American soaps

Usually about wealthy families

Characters have defining traits

American soaps are usually glamorous, have big storylines, and also are usually quite

emotional also dramatic

American soaps are syndicated meaning that the soaps can only be broadcasted to 3 states

and a time and then networks come into play where they air it into 3 other states and so on

Dallas – money, oil, cowboys, the oil is paying for the city, the helicopter is a P.O.V of what

this person is seeing. People who are living the American dream. Jolly tune, very glamorous.

(1ST SEASON, 1978)

Dallas – more money, blowing up their own land to strike more oil, it is turning into greed

and corruption, still the American dream however more evil. At the beginning there is a

montage of cut away shots of the actors to show that we only need a split second to

recognise the characters, we have become culturally attached to the characters. (13TH

SEASON, 1991.) They have now refreshed the genre so they can attract new audiences.

Dynasty – direct rivalry with Dallas.