Soap Opera - Parodies

Parodies

Several soap opera parodies have been produced.

The Carol Burnett Show (1967–78) featured a recurring skit, "As the Stomach Turns", that spoofed the American soap opera As the World Turns. The recurring "Acorn Antiques" skit on the UK's Victoria Wood As Seen On TV (1985–87) was modeled on Crossroads and other British soap operas of the 1970s.

Two of the most famous U.S. parodies were the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–77) and Soap (1977–81). Fresno was a 1986 American miniseries spoof of the primetime serials of the period.

Dirty Sexy Money was in a way a soap opera parody but, in actuality more of a satire that operated in a humorous way that similar to a parody. The series was critically acclaimed but only lasted two seasons.

Let The Blood Run Free (1990–94) was an Australian parody of medical drama series. Shark Bay (1996) was an Australian parody of glamorous beach side soap operas. It featured many actors who had appeared in Australian soap operas Sons and Daughters, Prisoner, Home and Away and Neighbours.

Grosse Pointe (2000–2001) on the WB was a self-parody of creator Darren Star's behind-the-scenes experiences of producing nighttime soaps, in particular Beverly Hills, 90210.

South African comedian Casper de Vries produced the soap opera parody Haak en Steek, based on South African soaps like Egoli: Place of Gold.

Second City TV featured "The Days of the Week". "Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. These are...The Days Of The Week."

Twin Peaks was a primetime soap opera that poked fun at the genre. Episodes in the first season of 'Twin Peaks' also included a soap within a soap, a fictional program entitled Invitation to Love.

American Broadcasting System soap opera One Life to Live would often poke fun at the genre as well, even featuring a soap within a soap, Fraternity Row, which many characters of One Life to Live had worked on or watched. Months after One Life to Live's cancellation was announced, Fraternity Row was cancelled on the show and character Roxy Balsom desperately tried saving it, to no avail. A special episode on December 19, 2011 featured the cast of One Life to Live acting out an episode of Fraternity Row in a dream of Roxy's; the episode poked fun at both One Life to Live and the entire genre itself, featuring many soap opera stereotypes such as over-acting, outrageous story lines, bad casting and incestuous relationships, also parodying some storylines from One Life to Live. The second-to-last episode of One Life to Live showed characters watching the final episode of Fraternity Row, and exposing the last big secret of Fraternity Row; the main heroine and protagonist of the series, Lorraine King Vonvaldenburg Baxter Beumont, was really a man.