soap opera
Looks like
An opera about soap?
Actually
A long-running TV drama that follows the tangled love lives, feuds and secrets of the same characters, episode after episode.
Origin
The first were 1930s American radio dramas sponsored by soap makers. They were called "operas" because, like real ones, they were full of big emotions and dramatic plots.
Examples
- My grandma has watched the same soap opera every afternoon for twenty years.
- Their breakup turned into a full-on soap opera, with three exes in the group chat.
- Are you going to tell me what happened, or should I wait for the next episode of your soap opera?