Backlash fear over Corrie's 'Maddy' plotline

By Brian Roberts 12/01/2010

Soap revives missing child story.. three years after it was dropped

Corrie bosses are going ahead with a controversial missing child story after ditching one three years ago after Madeleine McCann's abduction.

Despite deciding to screen the dramatic hunt for six-year-old Simon Barlow, they are braced for a backlash of complaints because of similarities with the case.

Madeleine, who would be the same age as Simon, has never been found after vanishing from an apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007.

And some Corrie staff fear the scenes may bring back heartache for parents Kate and Gerry McCann, who have never given up hope of finding her. The soap was due to screen a "missing child" plot at the time of Madeleine's disappearance with the kidnapping of baby Freddie Peacock from his room by family friend Casey Carswell (Zoe Henry) after she fell in love with Ashley. But bosses dropped it because it was too similar Madeleine's case. A statement said at the time: "There are some quite disturbing similarities to the situation in Portugal and we didn't want to add to the torment of Madeleine's parents."

Their latest plot centres on Simon, played by Alex Bain, who disappears in Blackpool. He is there on holiday with grandad George Wilson (Anthony Valentine), convinced that Simon's dad, recovering alcoholic Peter (Chris Gascoyne) is incapable of looking after him. But while taking an evening stroll on the promenade, George and his wife Eve (Sabina Franklyn) turn around and Simon has vanished into thin air.

Family and police frantically scour the town but after realising he is gone, Eve has to phone the rest of the Barlows in Weatherfield to break the terrible news.

A Corrie source said: "Viewers will see George and Eve anxiously waiting near the pier for the police to arrive with rowdy stag and hen night revellers milling about.

"The town's bustling nightlife and busy roads will paint a forlorn, hopeless picture of just how big and dangerous a place Blackpool can be at that time of night for a lost and vulnerable little boy."

Portuguese police painstakingly searched Praia da Luz for Madeleine and viewers will also see officers scouring streets, shops and pubs.

Peter gives photos of Simon to officers and in scenes reminiscent of Madeleine's abduction, they use the pictures to print hundreds of flyers.

Peter will be seen breaking down in dad Ken's (Bill Roache) arms, sobbing, "I was praying I'd see him walking along but it's Blackpool dad‚ it's so big and to Simon it must seem the most dangerous place on Earth. How can he be safe out there on his own? How can he be safe?"

And when Ken and Deirdre search Blackpool beach she says: "Do you think someone could really snatch him?" Ken says: "But who'd take him?" Deirdre replies: "It happens Ken. Kids get snatched and they're never seen again."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/12/backlash-fear-over-corrie-s-maddy-plotline-115875-21960441/

I am dismayed there are 1000's of children who are missing. Why is ITV so concerned about upsetting this one particular family. I can't get my head around why it is so different.

As with any story line in any soap opera it will affect someone somewhere and bring back memories.

I just don't get it

Nits

Lot's of soap plot lines bring heartache. What about youngsters who have lost their mother through breast cancer. They will be upset with the Sally storyline. But that went ahead.

Their breast cancer plots heart attack/alzheimers etc are counted as contributing to public information, and contain elements of valuable information usually. I suppose there's a difference between a plot purely for entertainment, and a plot that brings public awareness.

Nit+Wit wrote:I am dismayed there are 1000's of children who are missing. Why is ITV so concerned about upsetting this one particular family. I can't get my head around why it is so different.

As with any story line in any soap opera it will affect someone somewhere and bring back memories.

I just don't get it

Nits

That is what I don't get either - why the sensitivity around this one particular family? Other families who have lost children through terrible circumstances must wonder why the McCanns are afforded special treatment.

Poirot plot risks wrath By Tim Oglethorpe 10/02/2010

TV LAND

First it was Coronation Street, now it's Poirot heading for trouble over a storyline.

The Belgian 'tec features in Murder On The Orient Express - which begins with the abduction of a young girl - chillingly similar to the real-life Madeleine McCann case.

Poirot star David Suchet defends ITV's decision to screen the film, saying: "This is taken from Agatha Christie's novel and we feel it important to demonstrate the wickedness of one of the central characters. "This is Poirot totally out of his comfort zone, in a story which is both challenging and gritty."

Corrie could also court controversy by featuring a plot in which six-year-old Simon Barlow disappears while on holiday with his grandparents in Blackpool.

Street bosses dropped a missing child story three years ago, in the wake of Madeleine's abduction in Portugal.


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/02/10/poirot-plot-risks-wrath-115875-22031707/

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Words fail me

vaguely1 wrote:Their breast cancer plots heart attack/alzheimers etc are counted as contributing to public information, and contain elements of valuable information usually. I suppose there's a difference between a plot purely for entertainment, and a plot that brings public awareness.

Although the storyline about Simon could be considered as one that brings public awareness too.

Public awareness of what?????

I think nearly three years down the line that it's bizarre that people are still talking about stopping these story lines.

Probably another slow press day.

It's just a ratings game isn't it, no soap wants to be the one that 'callously' uses a story that upsets its viewers becauser those viewers could sulk and walk away to another soap. The Madeleine case was huge and affected massive numbers many of which would be Corrie fans. Also we currently live in an era of 24 hour rolling news where even a storyline in a soap opera makes the news or the print tabloids so it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy combined with advert for the show. That's how everyone makes their money.

Autumn wrote:Public awareness of what?????

I would have thought that was obvious. Keep a close eye on your children....

I presume Simon 'disappears' whilst unsupervised.

Pascal wrote:

Autumn wrote:Public awareness of what?????

I would have thought that was obvious. Keep a close eye on your children....

I presume Simon 'disappears' whilst unsupervised.

So, in a nutshell, this storyline has naff all in common with the disappearance of Madeleine.