According to tvbythenumbers.com, Dirty Soap, didn't break into the Top 100 shows with its Sunday, September 25th premier. And that's a dirty shame.
You don't have to be a fan of soap operas to love E!'s new reality series, which focuses on the lives of soap stars--actors and actresses from daytime TV.
Here are the Top Ten reasons you should be watching Dirty Soap.
- The Lives of Stars: Other than gossip shows like TMZ and biographies on A&E there aren't a lot of places on TV that you can see what the lives of actors and actresses are really like. Dirty Soap offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of uniquely Hollywood concerns like creepy fan mail and dealing with the jealousy that a steamy sex scene can cause for an actor's spouse.
- No Contrived Situations: When reality shows do focus on TV stars, it's usually in reality competitions and shows where a group of previously unacquainted celebs are all thrown together in some contrived circumstances. Dirty Soap isn't like this. It doesn't need to create drama; there's enough drama inherent in the current world of soap operas--after all the entire industry seems to be in its death throws.
- Death of An Industry: Rarely do we get to see how people cope with the death of an industry they loved being an part of. Of course such a exploration might give us a documentary reality show about laid off workers from NASA's shuttle program. And that sounds incredibly dry. Fortunately, Dirty Soap is far from dry. And each of these stars is dealing with this on-going, life-altering change in different ways.
- Real Relationships: Most of the stars of Dirty Soap knew each other in some form or other before they signed on with the reality show. The time they've spent together has created a depth and breadth of relationships that you just don't get when a group of strangers are thrown together in a petri dish. For an example, Dirty Soap stars Kirsten Storms and Farah Fath used to be BFFs, but now act like bitter rivals. What up with that?
- With Real Stresses: These folks have history and that history could just spill over into the present. The Storms-Fath relationship could go nuclear at any point. Or it could be reconciled over a pint of ice cream. Other Dirty Soap relationships are also coping with stresses.
- Beautiful People: Okay, I know, I know. I complain a lot about the ridiculous beauty standards in the entertainment industry, and how reality TV stars don't look any more like real Americans then Hollywood actors and actresses. But, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate beauty when I see it. And the cast of Dirty Soap is hot! Plus, they are actors, which means a) they want to be stared at; and b) they aren't pretending to reflect 'real' Americans.
- Kelly Monaco: This General Hospital actress won reality viewers over before, when she competed on the first season of Dancing With the Stars and took home the trophy. Given a chance, she'll captivate you again.
- It's on E!: Dirty Soap airs on E!, the channel that introduced us to the Kardashians. In other words, they've got good sense of what's entertaining, and what will work as a reality series.
- No Soap Fandom Necessary: You don't have to be a soap fan, or even watch daytime dramas to enjoy Dirty Soap. You won't be totally lost if you are unfamiliar with the genre.
- But Fans Are Welcome: That doesn't mean that fans of soap operas won't find something to love--they absolutely will. And you might learn a thing or two about the industry and the stories of daytime drama when Dirty Soap stars talk about the roles they've played and what will happen to icons like Susan Lucci with the cancellation of All My Children. Who knows, maybe you'll become a fan yourself.
- Bonus Reason: A Gaggle of Gays: After the premier episode aired, Brian Hewson, a contributing writer for We Love Soaps complained, "As far as I can tell, the only thing that Farah [Fath] wanted to do was complain about--well, about everything--to her snide gaggle of gays." I don't know about you, but ever since Queer Eye for the Straight Guy I've been on the lookout for a "gaggle of gays." I hear they are very elusive, kind of like the Ivory Woodpecker, so if Dirty Soap continues to feature a "gaggle of gays," I'll continue to tune in. And you should too.
To learn more about the show visit About.com's Dirty Soap page and read cast bios.
Dirty Soap airs Sundays, 10/9PM Central.
