Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z./S.Afr.) a radio or TV serialized drama; also attrib.

1974		Aus. Women’s Wkly 30 Oct. 67/6: McLaughlin who stars in that soapie [i.e. ‘General Hospital’] as Jessie Brewer.
1982		N. Keesing Lily on the Dustbin 22: The housewife [...] may turn on her ‘trannie’ to follow her favourite ‘talk show’ (These days you won’t hear a ‘soapie’ until later).
1998		R.G. Barrett Mud Crab Boogie (2013) [ebook] Some actors out of the soapies.
2004		L. Redhead Peepshow [ebook] The soapie star and the ex-premier’s son were talking animatedly.
2005		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read Chopper 4 287: If I had sat on my arse, watching the soapies on TV, and doing nothing [etc.].
2008		Cape Argus (S.Afr.) 28 Jan. 8: Binnelanders isn’t Neels van Jaarsveld’s first soapie.
2011		Big Issue (Cape Town) 10 Jan. 54/3: After a long day I unwind by watching soapies.
2019		C. Hammer Silver [ebook] Could a soapie star act that well?