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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

For wanting a light hearted soap on telly?

54 replies

enchantedspleen · 07/12/2019 18:27

As it says on the tin really. I don't want anything mushy or sappy or brainless, but I miss watching soaps and just enjoying a good storyline. Most soaps seem to be trying to outdo eachother with misery porn storylines and it's just not relaxing or fun to watch- in fact they stress me out!

Am I being silly?

OP posts:
DartmoorChef · 07/12/2019 18:32

I like Hollyoaks as it is a good mix of funny as well as drama.

AllergicToAMop · 07/12/2019 18:43

Do you have any streaming service?
Modern family is awesome 😁

cheesemumma · 07/12/2019 20:21

Me too! I want a lovely Sunday night sitcom. That's not going to cause me anxiety to watch. I cant figure out why tv hadn't identified this already. Nice, happy stuff is so popular; bake off, Downton abbey. The world is a total cluster fuck atm, I want something soothing to takeaway my mind off it. Do you remember fat friends? I've started watching that online again. It's that old it's like it's brand new. 😆😆

TheNameGames · 07/12/2019 20:32

I like Hollyoaks but you can hardly call it light hearted! What with the multiple serial killers, rapes, murders, affairs, long lost family members who turn out to be mentally insane etc.

What about Doctors? I always thought of it as boring but I've seen a couple of episodes in the last few weeks and it kept me entertained Smile

What happened to ITV Sunday shows, like Wild at Heart? I used to love that Blush

Graphista · 07/12/2019 21:06

Such shows aren't given a chance on Uk tv.

Jason Manford recently had a lovely and sharp sitcom on but it received very little publicity and had a dreadful time slot and so didn't get a huge audience and wasn't renewed.

A pattern I've noticed a lot in recent years...

No offence, raised by wolves and other lighthearted but cleverly written and entertaining fare isn't well supported by those with the power to do so.

Are these shows more expensive to make somehow?

I also wonder if it's because they contain strong female characters that aren't necessarily very young/good looking?

So some misogyny may be involved.

I also think Uk programmers don't allow for series to be longer than 6-8 episodes now certainly the first season which in my opinion is not long enough for viewers to get comfortable with the characters or the show.

USA shows run for 20+ episodes per season which gives viewers enough time to really invest in them.

I very rarely watch "real" tv now I usually watch streaming services and quite honestly I end up watching older series usually American. The quality is just so much better

We need to invest more in our entertainment industry, we have among the very best actors, writers, directors, technical workers, costumers etc in the world but we can't hold onto them because there isn't the work for them.

When was the last time something of the quality of say downton abbey was made in the uk? Or morse? Or only fools?

Other shows still going are not the quality they used to be, I used to be an avid casualty fan but it just got really silly and the quality of the writing and acting really deteriorated.

The schedules are also full of non-fiction/reality shows which I imagine is because they are cheap to make as no need to pay writers, costumers, the "cast" don't expect high wages if they're even paid at all if they're "ordinary" people beyond expenses.

It's a disgrace that this is where we've ended up with all the talent we have here.

Camomila · 07/12/2019 21:13

I was also going to say hollyoaks (apart from the serial killer!)

Mallorca Files? on in the day time on BBC2 I think...follows 2 detectives in Mallorca, the scenery is nice.

DorothyParkersCat · 07/12/2019 21:18

BRING BACK SUNSET BEACH

I keep hoping this will appear on Netflix. It had everything. Sun, sea, glamour and the most hilarious plot lines. At the start it took itself more seriously but it grew and towards the end it really had full embraced it's parody status with fantastic results.

Remember the turkey baster anyone?

UnitedRoad · 07/12/2019 21:19

Doctors is a hidden gem. It’s on at a ridiculous time though, so if you don’t know about it, you won’t find it. Most people are at work, or if they’re at home, will be thinking about picking kids up from school.

It’s fairly light hearted, and you get the odd surreal episode. I love it, and sky plus it, and binge watch.

If ever a tv programme needed an omnibus it’s Doctors.

backouch · 07/12/2019 21:20

Neighbours was always easy to watch

hotcrossbun4321 · 07/12/2019 21:23

Sunset Beach was insane! I was getting nostalgic for Neighbours the other day as I remembered it being quite lighthearted. I comfort watch Gavin and Stacey on repeat.

If you have Netflix, Greenleaf is a trashy soapy drama about a black megachurch in the US. Silly, glamorous and escapist.

DorothyParkersCat · 07/12/2019 21:51

If you have Netflix, Greenleaf is a trashy soapy drama about a black megachurch in the US. Silly, glamorous and escapist.

Oooo @hotcrossbun4321 I'm quite excited by this recommendation if its from a Sunset Beach fan. Tell me more!! Will I like it?

Squirrel134 · 07/12/2019 21:56

@DorothyParkersCat
Oh Sunset Beach, that brings back memories, I was pregnant. In hospital in the TV room, someone asked what it was about. & in 5 mins. I was able to summarise it, tough pregnancy.

It was hilarous, over-acting. Very soothing, the total madness. Remember Cole?
Happy (& stressful) days Grin

hotcrossbun4321 · 07/12/2019 21:58

@dorothyparkerscat - it's a family drama, some gritty subjects covered in earlier series (historic sexual abuse), but mostly lighthearted, lots of scheming and plotting with a backdrop of glam outfits and houses!

nitgel · 07/12/2019 22:00

I loved sunset beach too

70sWitch · 07/12/2019 22:00

YANBU Bring back Acorn Antiques!

DorothyParkersCat · 07/12/2019 22:03

^it's a family drama, some gritty subjects covered in earlier series (historic sexual abuse), but mostly lighthearted, lots of scheming and plotting with a backdrop of glam outfits and houses!*

Scheming, plotting, glam outfits and houses sounds very Sunset Beach. Not so sure about the historic sexual abuse.

I do miss Sunset Beach. I loved Annie's scheming to get Ben.

Remember the crazy nanny who was secretly the gf of Ben's evil twin who turned up with the boy that they pretended was Ben's son? Or was he really Ben's son? I can't remember how many double bluffs.

That really was top lighthearted trash TV.

DorothyParkersCat · 07/12/2019 22:10

This thread has made me google Sunset Beach. For anyone unfamiliar with it's brilliance here are some plot lines as summarised on its wikipedia page

o Virginia drugged Vanessa and, using a turkey baster and some stolen sperm, impregnated her with the child of Tyus Robinson, to make it appear Vanessa had been unfaithful to Michael, who was sterile.

o reformed jewel thief Cole Deschanel and local heiress Caitlin Richards became a couple. Cole slept with and impregnated both Caitlin and Caitlin's unhappily married, alcoholic mother Olivia.

o Olivia and her fiendish husband, Gregory, planned to steal Caitlin's baby and pass it off as Olivia's (telling Caitlin her baby had died) in order to break up Caitlin's relationship with Cole, who her parents disapproved of because of his criminal past. Caitlin lost the child in a car accident when she found out about her parents' horrible plan, and planned to fake the rest of her pregnancy and adopt a baby to pass off as her own, as she was worried her inability to have children (caused by the accident) would cause problems in her marriage to Cole.

o several of the show's main characters were stranded on an island with a masked serial killer (whose costume bore a close resemblance to that of the killer from Scream) intent on killing them.

o Sunset Beach was struck by a massive earthquake, trapping many characters – most of them each other's rival – together in life and death situations. While half the cast battled the disaster on land, the rest of the cast was on a pleasure cruise aboard a ship that was overturned – à la The Poseidon Adventure – by a tsunami created by the earthquake

Squirrel134 · 07/12/2019 22:18

Doctors is great - does have some interesting story lines. Obviously, it is not a normal surgery 'cos they can always rush off and solve various melodramas - where are all the patients? The MN thread is brilliant for catching up and just 'group' watching.

  • Green, Green, Grass was good.
  • Out in the Country was hilarious & we absolutely loved it - they have stopped it now. But, we always think of those who go on Escape to the Country, only to sell up a year later when they can't hack 'the country'.
  • Detectorists - nice and gentle, also finished.
  • Outnumbered and My Family have been back on recently. They are true classic comedies- although my bugbear is the 'happy family' cliche.
DH and I really like King of the Hill - it is gentle & funny, if you don't mind American cartoons. Family Guy, I have my moments. If you like murder dramas with a comedy touch - Brokenwood Mysteries & Murdoch Mysteries - on Drama

I don't have satellite so don't know what else is being repeated. Gold and UKTV have more stuff
Enjoy Grin

Blahblahblahnanana · 07/12/2019 22:18

I know what you mean and like to binge watch easy to watch dramas/comedies which are a bit like soaps.

I really like Doc Martin on ITV it’s a bit like a light hearted soap. Other things I’ve enjoyed and found easy viewing and funny similar to soaps are workin’ moms on Netflix, Warren on BBC1, Man down on channel 4 and cuckoo on BBC three as there are lots of episodes to download. Also better things on bbc2 is good.

CalleighDoodle · 07/12/2019 22:19

Neighbours.

TheNameGames · 07/12/2019 22:53

I LOVED Sunset Beach!! When I was 15/16 Channel 5 used to show it at a stupidly timed slot at 5:30am or something like that (maybe it was more near to 7:30 but, I was a teenager.. anything other than 11am was 'early') and I used to wake myself up every day to watch it. I remember the turkey baster storyline! Remember when they all got cursed by the evil jewels lol?

I don't see why the BBC doesn't slip a repeated Doctors episode into the old early evening slot that they used to show Neighbours in. Going off topic, but this was when I started to not hold TV ratings into regard any more. Apparently there was a 300,000 viewing drop from Neighbours on BBC1 on Friday to Neighbours on Channel 5 on Monday. People with BARB boxes that measure ratings were clearly leaving BBC1 on out of habit in that timeslot or else why the sudden drop? Why else would Neighbours lose so many viewers in the space of two days?

longwayoff · 07/12/2019 23:24

I hate all the soaps equally, can't believe the audiences they get no wonder people are so aggressive and despondent. And the numbers of children absorbing their messages. GRIM. Yes, something less depressing would be a great improvement. As I recall, Fred West, depraved serial killer, wouldn't let his children watch Eastenders, too depressing for them. Make of that what you will.

OwlinaTree · 07/12/2019 23:30

I love doctors!

Squirrel134 · 08/12/2019 00:27

Thanks for the full recap on Sunset Beach, I knew I enjoyed it. So easy on the mind, and the beautiful people...
Probably like the Bold & the Beautiful (didn't really watch that) and Knots Landing (into that for a while)
can't believe that was almost 21 years ago!
Grin

DorothyParkersCat · 08/12/2019 13:36

Remember when they all got cursed by the evil jewels lol?

Oh yes. Wasn't that sort of related to that story with Gabby (?) falling in love with a priest (?) who was supposed to officiate at a big series wedding when there was an earthquake? Maybe caused by the evil jewels?

This is probably all wrongly remembered!!!

Why isn't this masterpiece on Netflix or Amazon or even box set DVD??? The world is missing out.