Why do they tell you what is about to happen in a soap?

[TeacupTempest]

I have not watched much TV over recent years as we havn't had one and just watched stuff online (just because we travelled around) so am wondering if it has always been like this and I didn't notice or if it's a new thing.

I am breastfeeding (stuck to sofa) and am taking the opportunity to watch some of the soaps and much more TV in general really. Why pray tell, do they ruin every single story line by telling you the outcome before it even aires?

Every inane morning programme seems to have a feature on what will be happening in tonight's/next weeks episode of Emmerdale, Corrie etc.

Surely this ruins things?

It's driving me mad! Like find out the results of a match before you watch it (I imagine)

AIBU?

It's to grip you for the next episode. May I recommend Doctors BBC1 1.45? It is bonkers and great at the same time, there's a big thread in Telly Addicts. We all watch but nobody really knows what's going on.

But they tell you exactly what is about to happen. I don't understand. It ruins the "grip".

Don't tempt me with more! I am weak!

But you see they do that with Doctors but it is helpful because it's all so ridiculous.

Maybe switch off as soon as the music starts to avoid 'The next time on.....'

Oh I do. Many a time DD has had the remote dropped on her head as I rush to get to the mute button in time, eyes closed, to avoid them.

I miss the days when Coronation Street was on just twice a week - Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30 pm, and also watching the one hour (considered at the time to be very long) omnibus edition of Brookside on a Saturday afternoon with a large slice of cake and a cuppa after a hard day's shopping, before getting ready to go out for the evening.

The makers of the soaps are so desperate to get the audiences, and the story-lines are so ridiculous and diluted because they're now on TV so frequently. Previewing is the only way to get people to watch them, and when you have watched them you realise that all the best bits were in the previews.

I'd stick to The Archers instead.

When we were on the move we listened to the Archers but, well, not a lot seemed to actually happen. Every time something nearly got interesting it all just sort of worked out in a reasonable and polite way. I also spent most of the 15 mins having to explain to DH who was who and what was happening thus missing what was happening at the time!

Maybe soaps are not for me. I get too frustrated!

Teacup - you're too kind - I just bought my DH a book "Who's Who in the Archers". Comes complete with relevant family trees. In fact, I found the family tree in the front of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo invaluable and I wish more books would have them!

5 minutes til Doctors.