Soap operas

[Eliot Borenstein]

Actually, though you certainly hear the term "myl'naia opera" more
and more, when it comes to official programming and scheduling,
they're called "serialy".  Of course, that doesn't allow for a
distinction between, say, "Prosto Mariia" and "Skoraia pomoshch'"
(ER) or "Sekretnye materialy" (X-Files), but they all share one
defining feature:  they're a continuing story, something you didn't
see as much of on Soviet television.  Usually, when I hear people
talking about watching "serialy", they mean soaps, and if they add
the country of origin ("Meksikanskie serialy"), then there is no room
left for ambiguity.

Occasionally, you also see the term "teleroman," presumably by
analogy to the Spanish term for soap operas ("telenovela").

Sorry to get all pedantic over something so, well, fluffy...

Eliot Borenstein

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