Tony Gordon in Corrie deliberately walked back into the factory fire with the intention of killing himself.
Same with Steph Dean in Hollyoaks, although her motivation was that she was dying anyway. Either way it was still suicide, the act of causing their own deaths. When Frankie had a go at Esther for her suicide attempt and brought Steph into it I remember thinking if only she knew Steph had caused her own death prematurely by choosing to stay in the fire.
I wanted Alice Branning to top herself on Christmas Day on the anniversary of her father's death.
Would have made for a great storyline - I bet they'd have done this had they known Jasmyn Banks wouldn't return for the court scenes.
I've explained this before on here so sorry to be repeato-girl but it's very unlikely that a soap will have a sympathetic character succeed in taking their own life, the reason being that it is likely to provoke copy-cat cases from depressed viewers. It happened when a sympathetic Eastenders character killed himself in the late eighties / early nineties and there was also a rise in over-doses when Angie Watts was shown to take one. Of course, that's a correlation not causation but soaps have to be very careful about what they're showing now.
If anyone saw the episode of Hollyoaks in which Esther takes an overdose then you may have noticed that it had a different style than most of Hollyoaks' emotional scenes in that there was no incidental music - this is because music acts as a way of 'glamourising' (for want of a better word) suicide. They have to be super careful about what they show. I was really worried about how they were going to handle it at the time but they did a good job, I think.
Any successful suicide attempts in recent years tend to be from villain i.e. EE Stella and Hollyoaks' Niall and they tend to be the result of a momentary decision rather than the result of severe depression.
I'm sure Hollyoaks must off sensationalist this sensitive issue to the max at one point in their run.
Actually, no. The first time they did it was probably the most disturbing and off-putting depiction of suicide i've ever seen. Lewis Richardson, in a Hollyoaks Later series. They also handled Esther's attempt well. Credit where it's due, Hollyoaks has never sensationalised suicide. In fact, due to its young audience they've probably been extra cautious whenever sensitive issues come up.
He was trying to kill Mike Baldwin and didn't mean to crash into the viaduct and kill himself.
The biggest one for me though I wasn't into British soap operas at the time is Lewis, because he changed his mind at the last minute.
And although it wasn't shown on screen, Michael Moon's mother Maggie took an overdose of sleeping pills hoping that Eddie would find her in time. He didn't, and a six year old Michael found her body. I was sure he was gonna commit suicide like his mother did to frame Janine.
Corrie: Kevin's wife Alison killed herself throwing herself under the wheels of a passing truck. She had earlier been falsely suspected, by Sally, of harming Sally and Kevin's daughters. (Alison had merely taken them to have a family portrait done.) She later cracked up with the death of her own baby. http://coronationstreet.wikia.com/wiki/Alison_Webster
1980s Australian soap Sons and Daughters: Leigh Palmer also killed herself throwing herself under the wheels of a passing truck.
1980s Australian soap Prisoner: Eve Wilder's solicitor shot himself in the interview room; prisoner Kerryn Davies hanged herself; Bev "The Beast" Baker killed herself by injecting an airbubble into a vein.
Corrie: Kevin's wife Alison killed herself throwing herself under the wheels of a passing truck. She had earlier been falsely suspected, by Sally, of harming Sally and Kevin's daughters. (Alison had merely taken them to have a family portrait done.)
1980s Australian soap Sons and Daughters: Leigh Palmer also killed herself throwing herself under the wheels of a passing truck.
1980s Australian soap Prisoner: Eve Wilder's solicitor shot himself in the interview room; prisoner Kerryn Davies hanged herself; Bev "The Beast" Baker killed herself by injecting an airbubble into a vein.
Ah of course Leigh. I knew there was another major character aside from Paul Shepherd in Sons and Daughters. Hal Mason also killed himself. Wayne, Susan, Karen and Colin also all attempted it at points but didn't succeed.
He was trying to kill Mike Baldwin and didn't mean to crash into the viaduct and kill himself.
The biggest one for me though I wasn't into British soap operas at the time is Lewis, because he changed his mind at the last minute.
And although it wasn't shown on screen, Michael Moon's mother Maggie took an overdose of sleeping pills hoping that Eddie would find her in time. He didn't, and a six year old Michael found her body. I was sure he was gonna commit suicide like his mother did to frame Janine.
Lewis Richardson's was very harrowing for several reasons - his having changed his mind as you mentioned, having nearly all his family and friends berating him on his death bed for being so selfish and the pure physicality of it - the jaundice, vomiting, describing how his organs were shutting down one by one and that it was taking days of excruciating pain. There was nothing glamorous about it - I find it hard to imagine anyone wanting to copy that which is, as someone pointed out, a huge worry for Producers. Even if it doesn't happen, or of course there is no proven link,, they'll be accused of it.
Ah of course Leigh. I knew there was another major character aside from Paul Shepherd in Sons and Daughters. Hal Mason also killed himself. Wayne, Susan, Karen and Colin also all attempted it at points but didn't succeed.
Prisoner had a number of suicide attempts. Sara survived a suicide pact but her boyfriend Allan Jeffries didn't. Doreen tried to hang herself but was saved in time.
He was trying to kill Mike Baldwin and didn't mean to crash into the viaduct and kill himself.
I always thought he did mean to kill himself (and obviously wanted to finish off Mike in the process!) as he was already dying of cancer. I remember him attempting suicide several times previously to that.
Prisoner had a number of suicide attempts. Sara survived a suicide pact but her boyfriend Allan Jeffries didn't. Doreen tried to hang herself but was saved in time.
MelSingleton;71430248 Bev "The Beast" Baker killed herself by injecting an airbubble into a vein...
... like the Ian MacKellen character in the movie 'Apt Pupil'?
Ah of course Leigh. I knew there was another major character aside from Paul Shepherd in Sons and Daughters. Hal Mason also killed himself. Wayne, Susan, Karen and Colin also all attempted it at points but didn't succeed.
Bloody 'ell KK, you're more living in the past than I am (re: 'Sons and Daughters!).
Comments
Same with Steph Dean in Hollyoaks, although her motivation was that she was dying anyway. Either way it was still suicide, the act of causing their own deaths. When Frankie had a go at Esther for her suicide attempt and brought Steph into it I remember thinking if only she knew Steph had caused her own death prematurely by choosing to stay in the fire.
Me too.
I sort of thought the same.
Me too, I miss Kim as well
I wept!
Would have made for a great storyline - I bet they'd have done this had they known Jasmyn Banks wouldn't return for the court scenes.
If anyone saw the episode of Hollyoaks in which Esther takes an overdose then you may have noticed that it had a different style than most of Hollyoaks' emotional scenes in that there was no incidental music - this is because music acts as a way of 'glamourising' (for want of a better word) suicide. They have to be super careful about what they show. I was really worried about how they were going to handle it at the time but they did a good job, I think.
Any successful suicide attempts in recent years tend to be from villain i.e. EE Stella and Hollyoaks' Niall and they tend to be the result of a momentary decision rather than the result of severe depression.
I think she meant to overdose in a suicidal gesture, but not sure she actually intended to.
Actually, no. The first time they did it was probably the most disturbing and off-putting depiction of suicide i've ever seen. Lewis Richardson, in a Hollyoaks Later series. They also handled Esther's attempt well. Credit where it's due, Hollyoaks has never sensationalised suicide. In fact, due to its young audience they've probably been extra cautious whenever sensitive issues come up.
He was trying to kill Mike Baldwin and didn't mean to crash into the viaduct and kill himself.
The biggest one for me though I wasn't into British soap operas at the time is Lewis, because he changed his mind at the last minute.
And although it wasn't shown on screen, Michael Moon's mother Maggie took an overdose of sleeping pills hoping that Eddie would find her in time. He didn't, and a six year old Michael found her body. I was sure he was gonna commit suicide like his mother did to frame Janine.
Alice? That was brilliant. Well, you know what I mean.
1980s Australian soap Sons and Daughters: Leigh Palmer also killed herself throwing herself under the wheels of a passing truck.
1980s Australian soap Prisoner: Eve Wilder's solicitor shot himself in the interview room; prisoner Kerryn Davies hanged herself; Bev "The Beast" Baker killed herself by injecting an airbubble into a vein.
Ah of course Leigh. I knew there was another major character aside from Paul Shepherd in Sons and Daughters. Hal Mason also killed himself. Wayne, Susan, Karen and Colin also all attempted it at points but didn't succeed.
Lewis Richardson's was very harrowing for several reasons - his having changed his mind as you mentioned, having nearly all his family and friends berating him on his death bed for being so selfish and the pure physicality of it - the jaundice, vomiting, describing how his organs were shutting down one by one and that it was taking days of excruciating pain. There was nothing glamorous about it - I find it hard to imagine anyone wanting to copy that which is, as someone pointed out, a huge worry for Producers. Even if it doesn't happen, or of course there is no proven link,, they'll be accused of it.
Prisoner had a number of suicide attempts. Sara survived a suicide pact but her boyfriend Allan Jeffries didn't. Doreen tried to hang herself but was saved in time.
I always thought he did mean to kill himself (and obviously wanted to finish off Mike in the process!) as he was already dying of cancer. I remember him attempting suicide several times previously to that.
Surely you refer to a soap character being 'successful' in their act of 'suicide', i.e exiting from this existence?
Cyrus
Cell Block 'H'?
Used to bloody love that show!
Cyrus
... like the Ian MacKellen character in the movie 'Apt Pupil'?
Cyrus
Bloody 'ell KK, you're more living in the past than I am (re: 'Sons and Daughters!).
Cyrus. ;-)