Are gays killing Coronation Street?

[sp1814]

It's been a quiet day on the Muslim front, so perhaps it's time to stir up a little anti-gay sentiments?

http://www.dailymail....s-gay-characters.html

Now...as far as I'm aware, Eastenders, Emmerdale and even The Archers feature prominent stories with gay characters and yet their ratings don't seem affected (even when the Daily Mail printed a made-up story about viewers' outrage at 'man-on-man' bedroom scene last month.

So what IS it with certain right wing papers?

[ladybirder]

LOL ankou. Very funny.

[andy-hughes]

Not a problem bobbie - sorry if i came over a bit 'gay police' - not my intention.

The difficulty fafced by soaps is maintaining a level of believeability, while keeping interesting storylines going - not an easy balancing act to pull off anywhere.

Of course - any soap scenario falls apart under even the most cursory of examinations - if you lived alongside so many deeply unpleasant people as the cast of EastEnders, you'd move - anyone would!

As I mentioned, i no longer watch any soaps. maybe its time to get back into the swing (oops, bad choice of phrase!) and see what's going on.

[Bobbisox]

ha-ha no you didn't Andy, I don't mind being reminded of anything

[Sqad]

Bobbi....I had never heard of this Warren fellow, but according to Mrs sqad he was the original producer of Corrie, is gay and has just stepped down.


Or perhaps "helped down" ;-)

[sandyRoe]

'Helped down'? Have they kicked the pouffe out from under him?

[Sqad]

sandy....LOL

[andy-hughes]

Sqad - I dont think he has ever been the producer, but he has continued to take an interest in the overall direction of the soap. he wrote some scripts until 1976, but his direct input then ceased.

[Bobbisox]

yes Sqad, Tony Warren is the shows founder, I believe it was going to be called Florenzel Street

[Sqad]

andy.....right......just quoting Mrs sqad.

[Postdog]

To get back to the point, yes, too many. Too many also are shown as politically correct by accepting or endorsing the gay life, when in real life they would probably be laughed at, talked about, or avoided.

[R1Geezer]

I never watch this drivel but sp you do seem to be getting desperate to be some sort of victim. Are the papers saying that gay characters are killing the soaps then? if so great then need to be killed off if you ask me. They are all just a complete load of depressing sh1te that must have some sort of attraction but on the occasion when I happen to land on one by mistake I start to feel unfortable if I have to endure 30secs before I can get on to something else.

[sp1814]

R1Geezer

Not me - this is coming from the Daily Mail. It's pinning the reason behind Coronation Street's rating slump because of the number of recent gay story lines.

[sp1814]

Postdog

Perhaps there's an element of truth in what you say - especially outside the 'enlightened enclaves of medialand'...

...but could you imagine the furore if gays in soaps were only ever seen as victims of homophobic attacks, laughed at, ignored and abused? That would be as unrealistic as the PC acceptance that you complain about.

[pa___ul3]

postdog, there is a level of homophobia in Eastenders and has been covered in Hollyoaks. It get's covered, and I don't think it's down to being PC, although I'd guess most rational people tend to agree with the PC view of homosexuality anyway.

[supersuezy24]

No they are not. The storylines are crap.

[craft1948]

The number of gays doesn't bother me............it's the number of the residents who've been in prison that is worrying (well it would be if it was real)

[Gromit]

They're not changing the name of the Rover to The Prince Albert, are they?

[sp1814]

Gromit

The only way that would happen would be if the BBC's economics correspondent Evan Davis, joined the show (look it up on Google).