"Soap operas" allegedly got that name because they were orginally sponsored by soap companies and the like. They were definitely not highbrow, but mass-market entertainment. Maybe the "opera" part came in because operas tend to have rather over-the-top storylines, packed with adultery, murder, etc.

I'm not sure the term is always used in a derogatory fashion. Sometimes it just identifies a particular kind of show - very long-running, large cast of regular characters, story arcs that come and go, but there is no overarching story to the show.

On the other hand "drama" tends to mean something that is more demanding, more carefully crafted, and has some kind of overall theme and plot.

I'm not sure there are really such sharp divisions, the two things can blur into each other. But they're quite useful hints about what to expect. A "drama" will probably take some concentration, and it's might not be the kind of thing to watch when tired and in the mood to just unwind and veg out.

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