Academic Research

Viewing Statistics: Boxing Day (26^th December) 2010-

Name of Soap	Viewing Figures (million)
Eastenders	12.61
Coronation Street	11.98
Emmerdale	8.86
Neighbours	1.69
Holby City	6.24

This data shows that Eastenders is currently the most watched soap in the UK, followed closely by Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Whilst soaps with less of a major following are Neighbours and Holby City. I am aware that due to the fact that these viewing figures were taken on a national holiday the veiwing statistics would possibly be higher than usual, due to people spending time together at home.
   This raises the question of what seperates these soaps to different levels of success. Possible reasons could be whether or not they are on a popular channels such as the BBC or ITV opposed to less popular channels such as Channel 5.
    Another point to take into account is that Eastenders is based on London working class life, Coronation Street about everyday Mancunians and Emmerdale of Yorkshire famers. They are all about humble, working class people which is the most likely demographic. Whereas Holby City is about well paid doctors and Neighbours is set in sunny Austraila, which many people can't really relate to. One would assume that escapism tries to remove you from your own reality as extremely as possible but in the case of UK soap operas people seem to prefer realism to fantasy. As seen through the fact that these types of soaps are more popular, Bathwood follows this theme of realism by following lives of normal everyday folk and their daily dillemmas.