than they can' rivalry between the soaps, and because there are a finite number of plots and sub-plots, it sometimes feels as if they are being regurgitated on a regular basis. And sometimes these story lines coincide with other soaps. Even the more stupid plots, which, because of the loyalty of many viewers, the writers/producers get away with again and again. Quite a lot of people watch the soaps purely out of habit; for some, it's almost an addiction. I broke that habit a few years back; ceased watching (if watching is the word) Eastenders in '94 when i split from a long-time partner, Corrie went out of the window when the stupid 'extension over dead body' (Gail's house) storyline was aired and stopped watching Emmerdale when Ashley died. Believe me, sacking the soaps isn't like losing friends, it's more like losing weight.