have you noticed in soaps people are either really rich , or dirt poor, they don't portray families who can (OK cant afford flash cars and holidays to the Bahamas) but can get by with a little holiday every now and then and basic family car, characters are either stinking rich and can afford what they want , or dirt poor and cant even afford the weekly shop

Sally and Kevin Webster?

Phil Mitchell?

Eh???
90% of soap characters are average income levels.

Can't believe Vanessa in Emmerdale can't afford her own place on a Vets money. Houses can't be that expensive in the village. She has been working for ages, surely she must have saved. Why is she still renting.?

I have yet to see anyone sign on and have to struggle with the benefit system ,I would like to see that.

Brookside showed this but none of them do now

Vets don't get paid a salary. They're self employed. They charge fees, often unpaid and difficult to collect. There's three of them in the practice sharing the income, and expenses.

On Corrie about half the characters actually own their own business (Audrey, Liz, Steve, Dev, Nick, Tracy, Robert, Kevin etc) - not really in keeping with the soaps "working-class" roots - a lot of the employees - Leanne, David are actually management !!

Over the past few years, with the help of the media, anyone claiming any kind of benefit is portrayed as a criminal. There is an agenda and I have no doubt the soaps have been told that they must steer any storylines away from any kind of benefit claiming. This is why we see very unrealistic cures from illnesses and accidents.

Edit: And, of course, the fact that there is a job available whenever anyone needs one.

I wish I could forget Alfie Moon using his belt to try to sign on.

Vanessa is a partner in the business.

Yes, the judgemental attitude so many people have towards benefits claimants is a pet gripe of mine, having had to use them and also having contributed over many years. Jobs if any sort are hard to come by, poor health sadly all too easy. If you're ve managed to stay in full time employment and stay healthy it's s ' there but for the grace of God. ' I wonder how many of those who moan realise that about 95% of the welfare bill is on pensions! Any of them offering to take a cut in their pension or die early? Thought not!!!

At least Brookside showed people like Jimmy who was desperate for work, to the extent that he took it too far and lied about his qualifications. The last character in ED who signed on was Finn Barton and that was a few years ago now. Luckily for Finn the local B& B was hiring people with no relevant experience or qualifications ( as very small businesses so often do) and he got the job ( where's s a roll eyes smiley when you need one?).

I' d say that most ED characters are doing ok, although only the Sharmas and the Home Farm lot are really wealthy. Lisa struggles for cash sometimes as does Joanie, Zak,Dan and Kerry but the rest are managing ok and have enough for decent cars, holidays, paying the rent etc.

Welcome to modern Britain

Brookside was a diamond of a soap I wish we could have a re-run of this great series .
If they had people on benefits and showed things such as food banks and homless charities and the struggle to meet families needs I think this would be quiet interesting for viewers instead of making it look like everyone can find a job and everyone has food on the table and uses a laundrette, takeaways,can afford to drink in the pubs and local shops.
Last edited by Silent-Tears : 29-10-2016 at 12:52

Really poor? I can't recall anybody in Soapland being really poor (don't watch all the soaps so there may have been some)