The soap-operish antics of two families: the Campbells and the Tates.
Creator:
Susan Harris
Popularity
1,772
( 180)
The star of NBC's "Council of Dads" makes some unexpected picks for her own "Council of Moms," pulled from her favorite TV shows.
Related News
-
Billy Crystal movies: 12 greatest films ranked from worst to best
03 March 2020 | Gold Derby -
Fred Silverman, Former CBS Executive and President of NBC and ABC, Dies at 82
30 January 2020 | The Wrap -
Fred Silverman Dies: Legendary TV Executive Who Programmed Each Of The Big 3 Networks Was 82
30 January 2020 | Deadline
"Little Fires Everywhere," "Devs," and Three Identical Strangers top our list of Hulu recs to watch now or add to your Watchlist.
Editorial Lists
Related lists from IMDb editors
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Soap (1977–1981)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
(1970–1977)
Comedy
Stars:
Mary Tyler Moore,
Edward Asner,
Gavin MacLeod
All in the Family
(1971–1979)
Comedy
|
Drama
Stars:
Carroll O'Connor,
Jean Stapleton,
Rob Reiner
The Love Boat
(1977–1987)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Romance
Stars:
Gavin MacLeod,
Bernie Kopell,
Ted Lange
One Day at a Time
(1975–1984)
Comedy
Stars:
Bonnie Franklin,
Valerie Bertinelli,
Pat Harrington Jr.
Edit
Cast
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (36) »
Storyline
Parody of television soap-operas--the show's humor relies on exaggerating soap-operas' characteristic plot implausibility and melodrama to ridiculous extremes, then adds a fair bit of the truly bizarre, including some remarkable characters. Written by Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>
Plot Keywords:
f rated | ventriloquist dummy | soap opera | sitcom | one word series title |Taglines:
The Final Season of the Unforgettable, Award-Winning Series! See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
13 September 1977 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Soap See more »Filming Locations:
ABC Television Center - 4151 Prospect Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(93 episodes)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
Edit
Chief Alien Creature: Why do you think he's jumping up and down? He has not had sex for two thousand years!
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Richard Mulligan and Dinah Manoff worked together again on another Susan Harris-created sitcom, Empty Nest (1988). See more »Quotes
Burt: [about the alien who will be impersonating him] Is he - is he gonna sleep with my wife?Chief Alien Creature: Why do you think he's jumping up and down? He has not had sex for two thousand years!
See more »
Crazy Credits
Original network broadcasts opened with an on-screen content warning. This was one of the first TV programs to include such a warning, though such disclaimers are now commonplace. See more »Alternate Versions
One of the later episodes mentions Cosmopolitan magazine. On the videotape collection from Columbia House, the name of the magazine is overdubbed with "Cosmopolitan" in reverse audio. See more »Contribute to This Page
Inspired by The Farewell director Lulu Wang's call to action at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards, we celebrate women filmmakers working in their field.
I began watching this show when I was rather young - elementary-school aged, really, & because of its episodic nature (for I read comic books voraciously, & loved "to be continued" storylines) - well, probably because I liked the guy with the puppet - I was hooked. I watched it weekly & remember praying to God that it wouldn't be cancelled. The magic of the show was that it taught me so much. I knew little or nothing about homosexuality, infidelity, racism, hell, even the Mafia or Central American revolutions, until I watched this show. It was genuinely funny - Bert thinking he could turn invisible, Benson's "I ain't getting that," everyone talking to Bob when they knew damn well Chuck was throwing his voice - I laughed & laughed.
As I watch TV now, I really miss the topicality of this show - the fact that, with a simple parody of soap operas, they managed to bring important issues of the day to the forefront. No one was safe - even alien abductions were lampooned, years before there was an X-Files that could stand a bit of ribbing.
Yeah, it's dated, & when I saw a few episodes in repeats a while back, I was more moved by my old feelings - these were friends I hadn't seen in ages! - than by the story & the jokes. But the point was, it was brave - like "All In The Family," like "Good Times" - though not a Norman Lear creation - braver than anything on right now. Someone else suggested you watch from day one - that's not all that important, because you'll catch on soon enough (it's a soap opera, after all), but I do believe you'll come to care for the characters & their ridiculous predicaments soon enough. & you'll be amazed at how utterly clever it is.
Be warned, though - like "Twin Peaks" it doesn't really end, & if you're coming at it for the first time, you'll be sad when you get to season four's end & there's nothing following. I was.