Australian soaps originated on radio in the 1940s and first aired on television in the 1950s. They follow a hybrid format of melodrama and realism, featuring realistic settings and middle-class characters along with dramatic storylines. Popular examples include Neighbours and Home and Away. Australian soaps appeal to audiences aged 15-45, especially women, through their exciting plots, attractive young casts, and focus on scandal and gossip. They have found success internationally since the 1980s, especially in the UK and US.

1. 1985 - Ongoing
1988 - Ongoing
1982 - 1987
1976 - 1983

2. Australian soaps are Soap operas which are set in
Australia such as Neighbours and Home & Away. They
usually follow the conventions associated with
Melodramatic Soaps such as Hollyoaks. They are
effectively a hybrid of melodrama soaps and realism
soaps. The majority of Australian soaps are produced for
early evening timeslots and usually release about 2 & a
half hours of footage a week. (4-5 half hour episodes).
Most Aussie soaps include a range of middle-class
characters of various ages and will feature a number of
realistic settings such as beaches, schools, Cafes etc.
Outdoor settings are frequently used.

3. Australian soaps originated in Australia and were first
broadcast over radio from the early 1940s. Some popular
Australian soaps at this time were ‘Big Sister’ & ‘Blue
Hills’. The first Australian soap to be televised was
‘Autumn Affair’ in 1958 however the series failed to
secure a sponsor and ended in 1959. In 1972 the Aussie
soap ‘Number 96’ was first screened and by 1973 became
Australia’s highest rated show after showing the unusual
and scandalous topics of: Adultery, nudity, racism, drug-
use and homosexuality. These topics were extremely
interesting to Australians and are highly evident in today’s
Australian soaps.

6. •Non- diegetic music. (Creates drama).
•Diegetic sound. (Creates realism).
•Dramatic narrative. (Melodrama)
•Cliff-hanger (tension).
•Stereotypical characters. (Boyfriend &
girlfriend).
All of these are frequently used in
Australian soaps.

7. ‘The Patriarch’. A successful entrepreneur, very
powerful man who few wish to upset.
Alf Stewart
‘The Rebel’. Heath proves troublesome for the local police, often
enjoys short term romances and is certainly brawn over brain. Despite
this his nature is not villainous and he never causes any true harm to
anyone.
Heath Braxton
‘The underdog'. Liam is a struggling rockstar whose drug addiction cost
him his marriage and custody of his son Ash. The audience feels
sympathy for him because of the on-going bad luck he faces.
Liam Murphy
‘The girl next door’. After splitting up with her Boyfriend Romeo Indigo
is constantly pursued by various male characters. She is quite seductive
and knows how to use her looks to get her own way.
Indigo Walker

8. ‘The housewife’. Gina has dedicated her life to her family having single
handedly raised her 3 sons. She is almost always associated with the
gossip within the narrative, but is never actually a part of it.
Gina palmer
‘The villain’. Johnny is a notorious gangster who killed his own brother
rather than letting him leave the gang. The audience is forced to feel
hatred for Johnny because of his selfish & evil actions.
Johnny Cooper
‘The good guy/hero’. Darryl is respected by many for his loyal & easy-
going nature. As a confident guy Darryl is not afraid of standing up for
what he believes is right.
Darryl Braxton
‘The couple’. Often appearing on screen together, Martha & Jack can
effectively be viewed as one character. The issues and scandals that
one is involved with, the other also becomes involved with.
Jack Holden & Martha Mackenzie

9. Australian soaps tend to have dramatic storylines
which are still realistic, making them a hybrid of
melodrama and realism soaps. For example in ‘The
Sullivans’ A character named John is told that his
Mother has been killed by a bomb attack however
does not struggle with the news, but instead travels
to Palestine to chase the woman of his dreams,
abandoning his family at a difficult time. This story is
extremely unlikely however it is still completely
possible, showing a mixture of both realism &
melodrama soaps.

10. The target audience for Australian soaps is about aged
15- 45 and mainly female gender. The cast tend to be
quite young and attractive, particularly in ‘Home &
Away’ & ‘Neighbours’ and so the younger audience will
aspire to be like them. The storylines of Aussie soaps
also appeal to a younger audience as they are quite
exciting & tense & also often reflect issues which young
people themselves will be facing. They also appeal to
an older audience as there is much scandal included in
the storylines which people aged 21-45 are likely to be
interested in. Females are more interested in Aussie
soaps more than males because of the large amount of
gossip & melodrama included in them.

11. Australian soaps have been successful in the UK since
the mid 1980s when ‘The Young Doctors’,
‘Neighbours’, ‘Sons & Daughters’ & ‘The Sullivans’
were broadcast on UK television, & achieved
significant success. ‘Prisoner’ was also televised in
the USA in 1979 & also achieved great success. In the
late 1980s the Aussie soaps ‘Taurus Rising’ & ‘Return
to Eden’ were created, these were an attempt to
replicate the popular American fantasy soaps
‘Dynasty’ & ‘Dallas’. Both of these were
internationally popular. Today Australian soaps such
as ‘Home & Away’ & ‘Neighbours’ are still very
popular in the UK and USA.