Primetime soap operas have long been the bedrock of TV schedules on U.K. networks. Some have come and gone over the years, but here's a guide to six that have lasted the distance, plus one slight curveball from back in the day.

Coronation Street

Launched by ITV in 1960, Coronation Street is now the world's longest-running TV soap opera. Remarkably, original cast member William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, has been with the show since the very first episode, earning himself a record as the longest-serving male TV star in a continuous role. Coronation Street centers on the residents of an old-fashioned cobbled street in Weatherfield, a fictional suburb of Manchester, and is known for its strong female characters and a slightly campy sense of humor. Actors who cut their teeth on Coronation Street include Suranne Jones, Sarah Lancashire, and Sir Ben Kingsley, while Sir Ian McKellen is such a fan that he took on a 10-episode guest role in 2005. Since 2017, U.S. viewers have been able to watch new episodes of "Corrie" – as it's affectionately known – on BritBox within 24 hours of their U.K. premiere.

EastEnders

Since it debuted in 1985, the BBC's flagship soap opera has consistently been one of the U.K.'s top rated shows. In fact, the famous 1986 Christmas special in which "Dirty" Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) served wife Angie (Anita Dobson) with divorce papers attracted an audience of 30 million, making it the most-watched scripted program in British TV history. EastEnders centers on the residents of Albert Square, a close-knit Cockney community in the fictional East London suburb of Walford; many of the original cast members were drawn from the real-life East End for added realism. Early on, it established a reputation for tackling tricky social issues including teenage pregnancy, racism, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and iconic characters such as tough-as-nails pub landlady Peggy Mitchell (played by the late Dame Barbara Windsor) have become iconic figures in British pop culture. As you'll see in the supercut below, Prime Minister Boris Johnson even made a guest appearance in 2009 while he was serving as Mayor of London. As with Corrie, you can watch new episode on BritBox right after they've premiered in the U.K.

Hollyoaks

Created by Phil Redmond, who also masterminded the long-running Liverpool soap opera Brookside, Hollyoaks has been a Channel 4 staple since it launched in 1995. Set in a fictional suburb of Chester, a small city in northwest England, Hollyoaks was initially aimed at a young adult audience and had a largely teenage and twenty-something cast. Over time, though, it's broadened its appeal by adding more prominent older cast members, too. Though known for its lighter moments, Hollyoaks has definitely demonstrated an ability to tackle hard-hitting social issues – especially those affecting young people – and consistently strikes a blow for LGBTQ representation on British TV. In the U.S., you can find the latest episodes on Hulu.

Emmerdale

When it launched as Emmerdale Farm in 1972, this ITV show set in rural Yorkshire earned a reputation as a "sleepy soap" where nothing much happened. But over the years, it's moved from daytime to primetime and become rather racier. In 1989, it dropped the "farm" from its name to reflect the fact that agricultural life was no longer the primary focus of storylines; then in 1993, a famous plane crash storyline allowed producers to revamp the cast quite radically. In 2016, Emmerdale was named Best British Soap at The British Soap Awards for the first time, cementing its status next to Coronation Street and EastEnders. In the U.S., you can watch the latest episodes on BritBox.

Pobol y Cwm

This Welsh-language soap opera whose title translates as "people of the valley" has been produced by the BBC since 1974. Then, when Welsh network S4C launched in 1982, it became a staple part of the schedule. It's set in the fictional Welsh-speaking farming village of Cwmderi and follows a group of families who frequent the local pub and its adjacent small businesses. Past cast members include Welsh national treasure Margaret John, whom many of us will know as the potty-mouthed pensioner Doris in Gavin and Stacey.

The Archers

Having celebrated its 70th anniversary at the start of the year, this iconic radio show is officially the world's longest-running drama. It's set in the fictional English village of Ambridge and bills itself as "a contemporary drama in a rural setting." Over the years, The Archers has attracted guest appearances from the likes of Dame Judi Dench, the late Princess Margaret, Catherine Tate, Dame Edna Everage, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, underlining its status as a true U.K. cultural institution. Episodes favorite Tamsin Greig has portrayed main character Debbie Aldridge since 1991, though her appearances are relatively infrequent these days due to her TV and stage work.

Acorn Antiques

Now for the wildcard. Acorn Antiques isn't a real soap opera, but a brilliant set of parody sketches written by the late Victoria Wood. The faux-show's wooden acting, ropey production values, and nonsensical storylines were apparently based on the '80s British soap opera Crossroads. Wood's regular collaborator Dame Julie Walters appears in each "episode" as Mrs Overall, a rather creaky tea-lady who never seems to remember her lines. When she briefly revived the character on The Graham Norton Show a few years ago, she was as hilarious as ever.

Do you have a favorite British soap?