Guest blog post by Glenn Meads who is on Twitter and LinkedIn
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Corrie has had to modernise, because if it remained quaint and cosy, then you can never expect to attract a younger audience. Also, in a world of binging on box sets, the odd bit of social realism does not go a miss. And over the years, Corrie has had some grimly realistic storylines, which have had a huge impact and means that audiences do more than sitting passively, watching with no sense of connection.
But, there is one topic that the soap has never really been that good at. Drugs. I don't know why, But every time that someone has a drug problem in Corrie, It comes across as clumsy and dare I say it, a tad boring.
We watch as the drug user self destructs, starts wearing a hoodie, hides on the red wreck, and steals from a local.
Ryan is the latest character to be affected by this and to be be honest, the drugs don't work. Michelle is hysterical, a gangster has appeared from nowhere and every one seems to know who he is, and Ryan keeps bumbling around like a pinball going back and forth and heading for zero on the scoreboard.
It doesn't help that Ryan is not a character that many feel drawn to or like. He is just represented as a fool. But, It also brings out the worst in Michelle who has morphed into Lady Macbeth meets Tiger Mum.
And, the depiction of drug dealers, ecstasy and the like feels stuck in the past. There's no place for it on the street. And it does not feel dramatic or add anything. It comes across as a campaign saying, "Don't try this, kids."
I know we now have a week of this. And, I for one am hoping Phelan nips back from the dead and finishes anyone off who screams or overacts, as I am a bit bored of this Ebenezer Goode storyline.
What do you think?
Glenn Meads
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