The Big Issue - UK (2020-11-30)

28 | BIGISSUE.COM 30 NOVEMBER 2020

Roache.“Allthosethingsemanatedfromthat

period.Itdidhave acolossalimpact.”

Thiswasbothblessingandcurseforthe

show.Itwasamajortalkingpointandahuge

partofthefabricofBritishsociety, butit

alsobecamesomewhatFaustianwhere big

storylinesweretrailedinthepaperstowhip

upinterest,themoredramaticthebetter.

EastEnders,withitsownfocusonworking-class

Londoners,arrivedin19 8 5andthesoapplot

ColdWar (or, more appositely,theSudsWar)

armsracewason.

JohnWhistonismanagingdirectorof

continuingdramaforITV andoversees

CoronationStreet.He prefersnottoseeitquite

asan armsracewithothersoapstogetthe

biggeststorylines.Competition,however,is

fiercebetweenthemandifonesoaprunswith

astorythatanotherisplanning,thelatter

generallyhastostepback.Hesaysacrane

crashideawasscrappedbecauseHollyoaks

diditfirstandanotherrecentstorylineabout

theriseofright-wingracistshadtopivotintoa

story abouthumantraffickingas,onceagain,

Hollyoaksgotthere first.

Forhim,thesebigstoriesare usedto

exploretheirimpactoncharacterstheviewers

have grownupwithandknowintimately.“Itis

aboutextraordinarycircumstancesbringing

outextraordinary responsesinquiteordinary

people,”hesays.“Extraordinarythingsare

onlythereinordertoseehowhumannature

dealswiththingsandtoexplorehumanity–

thewonderfulnessofhumanityaswellasour

baserinstincts.”

Storiesareplannedinthewritingroom

• theshowhasaround 30 writers–and
  researchedbefore actorsaretoldwhatis
  goingtohappentotheircharacter.Theyalso
  workhand-in-handwithcharities,where
  necessary,toensurethestory arcisaccurate
  andnotexploitative.
  TinaO’Brienjoinedtheshowin1999when
  shewas16andhercharacterSarah-Louise
  Plattwas 12 .Her firstmajorstorylinethe
  followingyearwasSarah-Louisegetting
  pregnantatatimewhentheUKhadone

ofthehighestteenpregnancyratesinEurope.ThatyeartheBritishgovernmenthad

launchedthe10-year TeenagePregnancyStrategyinEnglandinan attempttohalvethe

under- 18 conceptionrateinthecountry.

ProducersinitiallybalkedbuteventuallydecidedtheywouldshowSarah-Louise

givingbirthonscreen.“Iwasgiven abagofVHStapestowatchwomeninlabour!”laughs

O’Brienatthememory.“Thatwastogive meanideaofhowIwouldbehave andwhatkind

ofnoisesIwouldmake.”Shealsometexpectantmothersinateenagepregnancyunitto

betterunderstandthesituation.Itbecame ahugestory,thetopicsitraisedeven being

discussedinParliament,anditgotfamiliestalking.

“CoronationStreetisentertainment,buttheyhave alwayscoveredvery, veryimportant

andtopicalsituations,”saysO’Brien.“Iknowthatitdoesmakeadifference.”

JackPShepherdplaysDavidPlatt,Sarah-Louise’sbrother, andwasatthecentre

ofamalerapestoryin2018.Theproducerscalledhimintotellhiminadvance.“Iwas

shocked,”hesays.“Ididthink,‘Fuck!Really?Jesus!’Itwasjustsoun-DavidPlatt.Ijust

couldn’timaginehimgoingthroughthatordealingwiththat.”Theteamhadworked

withManchesterSurvivors,acharityhelpingmenwhohadbeenthroughthis,andthey

explainedittakesyearsforvictimstocomeforwardandreportattacks.Callstonational

charityMaleSurvivorincreasedby 1,700percentaftertheepisodeaired.

Theincident’srepercussionsplayedoutover monthsbutitstillhadtobeaccelerated

comparedtowhathappensinrealsituationslikethis.“Wecan’tkeepthesametimeframe

asreallife,”saysShepherd.“Itwouldjustgetboring.”

ItoverlappedwiththesuicideofAidan Connorintheshowandthiswasusedtospark

Davidintoreportinghisattack.“Inthesame episodeinwhichAidancommitssuicide,

Davidrealisesthat,unlesshetalkstosomebody,he’sgoingtoenduplike Aidan,”says

Whiston.“Thatleadshimonhispathofcomingtotermswithwhathappenedtohim.”

Currentlyplayingoutonscreenisacoercivecontrolstorylinewhere YasmeenNazir,

playedby ShelleyKing,hasbeensubjectedtoescalatingabusebyhusbandGeoffMetcalfe.

Kingmetwithwomenwhohadbeenthroughthisandsaysthatasoapcanonlyshowso

muchinastoryofthisnature.“Yousimplycannotdothosethingsat 7. 30 intheevening,”

shesays.“Itwouldbetoodangerousanditwouldbetoouncomfortable.Ithinkwehave

given peopletheideaof–even above andbeyondwhatwe’veseen–whatGeoffis

capableof.”

Thereisanimportantcampaigningandsocialresponsibilityangletotheshowthatis

revealedinthesestorylines.“It’sbeentellingepicstoriesfor60yearsthatyoucanidentify

with,thingsthatgoonbehindcloseddoors,thingsthatyoucan’'treallytalkabout;butyou

canifsomeprogrammelikeCoronationStreetisbraveenoughtotellyouaboutthem,”

saysKing.“Ithinkthat’swhyCorriehaslastedsolong.That’swhywekeepontryingto

maketheprogramme.”

Alan HalsallhasplayedTyroneDobbssince199 8 andhischaracterhasbeensubjected

todomesticabusefromonetimefiancéeKirstySoamesHe metamalesurvivoraspartof

hi lityhere.“The

se ughthecharity

Babyfaced

Sarah-LouisePlatt’s

teenpregnancywas

anexplosivestoryline

backin 2000

Propping up the bar

Ken with the strongwomen of the Street,

Annie Walker, Ena Sharples and Minnie

Caldwell – plus Albert Tatlock

Image:

ITV/S

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