For example, Eastenders has been running since 1984. There are several other conventions. .
Most soaps have up to 6-7 storylines at one time, constantly swapping between each storyline in each episode. Soaps have many characters in them, usually a whole village or estate full of people, with each person having their own storyline. .
Soaps can be called serials - the stories are continuous and run from one episode to the next, keeping people interested by staging conflicts or events which could affect some or just one of the characters. These events usually last for a few episodes. Most, if not all, stories in soaps are interwoven - or have some type of relation. Viewers are always kept in suspense. Soaps are ended at a climax, so you will watch the next episode. Why they do this I don't know, In fact I'm sure many viewers feel the same as me. It's annoying. But they obviously can't risk losing the viewers. Therefore, it has become a convention in the soap world. In soaps, each story has a different meaning - some aren't as big and important as .
the dramatic storylines. For example, Eastenders uses funny scenes with Billy or Robbie. Robbie's funny character trivialises the day-to-day rigmaroles of a growing young man. Eastenders uses these 'funny scenes' to balance the serious stories and let the major ones build up.
Soaps like Eastenders, Brookside and sometimes Coronation Street cater for people of all ages, Usually putting a young person or funny scene in. Only recently has Brookside made a storyline that involved a young teenager (12+ Years Old). The Anthony story (Bullying) involves a grave but truly serious problem that most young people are a victim of sometime in their lives. .
Another convention is the location where the soap is based, For example, Eastenders is based in a small square in East London, and Brookside is based in a Merseyside close. Coronation Street is based in a small back street in Manchester.
