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Histories and New Directions: Soap Opera/Serial Narrative Research
  • ISSN: 2046-9861
  • E-ISSN: 2046-987X

Abstract

Australian soap (1985–2022) was in active production for nearly 40 years. As a piece of popular television, it is still syndicated internationally and also sold as a successful format for new works. has also served as an outlet to launch new generations of Australian on- and off-screen talent. Despite these successes, has been overlooked by tastemakers, academics and critics. This article places in context within the Australian television landscape; going on to explore how the soap has responded during the rapid technological, industrial and cultural evolutions that have occurred since its beginnings in the 1980s. Importantly, has featured a variety of different types of Australian characters with a variety of narratives, including working class, migrant, LGBTQI+, and blended families.

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2022-06-01
2025-03-17
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/content/journals/10.1386/jptv_00079_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): audiences; Australia; broadcast television; families; soap opera; working-class culture

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