Jermaine in ED and Jenna in CSwere struck off their professional registers. They were lucky to get jobs in pubs and cafes, especially as there would be people with relevant experience in those fields and such things as food hygiene certificates!

Well I don't watch soaps for the realism of how to get a job. When I was trying to get out my last job I did try walking into the local shops going to the staff I need a job. None of them came out with just start here, they asked silly little things like what experience do you have.

Soaps tend to make educated people a bit weird and boring compared to the knuckle draggers and thickos.

Why would they is my question ? They are soaps not there to promote education etc, I'm guessing many watching them are not exactly high flyers we have mundane jobs etc and no way out, soaps are our escapism from normal everyday life.

Some very mouseist people around here

I think Vicar Billy in coronation street has a business background. He knows what it takes to keep a pub financially viable. That's why he's in the Rovers every day from opening 'til closing interupted by the odd funeral or wedding. I might be good for the pubs economy but the amount of water it takes to clean his pint glasses shows he has a compete disregard for the natural resources the planet. 🍺 Happy new year Glendarroch. 😀

I'm actually very pro-mouse you'll be pleased to hear

Abi was supposed to be academic - she had her pick of universities and Jay was going to move north with her but it never happened and she got stuck working as a vet's receptionist and in the kitchens at the Vic.

This is my bugbear.

Even when a character is introduced that is well educated and qualified, they onvariably feel a need to have them lose their job and need to work in a menial or service role. Almost as if they need to be cut dien to size, brought down to esrth and kearn what 'proper' hard eork is afyer their cushy professional career.

Rachel back in the 90s who went from University Lecturer to serving in the cafe is one example that sticks in the mind.

If they do let them stay in their roles, they invariably turn out to be stuck up, insane or evil. Sometimes all 3. Like Dr May.

Hollyoaks has several degree-educated characters with professional careers: James is a lawyer as was Joanne. Sally, Louis, John Paul and Courtney are teachers. Until recently we had Lindsey who was a doctor. Kim and Tegan are nurses with degrees, Nick is a student nurse, Holly, Zack and Ellie are also at uni. Nancy has a degree and was a journalist, then became a teacher despite not being qualified ...

On the other hand: Simone is a lawyer but doesn't practice any more as she quit her job to open a shop, she and the family blaming her career for Lisa's disappearance. Leela was a firefighter but infamous with fans for never working, then the show made an excuse about her having her hours cut and made her start work as a cleaner. Maxine opened a minicabs business that is now no longer heard of. Patrick gave Sienna a good education but she has never been seen to hold a job for any length of time. Esther wanted to study fashion but failed her exams and stole money to open a coffee shop, then was forced to let Grace take over (from whom she stole said money) and work behind the counter - at no point was it suggested she re-sit, etc.

I don't really understand why Abi has lost all her ambition, her life has settled down now (notwithstanding any future Max shenanigans) she should pick up her studies and make something of her life as she intended

She's also got such low self esteem, all based on her looks and her inferiority compared to Lauren, which really doesn't work anymore. Abi is pretty and slim whereas Lauren isn't the beauty of the Square since she came back from maternity leave. They should have had her attending a London uni as she would still have had plenty of time for working in the Vic kitchens.

didn't her poor A level results restrict her choice of university? why not have her re sit them and show a bit of initiative instead of always having characters throwing in the towel when things get a bit tough, only Ian seems to show any resilience

Yes, both very good examples of how education, and anybody who wants to get pne, or has got one, are looked down on in Corrie. Of course nobody should feel.inferior just because they don't have an advanced education, or a job requiring one and nobody should be pressured inti getting one. But you'd think that Tinas boyfriend had suggested going into Prostitution the way she reacted to him saying she was intelligent and had she consudered doing more with her life.

Even Ken, the original GraduTe, is still often treated as something of an elitist oddity by his family and neighbours. Daniel is getting a similar reaction and let's not forget how Todd was portayed as having become snobby and nasty by getting an education and good job during his time away in London.

Emmerdale and Hollyoaks have a better mix and representation of professional and/or educated characters as dud Brookside. Likewise the Australian soaos though they do tend to be restricted to Doctors and Teachers in Neighbours and Home and Away.

It did restrict her choices but she still got an offer.

Tamwar was another one. They went on about him being very bright and good at School but just because he didn't get into Oxbridge, he didn't go to University at all!? Surely he'd have got a place somewhere if he was even considered for Oxbridge on hus prior results?

Todd is Corrie is another one. When he was younger they were going on about Oxbridge for him, and even though he gave it up to be with Sarah Platt, he still went to work in London in the Law field. He's now working in a florist!

Not sure of it's all because of looks . Abi for most of the time wasn't a troublemaker , Lauren was . And that got Lauren whatever attention Max and Tanya had left for people other than themselves . Abi thought doing everything the right way (studying for school , not getting drunk...) would lead to a successful life .And in 2014 it all came to an end when screw up Lauren ended up with the job , boyfriend (and baby) while her plans crashed at the same time . It's what got her to hook herself to Ben who had just returned from prison and was equally insecure .

TBF Ian Beale in the early days was in the 'Thatcherite' mould, he demonstrated a lot of intuition, entrepreneurship and was very cut throat.

Soap characters don't need degrees because they can just find a job on the street they live. What university qualifications are required to be a barmaid, mechanic, or taxi driver?

Leanne and Nick left school early, but they 'successfully' run a bistro. Jason had his builder's yard, and Liz went from someone with next-to-no bar experience, to manageress in five years. Back when Corrie built up their characters naturally, and not steadfast like Sophie 'clipboard' Webster.

I think Home and Away consistently does this. The school age characters are always studying and there is stories surrounding the HSC every year. Characters also go to uni on the show.

I agree. And also there is just a limit to how truly realistic any soap can be. Like how conveniently everyone works within 2 minutes of where they live...its not how normal life is but it is necessary to have the show function. Having everyone busy all day at school/work plus their commute and coming home to dinner at 7pm really wouldn't leave much time for character interaction beyond their own family!

Exactly. I don't go around following the examples of soap characters in their criminal activities, affairs or alcohol intake anyway,so why would I follow it as regards education, training or career? They are there to entertain not encourage aspiration! Some of the jobs that people are ' putting down' are considered quite good jobs which require a lot of skiil, anyway many graduates end up doing low to medium level jobs.

I think the problem seems to be with CS and EE which seem to mock intellectual achievement or career ambition. Both are set in very unrealistic communities anyway. No one is mocking Dan in ED for training as a paramedic or Finn or Chas for having degrees! Heck no-one even teases Chrissie for her public school education, although maybe if she wasn't the estate owner's s daughter that would be differerent River City used to regularly have student characters, as well as GPs, a lawyer ( although he was bent) and a website designer!

Even in terms of unskilled work they never seem to want to move up the ladder in that area either, in EE when people work in retail its just flogging tat on the market, like surely Bianca with her fashion school background would have been looking for work in a chain store like a Topshop/River Island rather than just be happy selling tatty clothes on the market.

The Albert did make some attempt to show the more modern east end but nothing has really come from it and its rarely used now, then when they use it they just stick regular characters like who'd never go to a place like that.

I'm waiting for what lame excuse will cause Johnny to end his studies and start flogging CDs or something else on the market.

Agree with the OP, it's long been a bugbear of mine that they seldom show anyone reading or having ambitions beyond having a baby at the age of 20. I know it's convenient to tie characters to the square, but it's socially irresponsible to give youngsters the idea that in this day and age, having babies and working on a market stall or in a caff is something to aspire to. Not looking down on those jobs - I've worked on a stall and in a caff - but some wider horizons would be nice. Good to see Denise's character blossoming as she gets an education.

EE now just views women as baby making machines, and anytime a 20 year old says they're pregnant everyone is thrilled despite how inconvenient it can be at that age for people with no real career or job.

Which is what I said earlier in the thread