It's good to talk

It's been more than a decade now since I was a semi-regular Coronation Street viewer, so I can't comment on the specific details - but certainly this BBC article suggests that the writers (in liaison with charities Samaritans and CALM) are doing a superb job of treating the subject of mental illness and suicide with seriousness and sensitivity.

Any attempt to encourage conversation and remove the stigma surrounding the issue is to be welcomed, and the reactions that the storyline have inspired should shut up any snobby dissenters who still regard soaps as nothing but trivial, mindless light entertainment for the masses. On the contrary, they actually have the potential to raise awareness among a large swathe of the population far more effectively than any government or charity campaign.