Although apparently based on real life, the drama and action that goes on in some of our favourite soaps is a little far-fetched, if not slightly unbelievable. A murder, a tram crash and an arson all in one week – you can’t help but feel sorry for all of the characters. However despite the ‘realistic’ plots, 18-24 year olds are three times more likely to be influenced by a soap story line than someone over 55, whilst 42% admit to being emotionally attached to their favourite. Over 45% of 18-24 year olds watch Eastenders every week without fail while Coronation Street’s Tina topped the list of characters that people can most relate to. Really?
Just to reiterate quite how dramatic British soaps can be, The First 4 Lawyers team ran an albeit rather tongue-in-cheek survey in an attempt to assess how risky it is to be a character in the nation’s favourite soaps, which has been presented in a rather fun info-graphic. Peggy Mitchell, ever at the forefront of Albert Square drama, could have claimed a whopping £25,600 for the Queen Vic Fire a little while back whilst Doug Carter would have been owed £8,000 for the wedding bus crash. Coronation Street’s crime hotspot is The Rovers Return Inn, and if you’re unfortunate enough to be engaged to Gail Platt, then you’ve got a 20% chance of surviving and an equal chance of turning out to be a serial killer.
The most dangerous soap of all is Hollyoaks, with numerous arson attacks, buses crashing into your wedding venue and a large probability you’ll get trapped in the rubble of a collapsing building, however EastEnders follows closely behind.
What’s your favourite soap? Do you find them realistic or too dramatic to represent real life?
