MAJOR tragedies pull at the heart strings.
Appeals attract millions in donations to help people affected by earthquakes or tsunamis.
The tube bombings of 7/7 killed 52 people and had the media evoking the spirit of the Blitz. Ordinary folk well away from the mayhem may have cried but they were proud at the resilience and bravery shown.
In today's modern world, these appalling happenings are played out in our living rooms through saturation 24 hour television coverage.
So why am I surprised that ITV have chosen to “celebrate” 50 years of Coronation Street with a major tragedy and bloodbath on the cobbles of Weatherfield?
Emmerdale had its aeroplane crash to terminate the contracts of several of its characters, EastEnders is shortly to have a devastating fire at the Queen Vic, and now Corra is set for a cull in the most dramatic fashion.
Ashley and Claire Peacock and old stalwart Jack Duckworth are rumoured to be in line for the chop when the viaduct falls down and a tram demolishes the corner shop and the Kabin. Even Norris may not be safe although, for my money, he is more of a national treasure than Cheryl Tweedy.
Executive producer Phil Collinson says, “As we celebrate the show reaching such an incredible milestone, it feels fitting that we will be screening a dramatic event of this magnitude that will affect the lives of all the residents.
“We’ll be using all the wonders of modern television production to bring you a disaster that will rock Weatherfield. At the heart of the drama, though, will be ordinary people on an ordinary street battling adversity.”
There is a permanent dichotomy between real life and entertainment. We watch tragedy in both with a compulsive fascination. When we see people devastated by bombs or nature in far off lands or our own backyard, is there an undercurrent of titillation even as we react with genuine sorrow and reach for a credit card to make a donation?
Perhaps the 24 hour TV news channels have desensitised our psyche and fudged the area between reality and disaster entertainment.
Effective drama mirrors life but do we really need to “celebrate” 50 years of The Street with death and tragedy?
