Soap Operas are known for dramatic storylines, crazy plot twists, and over the top acting. But it is exactly these reasons why even in the age of streaming, people still come back to shows such as The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless.

Are they ridiculous as hell? Yes. But even I’ll admit, when my parents sit down at lunch and watch their daily soap, if I’m there, I get sucked in.

And there are a few reasons people come back to soap operas.

1. They’re invested in the characters.

Some of these characters, like Brooke and Ridge for instance, have been on the show since it started. There are longtime fans who fell in love with them back in the 80s that are invested in their love story, and The Bold and the Beautiful always finds some new way to keep the couple on their toes.

Whether its family drama or some new villain that’s been introduced, or a new villain that’s come back, they know how to keep people interested. But audiences have these familiar characters to keep their audiences tethered.

2. They know how to do cliff hangers.

Whether if it’s someone being killed off, or a mysterious illness that gets resolved in five episodes, they know how to write a cliff hanger.

3. They have great villains. Sheila Carter, for instance, is a wild card on The Bold and The Beautiful. No one knows what to expect from her and she is willing to do anything she can to get what she wants, including cut off her own toe at one point.

4. A lot of soap operas are about wish fulfillment. Which means they get to travel to locations people might not get to go to themselves and wear amazing designer fashion.

So, if you are a writer, I suggest looking at soap operas for inspiration. You never know what you might find.