SEX, LIES AND SOAPS
PROGRAMME 3: FAMILY CONFLICT
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
00.00 – 02.10
Introduction: Family conflict is at the heart of every soap, from the screaming arguments in The OC to the violent family brawls in EastEnders and the mothers who kidnap their daughters in Coronation Street. But does this reflect real families or encourage dysfunctional family relationships? Orly, 19, argues that soap family conflicts are far more dramatic than real life.
02.11 – 04.24
So why is there so much family drama in soaps? Sensational family stories win ratings. Anti-TV psychologist Aric Sigman claims that soap families must be dysfunctional to encourage audiences to 'stare at the screen as if they were watching a bad accident on the motorway'. We see clips of family meltdown from Coronation Street and EastEnders, after which writer and series consultant Tony Jordan argues that drama is conflict; soap stories are unapologetically about 'heightened reality', and overblown storytelling is the nature of drama.
04.25 – 07.30
Some teens don't identify with the amount of family drama in soaps. But soaps can also reflect petty family squabbles, drawing on an element of voyeurism in a recognisable domestic setting – that could be my family! It's the family relationships that give soaps their broad appeal – different storylines for different family members. Coronation Street writer Daran Little explains the universal drama of a Sunday family dinner and the conflict it can unleash; its often the petty things – like 'who's finished the milk? – that start the rows. Viewers agree that such soap arguments do reflect the irritations of family life, and that young people can empathise with them.
07.31 – 12.07
Perhaps the most common source of soap conflict is the mother-daughter relationship, particularly abrasive in The OC, where Marissa regularly publicly humiliates her mother. Beverly Hills OC fans Jilli and Jenna, from a similar background, recognise the tendency to take your anger out on your mother. British soaps share this type of storyline, but British teens don't identify with the irrational way Coronation Street's Sally Webster handles wayward daughter Rosie, even though the conflict is eventually resolved.
12.08 – 15.44
Steve Frost, executive producer of Coronation Street, believes soap conflict allows teens to relate to problems similar to their own; this can be reassuring and provide the basis for dialogue and, thus, problem-solving. However, some storylines can stretch mother-daughter conflicts unrealistically far, as in the recent Hollyoaks storyline where pushy mum Cathy Barnes wants her daughter to enter for the Olympics, and breaks up her relationship… by sleeping with her boyfriend. This was universally panned by teen viewers.
15.45 – 17.55
Does watching family conflict in soaps have an effect on teenage behaviour? Aric Sigman alleges four recent studies show it leads to teens becoming more confrontational, and that confrontational behaviour in soaps is copied by teenage girls whether they think they're doing so or not. Some teens partially agree with this view, but few producers are convinced, even though they would love to feel soaps had an influence. They believe that, whilst the vast majority of viewers accept that soaps may reflect aspects of their life, ultimately they're only stories.
17.56 – 21.20
Soaps always seek fresh ways to inject drama into their storylines, and introducing new family members is a useful tactic. Sometimes whole new families arrive – but creating a new family from scratch can be risky. Tony Jordan credits the success of new EastEnders families to their connections with popular existing characters, such as the Wicks, who are related to Pat Butcher. However, savvy teen audiences are not always impressed.
21.21 – end
Hollyoaks, previously less committed to strong family storylines, has now put families back at the centre of the show, with the Valentine's conflict with the Dean family. Ultimately, success depends on getting the right actors, the right chemistry and the right story. It will always be difficult to determine how far teens' behaviour is influenced by family conflict in soaps; it's a two-way process. But one thing is certain; they'll always find them great to watch.
