Gay-themed streaming service Dekko releasing the complete series of the 2015 online sitcom "Dropping the Soap" on February 20, 2016 provides a good chance to watch this homage to witty British television. The general similarity is that limiting the series to 10 episodes reflects the BBC philosophy of airing a few very good episodes, rather than 20-or-so mediocre or lousy ones.
The more obscure (but more direct) homage to the video fare from across the pond is "Soap" treading where a Britcom has boldly gone before. Each "Soap" episode begins with a cold open in the form of a scene from the daytime drama "Collided Lives" around which the series about producing that show revolves. The opening credits provide a transition to that backstage world.
The 2008 S1 of the Britcom "Moving Wallpaper" has the similar premise of the characters having production positions or roles on the soap "Echo Beach." Episodes of "Beach" that reflects the most recent events on "Wallpaper" would air right after that episode of that series.
The comparison extends to the term "moving wallpaper" referring to television series that are so bad that watching therm is like staring at wallpaper. "Lives" has all of the bad acting, dramatic close-ups, cheesy production, and cliched plots that mark unwatchable soaps.
The following YouTube clip of the official "Soap" trailer highlights all the comic drama from that series and from "Lives."
"Glee" star Jane Lynch, whose Emmy-winning portrayal of new "Lives" executive producer Olivia Vanderstein has all the gleeful (had to be said) ruthlessness of her cheerleading coach/high school administrator Sue Sylvester from her Fox series. Vanderstein is brought in to cure the many ills that are dragging down "Lives."
Character actor Paul Witten plays "Lives" star Julian Draker, who is an influential player both in front of and behind the camera. His primary concerns are to save his own job and to get rid of cast mate Kit Knockers, who gets her role via being the daughter of the now-vanished predecessor of Vanderstein. This nepotism extends to Kit sibling Donovan being the head writer.
The "Lives" drama include the character of Kit trying to wrest the character of Draker away from his on-screen wife. The backstage motivation is to give Kit, who has amusing leverage over Draker, more exposure on the series. Reel and real-life further collide as Draker orchestrates disabling storylines for the character of Kit.
Other backstage drama includes adding a young blonde stud to the cast as the son of the Draker character despite the two actors not having a significance age difference. We also get drama at a fan convention and learn that men are not the only ones with a casting couch.
Wonderfully quirky live and voice-actor Diedrich Bader shines in a few episodes as reporter Peter who has a past with Draker that Peter wants to bring into the future. The pair effectively being caught with their pants down prompts amusing damage control.
The appeal of all this can be considered the "Seinfeld" factor. "Lives" is so bad that (ala Jerry and his "friends") we get great joy watching what we dislike so much. The backstage aspects are more entertaining (and more Seinfeldian) in that the characters are so shamelessly amoral that the shock value is appealing and many of us wish that we had the guts to be so honest in our words and deeds. Setting this in the world of a television genre that appeals to every aspect of the lowest common denominator is a match made in Heaven.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Soap" is encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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