Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give up on the 'soaps'

94 replies

Unicorn1981 · 26/09/2016 09:32

Seriously I am watching EE, Emmerdale and Coronation Street. The latter I still quite like but they are all pretty boring with the same predictable storylines. Thing is I've been watching them so long it's like a habit! Has anyone stopped watching and not missed them?

OP posts:
ample · 26/09/2016 22:51

No soap watching here.
An elderly and wise person once asked me if I watched soap operas because my life was empty Confused.
I was then advised told to go 'live it'
I stopped not long after. The grey haired gent was right. 20 so years later and I don't miss any of it.

FloatyFlo · 26/09/2016 23:01

Up until a few months ago I watched emmerdale, corrie, eastenders and Hollyoaks. Then I realised I was just watching them out of habit and how boring they actually are! Especially eastenders!

It was also taking away time I should have been using to study for my college course so I gave them up.

I still watch hollyoaks. As my lecturer said everybody needs some head bubblegum.

And I didn't mind emmerdale but I got so far behind the episodes, they began to drop off the itvplayer before I'd get a chance to catch up. Now I can't be bothered.

I don't miss them at all and have no interest in what's going on in the latest storylines

nebulae · 26/09/2016 23:04

I gave up on them about ten years ago, have never missed them. I don't know how I found the time to watch them all. I couldn't possibly find 60-90 mins a day to watch them now. Far better things to do. Like arse around on MN Grin

CheekyMcgee · 26/09/2016 23:24

I'm still watching EE out of habit but I'm so bored by it. I don't care about any of the characters and can't bear the constant shouting and wingeing. There is no other tones to EE apart from misery, misery, misery.

I started watching Corrie again about a year ago after not watching it for years and frequently find myself laughing at the humour. Like the twin sisters in the hairdressers last week. And corrie actually know how to show genuine pain and hurt. So I've decided to stop watching EE from tomorrow and do something more productive with that 30 mins like faff about on MN and taking notes about the different types of zoflora!

avamiah · 26/09/2016 23:38

I used to love watching East Enders but after the whole Babe situation and her blackmailing Les etc and getting locked in the freezer, i think EE writers have lost the plot.
I stopped watching it when Mick and the family found out about Les and how Babe was blackmailing him and did nothing.
And then the robbery of Ian's restaurant and how thats just blown over and then there is Jane, bloodyhell she would make you suicidal just watching her.
Enough is Enough.

Original poster
Unicorn1981 · 27/09/2016 07:36

I can't believe what they did to Jane. How much bad luck can a person have? Phil Mitchell is really annoying me too. I think I'll watch them if they're on but not trying to keep up anymore. There's so much on Netflix I want to watch. I guess I'm a creature of habit though and worry when I break my habits. However if I'm doing it because of that its a bit of a waste of time. In thinking about doing a course so need the time for that.

OP posts:
kimlo · 27/09/2016 07:42

I stopped watching them a few years ago.

I only listen to the archers now, much shorter and I catch up on them while folding washing or cleaning the kitchen. The advabtage is there aren't as many spoilers so mistly I don't know whats going to happen.

onemorecupofcoffeefortheroad · 27/09/2016 07:45

I used to watch Corrie and Emmerdale ... gave up about 10 yrs ago and have never looked back. I'd rather read a book or chat to my OH and kids.

Chikara · 27/09/2016 08:05

I stopped completely about 3 or 4 years ago. Mainly EE and "The Archers" (which I had been listening to for over twenty years). Don't miss it at all.

They just got silly, (The death of Nigel and the ridiculous affair with Jolene in The Archers; Kat/ Alfie, various murders and unlikely affairs in EE).

The behaviour was so awful with no consequences. Shouting, moaning, aggressive language. And some truly dreadful acting - again Jolene, Clarrie, Christine in The Archers; Phil, Kat, Ben and most of the EE cast in fact.

And it was tedious - but I felt I "had to" - just to see what happened.

Don't like the way soap actors are "celebrities" and their lives are all over the papers - a parallel reality. (And they all say "my character" thinks)

Don't miss it at all. Feel relieved. When all the Archers stuff was in the news recently I was just glad I didn't feel I had to listen.

Do it OP
.

TheNaze73 · 27/09/2016 08:12

I only watch EE. Gave up on Coronation Street years ago.
They were both better when they were only on twice a week but, it's more quantity than quality these days

The80sweregreat · 27/09/2016 08:31

I only watch EE, but out of habit and a sense of loyalty I think. It has got better lately I think. Out of interest I tried Corrie one night but I am so out of the loop ( last watched 1989!) I had no idea who was who, although I do know a few faces from the TV guide /newspapers and I am sure that constant watching would bring me up to speed, but I just couldn't be bothered. My mum preferred Emmerdale , it has better looking men I've heard!

flirtygirl · 27/09/2016 09:32

Gave up neighbours and home and away 15 years ago then most british soaps including casualty 10 years ago and ee last about 9 years ago, felt my brain cells were dying.

Dont have more time though as watch american cop and medical dramas instead like the blacklist, greys anatomy and bones.

flirtygirl · 27/09/2016 09:33

And still feel my brain cells are dying but much more entertained.

PocketWatch · 27/09/2016 09:34

I gave up on all the British soaps about four years ago. Don't miss them one bit!
But I have continued to watch the Aussie soaps h&a and neighbours because they are so much lighter and happier and I love the escapism.

Lindt70Percent · 27/09/2016 09:42

Yes, I've watched all of them over the years but stopped about 3 years ago. It's fabulous. When the actor in Corrie was in the news yesterday about racist tweets I had absolutely no idea who they were.

MsVestibule · 27/09/2016 09:47

I used to watch all of them, but about 15 years ago, I dropped them all apart from Coronation Street. Even after having two babies in 20 months, I still never missed an episode.

A couple of years ago, I started recording the omnibus edition instead and watched it while the DCs were at school. Even though I could FF through the adverts, I realised I was wasting 2 hours every week - watching it for 2 hours solid made me realise how crap it was and decided that if I had 2 hours spare a week, I'd rather watch a good film.

I can honestly say that I didn't miss it in the slightest. I barely noticed I'd stopped watching. If only I could crack my MN addiction as easily...

The80sweregreat · 27/09/2016 09:47

I didn't know who the actor was either about the hate tweets. not a clue.
The one who plays david platt is evil and Gail is still in it. that's my current knowledge. there is also a mum and daughter who like sisters? I think the Rovers is still standing..

Vixster99 · 27/09/2016 09:48

I hate EE & stopped watching ages ago, & I stopped watching Neighbours when it changed channel. Never watched Hollyoaks.

I don't like Emmerdale but DH is a fan so I do watch sometimes.

But I love Corrie. I'm a Northerner and find a lot of the characters are people I know irl. It can be annoying, predictable, full of stereotypes, bad acting (and unsuitable casting, eg Bethany as someone else mentioned), but I find quite a lot of humour in it. But if Phelan doesn't get his comeuppance soon I might be driven away.

Personally I'm an Archers fan, you'll not get me away from that (well, possibly when Joe Grundy dies....) Hearing the Rob/Helen stuff was excruciating at times, but I couldn't fault the research that backed up the storyline. In comparison, some of the TV soaps are very poorly researched so the storylines are weak and unsatisfactory. What happened about all the debt that Tyrone got into last Christmas?

Lindt70Percent · 27/09/2016 09:51

Vixster99, I'm an Archers fan too. It's the only soap I haven't given up on yet.

pollyblack · 27/09/2016 09:54

Stopped watching them when I had kids and realised what a waste of time they were. More liberating than you'd think.

MsStricty · 27/09/2016 09:56

Misery porn, all of it. And highly addictive. Feel your state-of-mind change when you stop watching it.

Laiste · 27/09/2016 09:57

Home and Away! That was the other one i used to watch! Thank you that poster Grin

Dr Karl and Susan are still in Neighbors?! Lord. It must be weird spending such a massive chunk of your life playing one character. Like Ian Beal in Ender's. You must end up with an almost split personality!

Original poster
Unicorn1981 · 28/09/2016 12:34

Hi all, well I was watching Emmerdale last night (recorded from the night before) and it was an effort. I decided to delete the next episode once Ross and Charity started planning to steal dogs! And cancelled the series link so that's one down. I still like Corrie but not trying to keep up just watch it when it's on. Also Emmerdale is on when I'm putting dd to bed so I always end up playing catch up. Eastenders may go too. I'm still liking Holby and watched that when it was on last night. If I'd been watching soaps I wouldn't have had time.

OP posts:
Egoanono · 28/09/2016 12:37

Just Corrie these days but it is pretty rubbish

ThePinkOcelot · 28/09/2016 12:43

I stopped watching them all years ago. Can honestly say I don't miss them at all! They were all much of a muchness, following the same story lines. Tedious and boring.

Swipe left for the next trending thread