All of this soap nonsense...soap? Coronation Street isn't a soap, not according to the Granada bunch anyway. Oh no, darling, it is a drama serial - and a serious one at that! Certain actors, especially Bill Roache, will only refer to the programme as a drama serial and in the early days, the Street tried its best to disassociate itself with the American term 'soap opera', which usually described a programme with low production values whose characters were ridiculously wealthy.
The meaning of the word 'soap' has now shifted firmly into British English and its usage describes Coronation Street and its contemporaries like Emmerdale, EastEnders and Hollyoaks, but will Granada (or is that ITV Productions?) ever let the drama serial tag slip? Should they? [Ben]
Want to read more of our trip through the Corrie alphabet? Click here.
From: Coronation Street: August 30, 8.30pm. Will Hayley get to the wedding