Soap

The antics of a wealthy family, the Tates, and a working-class family, the Campbells, in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut.

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.

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.

• Mary Hartman, Mary Hartmanshared parody of soap opera conventions, comedic takedown of domestic melodrama, ensemble sitcom
• Arrested Developmentshared sitcom form satirizing family melodrama, ensemble of quirky neighbors, adultery and scandal played for laughs
• Desperate Housewivesshared workplace-free domestic comedy with absurd escalation and sharp social satire

Created by

Susan Harris

Release Date

1977-09-13

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (69)

What is Soap about?

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.

What is Soap like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Soap as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Soap violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Soap as mild.

What did critics think of Soap?

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.

Which shows are like Soap?

Shows with a similar feel include Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Arrested Development, and Desperate Housewives.

How long is Soap?

Soap: 4 seasons, 85 episodes.

Is Soap still running?

No, Soap has ended.

Where can I watch Soap?

In United States, Soap streams on The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, Howdy Amazon Channel.