soaps
n. plural-onlyn. popular television stories about the daily lives and problems of a group of people. These shows usually play every day or every week for many years.
n. serialized television dramas focusing on the domestic lives and interpersonal relationships of a recurring cast. Often characterized by sentimental or melodramatic plotlines and continuous, open-ended narratives.
My grandmother watches her favorite soaps every afternoon.
The actor became a household name after appearing in one of the country's longest-running soaps for over a decade.
While critics often dismiss soaps as low-brow entertainment, their ability to maintain audience engagement over several decades provides a unique case study in narrative endurance and parasocial relationships.
Informal shortening of 'soap operas'; typically used in the plural when referring to the genre or multiple programs.