Daytime dramas so named because they were originally sponsored by the makers of laundry detergent in the early days of television.

A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television or radio. They have existed as an entertainment long enough for audiences to recognize them simply by the term soap. 'Soap' refers to their origins as radio broadcasts in which various soap manufacturers were the show's sponsors.

Soap Opera or The Kinks Present A Soap Opera is a 1975 album by The Kinks. It tells a loose story about an unnamed "Star" who changes places with an "ordinary man" named Norman in order to better understand life.