# Soap (1977)

> A satirical sitcom that spoofs soap opera excess through the entangled lives of a wealthy family and a working-class family in a Connecticut town.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3136

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 85
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Susan Harris
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Katherine Helmond, Cathryn Damon, Richard Mulligan, Robert Mandan, Billy Crystal, Ted Wass, Robert Guillaume, Diana Canova
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075584/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: irreverent, sardonic, campy, warm, breezy

## What critics say

Acclaimed by audiences for its sharp satire of soap opera conventions and its ensemble cast, though its first season was rated more modestly than its later run.

## Synopsis

Soap (1977-1981) is a US network sitcom created by Susan Harris for ABC that parodies the daytime serial form. Set in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut, it follows the wealthy Tate family and the working-class Campbell family, whose lives collide through marriages, affairs and family secrets. Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) and Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon) anchor the households, while Burt Campbell (Richard Mulligan), Chester Tate (Robert Mandan) and Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal) supply much of the cross-household chaos. Each episode is built like a soap installment, stacking melodramatic reversals, scandalous confessions and cliffhanger-style escalations, then undercutting them with the sharp timing of a half-hour comedy. The engine is domestic: characters chase love, status and secrets while the plots spiral into increasingly outlandish territory. Storylines run across four seasons and eighty-five episodes, with serialized arcs that carry momentum from one week to the next. Its tone is sly, irreverent and affectionate, mixing satire with genuine warmth toward its flawed people. Fans of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Arrested Development and Desperate Housewives will find resonance in its blend of soap excess and sitcom wit.

## Shows like Soap

- [The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)](https://ember.film/tv/2021)
- [Charles in Charge (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/535)
- [Dynasty (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3585)
- [Le cœur a ses raisons (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/2761)
- [Step by Step (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/2486)
- [Maude (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/2071)
- [George and Mildred (1976)](https://ember.film/tv/2296)
- [Benson (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/1745)
- [Silver Spoons (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/1967)
- [Diff'rent Strokes (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/2290)

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