A soap opera, daily soap or soap for short, is typically a long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored by soap manufacturers. The term was preceded by "horse opera", a derogatory term for low-budget Westerns.
The Goldbergs is a comedy-drama broadcast from 1929 to 1946 on American radio, and from 1949 to 1956 on American television. It was adapted into a 1948 play, Me and Molly; a 1950 film The Goldbergs, and a 1973 Broadway musical, Molly. It also briefly spun off a comic strip from June 8, 1944, to December 21, 1945, with art by Irwin Hasen, a comic book artist who worked on various DC comics titles and would later do the Dondi comic strip.
Rebecca Louise Front is an English actress, writer and comedian. She won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for The Thick of It (2009–2012). She is also known for her work in numerous other British comedies, including the radio show On The Hour (1992), The Day Today (1994), Knowing Me, Knowing You… with Alan Partridge (1994), Time Gentlemen Please (2000–2002), sketch show Big Train (2002), and Nighty Night (2004–2005).
Linda Ann Gray is an American film, stage and television actress, director, producer and former model, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series Dallas, for which she was nominated for the 1981 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The role also earned her two Golden Globe Awards.
Michelle Stafford is an American actress, screenwriter and producer. She currently plays Phyllis Summers on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, for which she has won two Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2013, Stafford created and starred in her own comedy web series, The Stafford Project. She also played Nina Reeves on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital.
Amanda Donohoe is a British actress. She first came to public attention at age 16 for her relationship with pop singer Adam Ant, appearing in the music videos for the Adam and the Ants singles "Antmusic" (1980) and "Stand and Deliver" (1981) during their four-year relationship. After making her film debut in Foreign Body (1986), she starred in two films by director Ken Russell: The Lair of the White Worm (1988) and The Rainbow (1989).
Tracy-Ann Oberman is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Val" in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020).
Susan Pammenter OBE, better known by her stage name Sue Johnston, is an English actress. She is known for portraying Sheila Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1990), Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family (1998–2012), Grace Foley in the BBC drama Waking the Dead (2000–2011), Gloria Price in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2012–2014) and Miss Denker in the ITV drama Downton Abbey (2014–2015). She won the 2000 British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress and was nominated for the 2000 BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance for The Royle Family.
Lilian Ridgway, known professionally as Lynda Baron, was an English actress and singer. She is best known for having played Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the BBC sitcom Open All Hours (1976–1985) and its sequel, Still Open All Hours (2013–2016), Auntie Mabel in the award-winning children's series Come Outside (1993–1997), and the part of Linda Clarke in EastEnders in 2006 and from 2008 to 2009, with a brief return in 2016.
Lysette Anne Chodzko, known professionally as Lysette Anthony, is an English actress and model. She is known for her roles in the film Husbands and Wives (1992), as Princess Lysssa in the 1983 fantasy epic Krull, the first season of the ITV comedy-drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983), the BBC1 sitcom Three Up, Two Down (1985-1989) and her role as Marnie Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks (2016–2022).
Tamzin Maria Outhwaite is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, including army series Red Cap and crime drama New Tricks.
Gwen Taylor is an English actress who has appeared in many British television programmes. She is known for her roles as Amy Pearce in the sitcom Duty Free (1984–1986); Barbara Liversidge in the sitcom Barbara (1999–2003); Peggy Armstrong in the drama series Heartbeat (2005–2009), Anne Foster in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2011–2012), and Vi Highway in BBC One soap opera EastEnders (2021–2023). She was nominated for the 1990 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role as Rita Simcock in the comedy series A Bit of a Do (1989). Her film appearances include Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) and The Lady in the Van (2015).
Kelly Jane Shirley, known professionally as Kellie Shirley is an English actress who works in film, television, theatre and radio. She hails from Croydon via a large Northern Irish family. She has also co-presented programmes for BBC2 and Channel 5. She is known for her role as Kirsty De La Croix in Sky One returning, comedy series in the Long Run created by Idris Elba. She is also perhaps best known for the role of Carly Wicks in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She returned to the soap in September 2012 for a short dramatic storyline. Other notable credits include The Office and the feature films Bull King of Thieves and Wimbledon.
Dichen Lachman is an Australian actress and model. She earned recognition starring as Katya Kinski in the soap opera Neighbours (2005–2007) and as Sierra in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama series Dollhouse (2009–2010).
Rebecca Jane Lacey is an English actress. She is best known for playing Dr. George Woodman in Casualty and Hilary in May to December and for her stage work in the West End and The RSC.
Vineeta Rishi, is an English actress, known for playing Jas Khella in the BBC One soap opera Doctors.
Robert Andrew Wass, known professionally as Bobby Knutt, was an English actor and comedian. He was known throughout his acting career for appearing as Albert Dingle in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale and in Coast to Coast, a film with Lenny Henry, and in his final years for the role of Eddie Dawson in the ITV sitcom Benidorm. Before making his name in British television, he had appeared in another ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, from 1980 to 1983 portraying Ron Sykes.
Craig Gazey is a British stage and television actor, best known for his portrayal of Graeme Proctor in the ITV soap Coronation Street.
The Cavanaughs is a 2010 soap opera web series follows a group of friends who reunite after working on a failed television pilot, and then come together to create a television sitcom entitled The Cavanaughs. Along the way, they find themselves creating a family of their own.
Trevor Morgan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Alex Ferns. He first made a one-episode stint on 21 December 2000 before reappearing as a regular cast member and gradually the show's main antagonist from 17 April 2001 to his last appearance on 1 November 2002.
