My (current) Top 5 Fav Soaps

This was an answer I wrote on Quora to a question about favourite soaps, so I figured, why not add it on here as well.

Preface: this answer does change quite often so as of today's publication date, 22-Feb-2026, this is how it stands. 5. For longevity, & general love - Coronation Street

Image Source: I chose the 2010 cast photo as this is the era in which I fully committed to this soap.

I do love this one, though it’s currently not my fav, but it’s up there, & one I do keep tabs on.

I like that you can go back in time & watch old eps/scenes/moments with a few of the characters who remained with the series up until the ‘80s. & the fact it’s still going strong 65+ years later is a testament unto itself. The 2010s era also shaped how I approached formatting & seasonal/monthly/weekly arcs.

There’s only one gripe I have with this soap, & that's with its settings - the Street itself was “built” in 1902 amongst many terraced houses. If the soap wanted to keep up with the times, it should’ve been torn down around the 1960s/’70s - as happened to the real locations Weatherfield was inspired by. & the fact that this storyline hasn’t happened shows a potential to bring this up (maybe the 100th season?) & if that’s the case, I call dibs on writing it (you saw it here first, folks).

4. For a solid run - Night & Day

Image Source: & I wish there was a better version of this cast photo!

The way this soap had a hold on me when I was a teen! It was such a bizarre, weird ride, but so good. & that twist of an ending! I still think about that to this day.

Also: if you’re going to have a two-season run - doing it exactly like/how this soap did is how you do it! (I’m looking at you, Neighbours reboot 2023.)

3. For off-the-wall, campy fun - Passions

Image Source: yes this is from a Reddit post, I - for some reason - cannot seem to find the original pics for these Soaps, & there's only so much time in the day.

I love this soap for two reasons:

a) It was so silly yet so enjoyable! It was almost laugh-out-loud entertainment with plots/moments on what Tabitha & her talking doll, Timmy, got up to, all the supernatural elements, & homages to almost every other genre. It was ridiculous fun & I miss that! The fact that many still talk about it to this day is why this soap was amazing! I wrote more about it in this post,

&…

b) If you take the supernatural elements out of it, the soap still works well - the multiple love triangles, the secrets, the machinations of rivals, the fact that one opulent family owned & ran almost everything in town - it’s a great example of how one should set up their series to build off of - where they’re currently at, & where many of the characters had come from.

2. For my homegrown pick - Home & Away

Image Source: the late '90s cast photo (not the one I wanted, but for some reason, that one no longer exists‽ But this cast photo is a solid W!)

The fact that it’s still going strong since ’88 & is a great example of having & holding a solid premise & setting, then reinventing itself in 2011 - with the opportunity to do so again in the future (here’s my blog post on that thought), is why I point to this soap when we think of continuous drama. It might not mean much to the Australian Film & TV Industry - & is, unfortunately, put down by many who work in it (I know, I work in this Industry & hear it more often than not), yet it does well to exist & remain strong. (This would almost be my favourite if it weren’t for the last one.)

But before I get to my number one, I have to add this:

Honourable mention - The Bold & the Beautiful

Image Source: this wasn't the era I got into this soap - which was years before, but this was the time I was in Uni studying film to become a soap opera writer - & was gifted this calendar then.

This was the soap that got me hooked & into this genre: when Brooke Logan had an affair with her daughter, Bridget’s husband, Deacon. The way they dragged those episodes out both infuriated yet filled me with utter anticipation that when it finally dropped - it was worth it. I rewatched some of those clips last night, actually, so the timing of this question is apt. & boy do they still hold up to their dramatic effect! & seeing Brooke’s progression - & literally doing the same thing to the daughter conceived of that affair is such an obvious face palm for her to do.

1. & for my current fav - & the one I follow the most - EastEnders

Image Source: not quite a cast photo, but it's still my all-time favourite image of showing these characters in their home settings, whist also depicting their interconnected lives. (& again, this image is from 2010 - that era definitely defined me.)

I think this was the soap that shaped me the most as a writer - & lover of this genre! An overseas pick for me, sure, but I’ve (almost) loved it from the day I became committed, then up until now.

For me, it’s the solid history. The ultra, often at times, cruel realism that is depicted. & the fact that these characters are their own worst enemies! The setting is simple & works well*, & characters from generations/seasons long gone can always come & go, & even the dead don’t always stay that way.

*I was surprised to read an article on how life has changed for the ‘place’ Albert Square was inspired by - which would’ve worked on the show if the writers kept tabs on this real-life location, but as it is with all soaps, if it’s not a gradual change, slowly introduced then it’d change the entire essence which would lead to its downfall… i.e. The Bill.

THIS is a soap I strive to achieve one day; time will tell on that one…

23-Feb-2026 Edit: to add the Blog post in to the Home & Away point about where I think the show could go next.