Soap Opera

I admit it; I can't get enough of trashy TV. I devour soaps, and the more ridiculous they are the better. Now I can get my fix online with the dramedy series Beverly Hills Salon. The will they won't they relationship of Jon and Piper, along with the saga of the mysterious serial killer The Gardener, has me on the edge of my seat. I just wonder when these people find the time to cut hair!

As a closet fan of soap operas, I was thrilled to discover the entertainment channel We Love Soaps TV. Unlike so many series, this web program celebrates the often ridiculed dramatic genre.

However its emphasis on American soap operas wears thin. With the UK, Australia, and New Zealand all producing long running soaps, it's a shame they don’t get a look in, especially with so many US ones disappearing from the TV landscape.

In classic telenovela style comes Luck and the Virgin, a comedic soap opera set in small town Mexico. This is a fun series with a lot of potential, but I wonder whether the 60-second format does it justice. It feels almost as if we just get interested before the episode is over. Thankfully new eps are added twice weekly, so we're never left waiting too long for the next installment.

A cavalcade of familiar soap stars brings to life web drama series Gotham. These popular soap stars from TV programs like As The World Turns and General Hospital and its over-the-top storylines are the key to its success. There may not be anything revolutionary here, but it's fun and frothy as all good soaps should be.

Many webseries strive to shine a light on real life. Others like new drama series Dangerous Women revel in absurdity. The series sees The Evil Dead actresses Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly reunited as suburban housewives with evil doubles. The premise is ridiculous, but if you suspend your disbelief it's a lot of fun.

The world of pharmaceutical sales provides the backdrop for R/X, a soap-opera style webseries combining elements of comedy and drama. The tagline promises sex, drugs, and quarterly goals. While the latter may not inspire anyone to tune in, the former two certainly will!

It seems this series was made in 2007, so it's unclear why it's been sitting on the shelf for so long. The good news for fans though is that we're never left waiting too long for new episodes.

Even the most devoted soap opera fan has been known to snicker as the characters flounced about, swooning about a new love or brooding about one that's failed. So it's refreshing to find a series like Horrible People, a comedy which exploits every soap opera cliché. First class writing from its star and creator A.D. Miles have earned the webseries a cult following.

Melrose Place is back with more sex, backstabbing, beautiful people, and intrigue. This revamped soap opera takes us back to the Los Angeles apartment complex with a host of fresh faces and some old favorites. Just like the original, this is addictive but trashy television.

The Strand is a drama series which now appears online as a multi-part movie. The greatest problem with this is that all parts are sandwiched together, forcing viewers to watch them as a whole. While it might help us appreciate The Strand's artistic vision, it's not ideal for the average internet user short on time.

No one created soap operas sudsier than Aaron Spelling. In the 80s we were all enamored with Dynasty and its grand tales of the wealthy oil family, the Carringtons. It had it all: sex, rivalry, love, tragedy, and a little more sex!

CBS now has full episodes from the first season online. Hopefully it won't be too long before the other seasons join them!