What is a soap opera and where did it originate?

Soap operas have been around for a long time and have changed a lot over the years. They are often considered as the first TV genre, because they were the first to be broadcast on television.
Soap operas are soap-based dramas that usually air in daytime slots. They are most common in North America, Europe, and Australia. The term comes from the early days of radio when soap was used to describe any drama that ran during daytime hours.
History of Soap Operas by the Decades

The first soap opera was actually on the radio, but the first TV soap opera was “Painted Dreams” in 1930. It ran for only six episodes. The most popular and longest running soaps are “All My Children” (1970-2011) and “Days of our Lives” (1965-present).
Things You Didn’t Know about the Soaps!

The soap opera is a genre of television programming that has been popular for decades. Originally, they were aired on radio. The first soap opera was “Painted Dreams” which aired in 1930s. The show was about a young girl who is trying to find her way in life and love with the help of her guardian angel.
There are many things about soaps that we don’t know about and some of them are quite interesting! Let’s take a look at some of these unknown facts about soaps!
1) Soap operas are the longest-running genre on American TV – running for over 60 years. 2) The first soap opera was “Painted Dreams” which aired in 1930s. The show was about a young girl who is trying to find her way in life and love with the help of her guardian angel. 3) In 2011, there were over 24 million viewers per episode across all daytime soaps combined.