Soap Opera // Current

Strike for India's soap operas

India's successful TV entertainment industry has been disrupted by a strike undertaken by thousands of workers. The workers... more

ClareW
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Soap Stars talk about the Presidential Election

Nancy Lee Grahn hosts an event in which the soap actresses from The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, and General... more

HDE
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Ex-EastEnder 'dying of cancer'

Former EastEnders star Wendy Richard is dying of cancer, she has revealed. The 65-year-old, who played Pauline Fowler in the... more

DonkeyPong
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The Ville (Rough cut).

As part of my tour of Chicago comedy, I stopped in at the home of The Ville to ask some questions and to get some free comedy. ... more

AceHardchester
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Soap abuse plot sparks complaints

A soap-opera storyline in which a man has a relationship with a 15-year-old girl has prompted over 150 complaints to the BBC and... more

rwylie
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Give us a plug: Cambridge Uni asks TV soaps for help

Cambridge University has asked script-writers of popular soaps such as Coronation Street and EastEnders to give it a plug to help... more

purplefox
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Jelly Belly quits Neighbours for good

Ramsey St. legend Harold Bishop, played by Ian Smith, is making a permanent departure from the Aussie soap in October. The... more

richjm
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Soap opera radically changes traditional Arab gender roles

A Turkish soap opera is radically changing traditional expectations of gender roles thanks to its inspiring supportive male and independent female characters, MSNBC reports.

A relative newcomer to Arab TV, the Turkish soap opera "Noor" has helped narrow the gender gap between men and women across the Middle East.

Women see the lead female character – the independent, aspiring fashion designer Noor -- as a role model. Meantime, her husband on the show -- the blue-eyed former model and athlete Mohannad -- has become the region’s first pin-up boy.

The nightly soap opera has mainly female viewers glued to their TV sets not only because Mohannad is a cuter version of Justin Timberlake, but because he offers something many lack in their lives: romance, tenderness and a supportive partner to his independent wife. Mohannad has become the standard against which many Arab men are being judged, much to their chagrin.

In Saudi Arabia, where about one in seven people tunes in each night, men circulated the rumor that Kivanc Tatlitug, the actor who plays Mohannad, is gay, which left female viewers distraught until the rumor was dispelled.

"Mohannad" and "Noor" are now the hottest babies' names in Saudi – even though the religious establishment has condemned the show. A top Saudi cleric forbade viewers from watching the "malicious" soap operas that "corrupt and spread vice" and has also declared that any TV station airing them is against God. This has put Saudi-owned Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC), which airs the show three times a day, at loggerheads with Saudi religious leaders.

The series has not only made Saudi women aware of the failings of their partners, but the advantages engendered by a more liberal, tolerant Islamic society such as Turkey.

"It is eye opening for Saudi women. They haven't seen such a sensitive, passionate, giving personality," explained Dr. Fawzaya Abu Khalid, a writer and women's activist based in Riyadh.

For many women, the show has opened a whole new world and a lot of men aren’t happy about it. "Men feel threatened. It is the first time women have a role model for male beauty and passion and can compare him with their husbands," said Abu Khalid. "It is the first time they found out their husbands are not nice, that they are not being treated the way they should be, and that there is an option outside."

What do you think? Can TV really change the world? If so, what kind of characters in TV programmes would ypu like to see on screen?
A Turkish soap opera is radically changing traditional expectations of gender roles thanks to its inspiring supportive male and... more