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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Willie Oleson" data-source="post: 357546" data-attributes="member: 8">I think the US prime time soaps are much more restricted by the confinements of their respective soap bubbles. Fictional presidents, world leaders and even fictional countries - it's all possible.A reference to LOVE BOAT seems pretty harmless, but I'm not sure if PEYTON PLACE was allowed to exist in the Big Four. But it was perfectly acceptable for SONS & DAUGHTERS (but then again, I don't think the S&D characters could be watching NEIGHBOURS, which, again, proves that the Aussie soap is a genre of its own).I'm not saying that the UK soaps aim for pure realism, but to avoid British institutions like CORONATION STREET and DOCTOR WHO (or the royal family) would make it look unnecessary unrealistic and therefore less relatable. And I suspect that relatability is part of its charm (but since I've never watched them, I could be wrong).The infamous magazine cover in DYNASTY was okay as a one-off, but more cross-references between these soaps would probably look cheesy and terribly gimmicky.The precious families from Dallas and Denver took themselves very, very seriously. Even Apollonia Kotero played a fictional Apollonia.</blockquote>