Screening of soap operas in Australia

The following is a list of soap operas from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States that have aired in Australia over the years, in daytime and primetime slots on both free-to-air and pay television.
The Seven Network currently airs soap Home and Away at 7:00 pm Monday to Thursday. Since 2019, 9Gem screens US daytime soaps Days of Our Lives (15 months behind the US) and The Young and the Restless (7 months behind the US) at 12:00pm and 1:00pm weekdays respectively. Network 10 airs The Bold and the Beautiful, at 4:30pm weekdays. Foxtel's Fox One also screens US daytime soaps Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless (both 3 episodes behind the US). New Zealand soap, Shortland Street, streams weekdays at 3:00pm on Seven’s online streaming service 7plus. Foxtel's BBC UKTV airs British soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale, weekdays and weeknights.
Current broadcasts
Australia
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian soap opera that airs on Network 10, Monday to Thursday at 4:00pm, with an encore replay Monday to Thursday at 6:30pm on 10 Peach.
This series first aired on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. The first season aired at 5:30 pm in Sydney, at 6:00 pm in Melbourne and Adelaide, and at 7.00 pm in Brisbane. Neighbours underperformed in Sydney, where it was then moved to a 3.30 pm timeslot. The show began screening on 10 Peach on 11 January 2011, the channel's launch day.
On 9 October 2023, Neighbours moves from 4:30pm to 4:00pm every Monday to Thursday on Network 10.
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera airing on the Seven Network Monday to Wednesday at 7:00pm, while double or triple episodes on Thursday at 7.00pm to 8.30pm.
This series began airing on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. During the show's early years, it aired at 5:30 pm in Adelaide, at 6:00 pm in Melbourne and Sydney, at 6:30 pm in Brisbane, and at 7:00 pm in Perth. In January 1992, Seven moved Home and Away into the 7:00 pm timeslot across the network, putting it up against rival soap opera ' on Network Ten. Friday's episodes of Home and Away now air on Thursdays at 7:30 pm.
7TWO formerly broadcast Shortland Street at 5.00 pm weekdays, and repeated the following morning at 9:30 am. Episodes were almost three years behind current New Zealand episodes. As of August 2015, 7TWO no longer broadcasts Shortland Street. The show first aired in Australia on SBS TV between 1994-1995. It then aired on BBC UKTV from 1997 until 2000.
United Kingdom
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera that first aired in Australia in 1963 on TCN-9 Sydney, GTV-9 Melbourne and NWS-9 Adelaide. By 1966, Coronation Street was more popular in Australia than in the United Kingdom. The show eventually left some free-to-air television stations in Australia in the 1970s. It remained on some regional stations throughout the late 1970s and the 1980s and could be viewed in capital cities until 1989. It briefly returned to the Nine Network in a daytime slot during 1994-95 and picked up from where it last left off. In 2005, Channel Nine in Perth began airing Coronation Street at 5:30 pm each weekday to improve the lead in to Nine News Perth, but this did not work and the show was cancelled a few months later.
In 1996, Foxtel's Arena began screening Coronation Street in one-hour instalments on Saturdays and Sundays at 6:30. It was later moved to Foxtel's BBC UKTV where it currently airs at 7:15pm EST Sunday to Friday. At present episodes are approximately three
weeks behind the UK airings. From 2009 until September 2014, free-to-air digital secondary channel 7Two had broadcast old episodes of Coronation Street on weekdays at 10:00 am.
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British soap opera that first aired in Australia by ABC TV from 1987 until 1991.
Foxtel's BBC UKTV airs episodes Monday to Thursday at 7:50pm EST. Episodes are approximately three weeks behind the UK airings.
Emmerdale
Emmerdale is a British soap opera that began airing on BBC UKTV in July 2006 from episode 4288. It currently airs at 6:45pm EST Sunday to Friday. In 2006, BBC UKTV Aust. were showing episodes four months behind the UK. Emmerdale is a six episodes a week series, but only five a week were being screened. Thus over a period of years since 2006, a time lag of episodes developed. From 16 October 2017, until 11 September 2020 BBC UKTV Aust. screened two episodes nightly from Monday to Friday, as a planned catch up, episodes being aired in Australia at that time were 2 years behind the UK airings. Monday to Friday single episode screenings returned from 14 September 2020. Currently episodes are around eight weeks behind the UK airings.
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a British soap opera that first aired in Australia on free-to-air digital secondary channel, 7Two from 18 October 2010 to January 2012, in double episodes from September 2009. The show began airing on BBC UKTV on 2 April 2013 at 6:30pm EST each weeknight. Beginning on 7 October 2013, Hollyoaks moved into a daytime slot and aired at 8:10am EST. Episodes were 16 weeks behind the UK airings. but reinstated it within a month after viewer protests. On 12 February 1996, the show moved to 4:30pm. On 1 December 2008, Network 10 moved the show to a 6:00pm primetime slot. The shift in timeslot led to some protests from regular viewers. The show did not rate as well at 6:00pm and was moved back to the 4:30pm timeslot on 19 January 2009.
From 1996 to 30 November 2015, the show was regularly edited by Network 10 to meet the Australian G classification for the 4:30pm timeslot. Edits included cutting some violent or sexually explicit scenes, as well as use of words such as 'rape', 'abortion', 'slut', 'whore', and 'sex'. In August 1999, Australian media regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority upheld a complaint against Network 10 that it had broadcast material that did not meet the requirements of the G classification in one episode of the show; Network 10 said it would exercise more care with future broadcasts.
On 23 February 2012, Network 10 began removing up to 90 seconds from each episode to ensure they ran no longer than 20½ minutes in length. In the bizarre move, Network 10 would cut exterior location footage; shorten long lingering stares; remove the opening & closing credits. Network 10 made these non-classification edits after any classification edits necessitated in order to keep episodes G-rated. David Knox of TV Tonight, Australia's leading TV blog, sought comment from Network 10 and exposed the unnecessary editing in an article on his blog. On 19 September 2014, upon publication of the article, Network 10 immediately ceased all non-classification edits however they continue to remove the closing credits.
On 3 December 2012, Network 10 added a repeat of the previous day's episode, airing weekday mornings at 9:00am. 10 used the late afternoon G-rated edit for the morning repeat, despite being permitted to screen PG content during early mornings. however was reinstated on 26 May 2014 at 7:30am. In regional affiliated areas, the repeat broadcast was discontinued on 1 July 2016 to make way for WIN Television's All Australian News from 7:00am. In fact, WIN switched affiliations from the Nine Network to Network 10 under the new affiliation deal.
In April 2013, the show had an average rating of 415,000 viewers in the 4:30pm timeslot.
On 26 March 2015, Network 10 aired the 7000th episode at a special time of 3.30pm with a PG classification.
On 1 December 2015, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) approved a raft of changes to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. One such change included allowing PG classified material to air at any time of the day. In a welcome move, Network 10 gave ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ a PG classification from 1 December 2015. These relaxed changes should see Network 10 making less edits (if any) in the future, however they continue to excise the closing credits.
Between 2 May 2018 and 8 June 2018, Network 10 aired double episodes from 4:00pm to bring Australian viewers 2 weeks behind the US.
On 3 July 2018, Network 10's online catchup service, 10play, began offering episodes fast-tracked from the US. Episodes drop at 9:00am AEST Tuesday through Saturday.
On 29 April 2020 until 7 July 2020, Network 10 aired 50 classic episodes due to the Covid-19 production closedown. The classic episodes were made available on 10play for a short time thereafter.
On 18 September 2023, Network 10 moved the show to 4:00pm Monday to Thursday with Fridays episode remaining at 4:30pm. Neighbours returned to Australian screens airing at 4:30pm Monday to Thursday, however on 9 October 2023, after just 3 weeks, Network 10 reinstated ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ to its original home of 4:30pm.
Network 10 is 14 episodes behind the CBS broadcast in the US.
Days of Our Lives
Days of Our Lives is an American soap opera airing in Australia on Foxtel One weekdays at 12:00pm and from 2 September 2019, weekdays at 12:00pm on 9Gem.
It was originally broadcast on the Nine Network's main channel from 25 March 1968 to 26 April 2013 at 2:00 pm each weekday. During its run on the Nine Network in the early 2000s, episodes ended up being nearly five years behind the United States, due to the network's coverage of cricket each summer. From 20 January 2014, Crackle began releasing five episodes each week until 8 April 2016.
Days of Our Lives returned to television on Foxtel's channel Arena on 1 April 2014. It now airs weekdays on Fox One before The Young and the Restless at 12:00 pm EST, and on the timeshift channel Fox One +2 at 2:00 pm EST. In order to bring TV viewers up to date, Arena screened ten catch up episodes, each presented by Days of Our Lives cast members, from 1 April 2014 to 14 April 2014, featuring key storylines missed during the 11-month Australian television hiatus. Then on 15 April 2014, Arena began airing episodes at the same pace as the US. Nine paired The Young and the Restless with ', with the two shows airing one after the other. During its run on the Nine Network in the early 2000s, episodes ended up being nearly five years behind the United States (varying slightly between states), due to the network's coverage of cricket each summer.
On 2 April 2007, the show began airing on W at 12:00 pm EST and 6:40 pm EST, and on its timeshift channel W2 at 2:00 pm EST and 8:40 pm EST. The Young and the Restless moved to Arena on 20 August 2012 after W rebranded as SoHo. It now airs on Fox One at 12:45pm EST, and on its timeshift channel Fox One +2 at 2:45pm EST. Episodes were around two weeks behind the UK airings. BBC UKTV ceased screening episodes of Doctors from 29 August 2014.
United States
All My Children
All My Children is an American soap opera that aired briefly on Network Ten in the late '80s, on Fox Soap in the late '90s, and on 7TWO from 2009 to 2011.
Another World
Another World is an American soap opera that appeared variously on both Nine Network and Network Ten. It particular became very popular in the early 1990s when Australian actress Carmen Duncan played the role of villainous Iris Wheeler. Foxtel relaunched the series in 1995 being only 3 months behind the U.S. and continued to air it til its final episode in September 1999.
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American soap opera that aired for a short period on Network Ten, first at 1.30 pm, then moved to 5:00 pm before ultimately being dropped entirely in 1987.
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American soap opera that first aired on the Seven Network in Australia from 1968. Later it was aired by the Nine Network from 1983, with episodes five years behind the US. By the late '80s, the show was in a slump, and left Australian television soon after but did remain on regional stations. It was revived in 1990 by Network Ten placed in many different time slots such as 11:00am, 12:00pm, 3:30pm and 5:00am. It remained in this timeslot when until 6 June 1997 where it was taken off the air. It was revived again in 1999, lasting less than a year. General Hospital was picked up by Foxtel in 2004. After running for several months on W, the show was moved to FOX8, before being pulled altogether in December 2005. Fans in Australia lobbied hard to get it back. General Hospital returned to Australian television on 5 July 2010, again on W, at 12:50 pm and on its time shift channel W2 at 2:50 pm, with episodes ten weeks behind after the US. W dropped the show on 17 June 2011. General Hospital has had Australian-born actors George Lazenby, Rick Springfield, Tristan Rogers, and Thaao Penghlis as cast members.
Generations
Generations is an American soap opera that had a short run on Australian television. It was screened on the Seven Network in the early hours of the morning.
Loving
Loving is an American soap opera that aired for a short time on the Nine Network in an early morning time slot in the late 1980s. Foxtel relaunched the show as part of its soap line up in 1996 keeping it on air until it reached the end and began screening The City.
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera that appeared briefly on Network Ten's daytime schedule in the late 1980s. The series was aired at 1:30 just after "The Bold And The Beautiful". It was also part of Foxtel's channel Fox Soap in the 1990s.
Passions
Passions is an American soap opera that aired on the Seven Network from 2001 to 2008 and Seven affiliate Prime from 2001 to 2004. It originally began in a 3:00 pm time slot on weekday afternoons, before being shifted to a 9:30 am time slot in 2005. New episodes stopped airing in Australia later that year, as NBC Productions judged it too expensive to clear music rights for international distribution. Passions then moved into re-runs at a 2:00 am time slot.
Rituals
Rituals is an American soap opera that had a short run on Australian television and featured Australian-born actor George Lazenby. It was screened on the Seven Network in the early hours of the morning.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is an American soap opera that aired on Network Ten from 1987 to 1994. It premiered on Australia television the same day as The Bold and the Beautiful in November, in a soap opera block from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. The show had Australian-born actors Thaao Penghlis and Dame Judith Anderson as cast members.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is an American soap opera that aired in an early morning time slot from 1999 to 2001 on Network Ten, then Foxtel's FOX SOAP/TALK channel, and finally FOX8. After reaching the final episode, FOX8 re-screened the final 6 months in double episodes early weekday mornings.
Texas
Texas, the spin-off of Another World, is an American soap opera that aired on Network Ten in an early morning time slot in the early 1980s.

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