I heard a man say today you can tell if a TV show is a soap, even if the sound is down.

[raccoon]

I think you can too. Leaving aside the time of day they're on, what is it that's different?

I think for one thing, more female characters than many TV dramas/sitcoms have.

This man said it was lighting. :shrug:

Any others?

[Phillycat]

1. It's something about the way it looks.

I think maybe it's shot on digital instead of film? Like porn. Er, ALLEGEDLY.

[DS1]

3. soft focus

[B3Nut]

2. Soaps have always had peculiar lighting styles

harsher than normal, the scenes have a "hard" quality. I've noticed that for years, even back when you had to get up and turn a knob to change the channel and adjust the rabbit ears.

(nowadays I just have to get up to adjust the rabbit ears, we don't have cable. ;) )

[raccoon]

4. I use rabbit ears too. I'll use them until you pry them from my cold dead fingers....

No, I guess in Feb. I'll have to decide to fish or cut bait.

[democracyindanger]

5. Cheap sets.

Sure, they're probably the same quality as sitcom sets, but because the shots are generally tighter in a soap you can really see the pasteboardy-ness of the walls.

[RadiationTherapy]

6. The physical acting makes it so obvious. nt

[Richardo]

7. I think it's the use of (cheap) video instead of (expensive) film

...at least that was the case in covered wagon days.