Family drama on the nation's biggest soaps have kept us all hooked, whether it be the mundane bickering of the characters or a more dramatic plot option like a murder.
And tomorrow night, as the annual British Soap Awards return on ITV, they have added a brand new public-voted gong for Best Family which, to be awarded at the event.
The live awards ceremony - presented by Phillip Schofield - will take place at the Hackney Empire in London, with the soaps battling it out to win recognition for their work.
Ahead of the competition between the likes of Coronation Street and EastEnders, which will be broadcast on ITV, we name our contenders for the greatest soap family ever.
The Butchers (EastEnders)
Who: Cockney car salesman Frank Butcher arrived in 1988, followed by son Ricky and daughter Janine. Frank married Pat and Peggy.
Best one: Biggest soap b**** ever Janine (Charlie Brooks), who killed husbands Barry and Michael, tried to poison husband Ryan, ran someone over, defrauded the Mitchells and manipulated everyone.
Family drama: Frank accidentally mowing down Tiffany Mitchell in a dodgy motor, Ricky and Bianca (all of it) and Frank's affair with ex Pat while married to Peggy.
Tacky earrings award: To Frank for the scene when he stood naked in front of Pat, wearing only a spangly spinning bow-tie.
The Barlows (Coronation Street)
Who: A complicated family tree thanks to Ken Barlow being a bit of a ladies' man. He married Valerie Tatlock, Janet Reid and Deirdre Langton. His kids are Lawrence, Peter, Daniel, Susan and Tracy.
Best one: Ken (Bill Roache), of course. He has been there since first episode in 1960.
Family drama: Ken's feud with Mike Baldwin, Who Attacked Ken? and Free the Weatherfield One (when Deirdre was wrongfully imprisoned).
Weatherfield villain: Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) for being unbelievably wicked - murdering her boyfriend Charlie Stubbs by whacking him with a brass ornament.
The Tates (Emmerdale)
Who: Frank Tate moved to the Dales in 1989 with children Chris, Zoe and second wife Kim, the new rich family running Home Farm.
Best one: Kim (Claire King), who has schemed, cheated, faked her own death and been pushed off a balcony - all in fabulous heels.
Family drama: Zoe came out as gay, Frank was a drunk and died of a heart attack, Kim's affair with Dave Glover, a feud with the Dingles and Andrea being murdered by Meena.
Explosive moment: The plane crash in 1993 that killed off four people, most of Kim's horses and paralysed Chris.
The Duckworths (Coronation Street)
Who: Jack and Vera ran the Rovers Return until 1998 before starting a B&B. They had a son Terry. Lodger Tyrone Dobbs and wife Molly became like a son and daughter to them.
Best one: Jack and his 'little swamp duck' Vera (Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn), bickered constantly and made for Corrie comedy gold.
Family drama: Their rocky marriage, financial hardships. Molly's tram death.
Best exit: Dead Vera returned as an apparition in Jack's dying moments for a dance. What a sweet end.
The Slaters (EastEnders)
Who: Fiery sisters Zoe, Kat and Lynne and meeker sibling Little Mo arrived in 2000, along with dad Charlie, Big Mo, Charlie's sister Jean, and niece Stacey.
Best one: Kat ( Jessie Wallace ), purely for her dedication to leopard print and massive hoop earrings.
Family drama: Stacey's affair with Max Branning, Kat's baby-swap drama with Ronnie Branning and secret son, Little Mo's domestic abuse struggle and revenge with a hot iron, Jean and Stacey's bipolar disorder and Charlie's fatal coronary after yet another blazing row.
Queen Vic award: To Zoe for the iconic line: "You ain't my muvva!" which she yelled at Kat, who replied: "Yes I am!" Chills.
The Sugdens (Emmerdale)
Who: Introduced since the soap started in 1972, the Sugdens were widowed farmer Annie and children Peggy, Jack and Joe. Now there are loads of them, including Andy, Robert, Victoria, all equally dysfunctional.
Best one: Dear old Annie (Sheila Mercier), the soap's first matriarch, who was widowed twice, addicted to tranquillisers and nearly died in a farm fire and plane crash.
Family drama: Katie survived a car crash and a fall down a mine shaft but plunged to her death at Wylie's Farm after a fight with Robert. Sarah was killed in a barn blast after her son Andy set fire to the building. This lot makes the Simpsons look like the Waltons.
Sherlock award: For the Who Shot Robert Sugden? storyline of 2015-16. The whodunit sparked heaps of conspiracy theories, but it was Ross what dunnit.
The Platts (Coronation Street)
Who: Martin Platt started a relationship with Gail Tilsley. They had a son, David, and Martin adopted Gail’s kids Nick and Sarah.
Best one: David who has had some incredible storylines over two decades. From troubled teen to the death of wife Kylie and being raped by Josh.
Family drama: When serial killer Richard Hillman drove the Platts into the Manchester canal, Sarah's pregnancy aged 13, Nick and Todd giving us Corrie's first gay kiss and that sinkhole.
Cobbles Confetti Award: To Gail for her five marriages, each ending in disaster.
The Mitchells (EastEnders)
Who: Matriarch Peggy and her thug sons Grant and Phil and wayward daughter Sam. Offspring and relatives include Ben, Lucy, Billy, Jamie (dead, car crash) and evil Archie (killed by the Queen Vic bust - and Stacey).
Best one: Phil (Steve McFadden) wins for sheer longevity, he’s still causing trouble after 32 years. Departed landlady Peggy – played by national treasure the late Barbara Windsor – was an icon.
Family drama: Who Shot Phil? Who Killed Archie? Not to mention Phil's alcoholism, Peggy's cancer and endless law-breaking.
Best doof doof: Sharongate, from 1994, when Grant found out wife Sharon was having an affair with brother Phil. Epic.
The McQueens (Hollyoaks)
Who: Matriarch Myra and loud, brash daughters and cousins, including Mercedes, Michaela and Porsche.
Best one: Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) isn't afraid of anyone or anything. She's been kidnapped, attacked by serial killers and caught in a bombing.
Family drama: Tina was blown up in a church.
Brady Bunch Award: Myra's son Niall wanted revenge by killing off the family with a shotgun in church - only Tina succumbed.
The Beales / The Fowlers (EastEnders)
Who: The originals were Lou Beale and children Pete (married Kathy) and Pauline (married Arthur Fowler). Offspring include Ian Beale, Mark and Michelle Fowler and David Wicks.
Best one: Kathy for her survival of many, many bad men (and a marriage to Ian). She deserves a medal. Or a drink.
Family drama: Cindy hiring a hitman to kill Ian, Sonia's surprise baby, Mark's HIV and Who killed Lucy Beale?
Arthur's Bench Award: In honour of he who 'loved this place', it goes to Ian, the soap's stalwart.
The Dingles (Emmerdale)
Who: This ever-expanding family, with 11 generations and counting, have been living chaotic lives since 1994.
Best one: Bad boy and all-round villain Cain for
never ceasing to amaze with his scams.
Family drama: So many Dingles have died, in car crashes, by suicide, sickness and falls from multistorey car parks. They've also suffered The Woolpack Siege, the Hotten Bypass crash, Who attacked Cain? and a helicopter catastrophe.
Best Dingle death: Tricia, who died when a freak bolt
of lightning struck The Woolpack roof.
The Websters (Coronation Street)
Who: Mechanic Kevin moved to Corrie in 1983, later marrying Sally (twice) and having two girls, Rosie and Sophie. He also had Jake (who died shortly after birth) and Jack with different women.
Best one: Sally (Sally Dynevor), who has been through the mill but remains hilarious. Coped with several weddings, catfights, illness and cheating. Has the best put-downs.
Family drama: Kevin's cheating with Molly and secret son, Sally's breast cancer, her imprisonment, Sophie coming out and becoming a Christian.
Drama queen: Vain wannabe reality star Rosie, now off-screen as a game show assistant on TV in Japan.
The British Soap Awards will air tonight on ITV and ITV Hub from 8pm.
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