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A horse opera, hoss opera, oat opera or oater is a Western film or television series that is clichéd or formulaic, in the manner of a (later) soap opera or space opera.[1]
The term, which was originally coined by silent film-era Western star William S. Hart, is used variously to convey either disparagement or affection. The term "horse opera" is quite loosely defined; it does not specify a distinct sub-genre of the Western (as "space opera" does with regard to the science fiction genre).
- ^ Pringle, David (2000). Space and Beyond: The Frontier Theme in Science Fiction. Greenwood. p. 36. ISBN 978-0313308468.