Soap: Difference between revisions

{{work|wppage=Soap (TV series)}}

''Jessica lives in a neighborhood known as Rich. Jessica likes life. The only thing she would change about life, if she could, is that she would set it all to music. The Tates have more secrets than they do money.

''Mary, too, likes life. Unfortunately, life doesn't seem too crazy about her. As you can see, the Campbell'sCampbells don't have nearly as much money as the Tates. They do, however, have as many secrets...''|The [[Opening Narration]]}}

Late'''''Soap''''' was a late 1970s sitcom on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] that both parodied and emulated the serial storytelling style of the [[Soap Opera]]. It was perhaps the first [[Sitcom]] to include a [[Story Arc]] of any significance, and as such is still a rarity even today.

''Soap'' followed the misadventures of the wealthy Tate family, and the equally bizarre misadventures of their relatives, the far less wealthy Campbells. Over the course of a few years, they face adultery, a murder trial, abduction by aliens, demonic possession, cultists and mental illness (several times). The cast consisted of a large ensemble, including [[Richard Mulligan]], [[Katherine Helmond]], [[Robert Urich]], [[Billy Crystal]], and [[Robert Guillaume]] as Benson, the cynical housekeeper to the Tates, who would eventually be spun off into [[Benson|his own show]] (in which he would eventually become [[Ascended Extra|lieutenant governor]] of his state.).

* [[Alien Abduction]]: {{spoiler|Happens to Burt, but it takes him forever to get anyone to believe him.}}.

* [[Bolivian Army Ending]]: The last episode sees {{spoiler|Burt, Jessica, Danny and Annie two seconds from being executed, all in separate events.}}.

** {{spoiler|A later ''Benson'' episode has Jessica appear in "ghost" form. However, she tells Benson that she's not dead, just in a coma in a South American hospital.}}.

** {{spoiler|Susan Harris has indicated that had the show gone to a fifth season, the rifles that shot Jessica would have had blanks in them.}}

* [[Breakout Character]]: Benson.

* [[Bungled Suicide]]: Chester's [[Played for Laughs]] suicide attempt at the end of Season One when Jessica is getting arrested for Peter's death and realisesrealizes that his life is ruined by multiple other things, but Burt keeps interrupting him, like taking the knives away to be sharpened. Eventually Chester's about to drop a heavy pot on his head but Burt comes in and proves how sharp the knives are by cutting the rope. Of course, he survives.

* [[But Not Too Black]]: Polly Dawson.

{{quote|'''Voiceover:''' Jessica Tate did NOT kill Peter Campbell. One of these five people... DID. Who killed Peter Campbell?}}

* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: Jessica.

** Major takes this [[Up to Eleven]].

* [[Coincidental Broadcast]],: newspaperNewspaper edition: Corinne is arrested for the murder of Peter Campbell in Connecticut. Her birth mother reads about the arrest in her local paper... in Ecuador.

** In one episode, Danny accidentally drops an apple. The cop was okay.

** One of Burt's co-workers falls off a girder after seeing Burt sitting next to {{spoiler|the alien that has been transformed to look exactly like him.}}.

* [[Creator Cameo]]: Susan Harris appears as a prostitute in episode # 15.

* [[Cut Short]]: Susan Harris had written out a five-season arc for the show, but the network pulled it after seasonSeason 4, resulting in a final episode that ended in several unresolved cliffhangers.

* [[Expy]]: Susan Harris tried to update the formula in the "''Soap'' meets [[Dynasty]]" 90s sitcom ''[[Good And Evil]]''.

* [[Follow the Leader]]: ''[[Soap]]'' was a clear influence on ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]''.

** [[Played for Laughs]]: Chester's, after Jessica is getting arrested for Peter's murder and his business is failing. He fails to write a note (not knowing how to spell "suicide" and presumes people would get the idea) Burt keeps interrupting him, not realisingrealizing what's happening, and takes away the knives he was about to use to sharpen. He comes back and accidentally sets off one of the later attempts which ultimately fails.

* [[JailThe BaitJailbait Wait]]: Billy and his teacher, Leslie, may date while he is still a minor, but don't actually sleep together until his 18th birthday and is no longer her student.

** In Season Four, {{spoiler|Mary reveals that Danny's real father is Chester.}}.

* [[Only One Name]]: It was wasn't revealed if Benson was his first or last name until the character had moved to his own [[Spin-Off]], ''[[Benson]]'' (full name: Benson DuBois).

* [[Parental Incest]]: At the end of seasonSeason fourFour, {{spoiler|Danny has a relationship with Annie, Chester's new wife (who turns out is actually his father)}}.

* [[The Power of Love]]: Jessica Tate invokes this in a successful {{spoiler|[[Hollywood Exorcism]] on Corinne's baby}}.

* [[Rule of Three]]: Juan One, Juan Two, and Juan Three.

* [[Servile Snarker]]: Benson.

* [[Shell-Shocked Veteran]]: Major.

* [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog]]: In one episode, when Burt is feeling down, he talks to his priest about how worried he is and tells him the story of a man who worked extremely hard in his life and survived a lot of health issues (multiple heart attacks, etc.) who is eventually killed by a mugger in a park over a Schwinn (a type of bike). Burt says he's worried that his life will go the same way: loads of work and with no pay-off. {{spoiler|The priest died while listening to his story}}.

* [[What Happened to the Mouse?]]: In one seasonepisode, Jodie confronts Chuck about Bob (that is Chuck) sending him hatemailhate-mail. This is never mentioned again.

* [[Whole-Plot Reference]]: When Danny asks Burt how to deal with Elaine, Burt says they should follow the plot of an opera (the name of which he can't quite remember) which is an adaptation of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]''. {{spoiler|It works.}}.

** In Season One, Eunice was having an affair with a married Senator. {{spoiler|He chose his wife when she threatened to ruin his career.}}.

[[Category:SoapTV Series]]