docusoap

[ dok-yuh-sohp ]

noun

1. a television series that chronicles the purportedly real lives of an interconnected group of people, often in a melodramatic way.

Word History and Origins

Origin of docusoap¹

First recorded in 1990–95; docu(mentary) + soap (opera)

Example Sentences

Their surprise split made headlines just as Stause and the rest of the Oppenheim Group agents were filming Netflix’s first English-language docusoap.

From Los Angeles Times

"House of Ho" isn't necessarily unique in the "rich folks" docusoap genre, but it's the first to show an American family of Southeast Asian descent and everything that entails – from sibling rivalries and going Christmas shopping to wearing the traditional áo dài and celebrating the Lunar New Year.

From Salon

But how the problems were addressed on the show – and the subsequent resolutions – certainly feel more transformative for its participants than for most in the docusoap genre.

From Salon

For something a little more upbeat, there's "Full Bloom," a floral design competition, Meryl Streep's latest, "Let Them All Talk," and the new "docusoap," "House of Ho."

From Salon

HBO Max joins the trend with "House of Ho," an eight-episode "docusoap" following the intergenerational culture clashes of the Houston-based Vietnamese multibillionaire Ho family.

From Salon