If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Soap is available on streaming right now. The 4-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. 69 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Katherine Helmond — stay for everyone else around them. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Soap earns its spot. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate Soap from the crowd. The antics of a wealthy family, the Tates, and a working-class family, the Campbells, in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut. Between them, Katherine Helmond and Cathryn Damon carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It ran for 4 seasons (1977–1981), and the writing holds up across every one of them. Soap earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Soap is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. Fans of Wings will recognise the sensibility here immediately. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. Katherine Helmond's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.

Soap wrapped up in 1981, created by Susan Harris — and 4 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.