Are there some stories that are just too sensitive for soap operas to cover?

ARE THERE SOME STORIES THAT ARE JUST TO SENSITIVE FOR SOAP OPERAS

TO COVER?

POPULARITY OF SOAP OPERAS • EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks - Soap operas show

up on our TVs every day. These types of shows still seem to be popular after running for decades .

• Coronation Street aired its first episode in 1960, and is now the world’s longest running TV soap opera in production.

• These shows attract the audience with promises of easy viewing spiced with some juicy drama. But are there stories that are too sensitive for soap operas to cover?

SHOCKING STORY LINES

• In 2011, EastEnders presented a storyline were the character Ronnie Branning's son died of cot death, and she decided to swap it with Alfie and Kat Moon’s baby.

• The writers chose to end it much sooner than planned.

• Many expressed their complaints to the BBC and on the internet.

• This is not the first time EastEnders has received criticism. In 2009, the character Tony King went to prison for abusing his step-daughter.

• It gave the show twice as many complaints than all other BBC shows together that year.

SHOCKING STORY LINES

• In 2009, Hollyoaks had planned a plotline about two characters who had killed a child when they were young.

• The show ended up pulling the episode few days before it was supposed to air.

• This storyline had strong similarities to the killing of two-year-old Jamie Bulger in 1993, and his mother expressed her anger in public.

• Coronation Street also had to stop an episode about a shotgun siege, as a gunman had shot 12 people in Cumbria.

SHOCKING STORY LINES

• Brookside had incest.

• Emmerdale had a badly timed plane crash.

• Hollyoaks had a male rape storyline that provoked strong reactions from viewers.

• These are some of the recent controversial soap stories that have been shown – or not shown – on TV, but let’s have a look at some older ones:

LOOKING BACK...

• The first soap opera to create controversy was Coronation Street in 1978.

• Character Ernest Bishop was accidentally shot by two robbers.

• This was the first time violence of this kind had been shown on Coronation Street.

• In 1987, EastEnders showed two men kissing.

• For the first time, a soap opera had a gay couple.

• The Sun editorial called the show “EastBenders”.

70’s and 80’s • In the 70’s and 80’s, guns and gay love on TV

seemed to be more than the soap watchers could handle.

• EastEnders tried to provoke their audience by introducing a relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim man.

• According to a BBC insider gave them “fewer complaints than when showing a Muslim eating during Ramadan.”

GUNS AND SOAP OPERAS• Guns in soaps are no longer a big issue either.

• In 2010, when the character Archie Mitchell was shot EastEnders invited their audience to guess who the killer was and vote for and bet on their prime suspect.

• The answer was revealed in a live broadcast, celebrating their 25th anniversary, and not even the actors knew how it ended until a few minutes before the live show aired. The entire audience was excited to find out who the killer was.

VIOLENCE IN SOAPS • Violence in TV and films is commonly

used now, and pulling a gun at someone is not going create much controversy.

• Over time, people have gotten used to seeing violence and other dramatic stunts on the screens, leaving the audiences desensitised.

• Soap writers now have to go to new lengths to shock their audience.

• But how far is too far?

HOW FAR IS TO FAR?• It seems like horrible situations that people can relate to

are not well received by viewers .

• Taking someone’s child, youth killings, rape, paedophilia and incest are not seen as acceptable stories to be covered by soap operas.

• Issues that can be related to real incidents, like a plane crash or shotgun sieges – especially if they are badly timed – will leave the audience angry.

• Soaps are supposed to be light entertainment.

• May not be suitable for dealing with such serious issues.

BIBLIOGRAPHY• http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/10-controversial-soap-storylines.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_Street• http://mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/190114187-mms-top-five-coronation-

street’s-most-shocking-and-controversial-deaths• http://www.betting-directory.com/specials/19022010/who-killed-archie-

mitchell-odds-tonight-8pm-bbc1.php • http://metro.co.uk/2014/01/08/shocked-hollyoaks-fans-express-disbelief-at-

controversial-male-rape-episode-4255343/ • http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/6500/Desensitization-and-Media-

Effects.html • http://metro.co.uk/2011/06/09/controversial-soap-storylines-top-10-39456/• http://metro.co.uk/2011/06/09/controversial-soap-storylines-top-10-39456/• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1344532/Samantha-Womack-

quits-EastEnders-controversial-cot-death-storyline.html