Rethinking Daytime Part Six: Character Development — People, Not Types
Character development is an essential element for any television program. There are several key differences in character progression between primetime soap operas in the United Kingdom and daytime dramas in the United States. British primetime soaps allow characters to contradict themselves, stagnate, regress, and mature over time. On the other hand, American soaps often flatten characters into fixed roles and recycled archetypes—the vixen, the hero, the ingenue. Allowing characters to grow and evolve makes for compelling story arcs and keeps viewers engaged long term.
United Kingdom: One of the most iconic characters in British soap opera history is Mila Marwa (Ruhtxjiaïh Bèllènéa) on the BBC’s EastEnders. Despite only appearing for a little more than a year, Mila’s impact on the soap opera genre can’t be understated. Mila is introduced as a love interest for Iqra Ahmed (Priya Davdra), and her backstory reveals that she is hiding from her homophobic family. Her mother, Nyangi Marwa (Lucy Vandi), was introduced, and she attempts to get Mila to leave Walford and sets her up to marry a man, but Mila stands up to her. Mila’s most significant impact was her role in addressing Female Genital Mutilation on EastEnders.
Mila’s sister, Kioni Marwa (Florisa Kamara), was introduced to explore the topic of FGM. In the soap’s narrative, Mila reveals to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) and Ahmed that she was a victim of FGM, and she attempts to stop her sister from going through the same thing. Mila and Ahmed later seek custody of Kioni following Nyangi's arrest. After saving Kioni, Mila leaves with her sister to join Ahmed in Bristol. Critics and viewers praised the FGM storyline on EastEnders for raising awareness around the topic, but Mila and Kioni’s exits were criticized as being disappointing.
Ethan Anderson (Emile John) from ITV’s Emmerdale is best known for his rise from a good guy to a complex anti-hero. The character is significant for portraying how one wrong choice can change the course of your life forever. Ethan is introduced in 2021 as the lawyer son of Charles Anderson (Kevin Mathurin). The turning point for Ethan’s character was his decision to drive under the influence, which led to a car crash. In a move of desperation, Ethan moves his friend, Nicky Milligan (Lewis Cope), to the driver’s seat.
In the following months, Ethan goes on a downward spiral. Ethan considered running away to escape punishment for his crime, but his grandmother, Claudette Anderson (Flo Wilson), tracked him down and convinced him to do what was right, so he returned to the village. In a twist of fate, Ethan collapsed and died as a result of a hereditary brain aneurysm on the day of his hearing.
United States: Characters on American soap operas tend to undergo less dynamic character development. On ABC’s General Hospital, the character of Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) has remained relatively the same character since her introduction in 2020. The mother of Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali), Portia’s backstory reveals her as the ex-wife of Marcus Taggert (Réal Andrews), who was believed to be Trina’s father her whole life. However, Trina learns that Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) is her biological father through his and Portia’s affair during her marriage to Taggert, and she reveals this secret at Curtis and Portia’s wedding reception. Trina and Curtis initially have a strained relationship, and both want nothing to do with Portia after learning the truth.
To this day, Portia’s storylines still revolve around her relationship with Curtis and questions of paternity. Portia discovers she’s pregnant after having an affair with Isiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson), while she and Curtis are going through a rough period, and is initially unsure of the baby’s paternity. A test eventually reveals that Curtis is the father. Six years after her introduction, the writers of General Hospital have failed to develop Portia substantially. Given her previous role as the iconic Whitney Russell on NBC’s Passions, keeping Portia as relatively the same person is a missed opportunity, given Kerr’s track record of portraying compelling characters.
The CBS soap opera Beyond the Gates is the first daytime drama to feature a predominantly African-American cast since Passions. However, even this soap has its issues with character development. It’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality. Most significantly, Dana “Leslie” Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) has been the same character since her introduction over one year ago. Her most important story arc was her part in breaking up the marriage of Nicole Dupree (Daphnée Duplaix) and Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson), by revealing her affair with Richardson years prior. This affair resulted in a daughter, Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle), whom Richardson didn’t know existed.
Flash forward to April 2026, and Dana has been reduced to a cartoon villain more than anything else. The revelation that Dana is the daughter of the late Articulettes singer Barbara Mitchell catapulted her into high society in Fairmont Crest. Now, her biggest “scheme” is buying a house directly across the street from the Dupree residence and disturbing their peace with her ongoing construction work.
Conclusion: Daytime dramas in the United States and primetime soaps in the United Kingdom use different approaches to character development. British primetime soaps allow characters to change and evolve from the people they were introduced as. Conversely, characters on American daytime dramas see little development from the personalities and attributes they exhibit from their first appearance. American soaps often flatten characters into fixed roles—the vixen, the hero, the ingenue. Compelling character development, as seen on British soaps such as EastEnders and Emmerdale, compared to the stagnant character progression depicted on their American counterparts, keeps viewers invested for decades.
