From Hollyoaks to Heroes

Posted by Remote Control on August 1, 2007 6:01 AM | Permalink

Well, our favourite soap has caused quite a stir hasn't it? I am, of course, referring to Hollyoaks (Channel 4, 6.30pm, E4 7pm).

On one hand, it's being praised for bringing the issue of anorexia to the fore with the first soap plot which will end in a death from an eating disorder.

On the other hand, it's getting stick for effectively encouraging young women to diet because the only women who appear in the show have the perfect figures.

Those in the latter camp obviously don't watch the programme at the moment. Hollyoaks was, in the past, sometimes little more than a steady stream of blonde actresses, who were always the former but who were sometimes struggling in the latter part of the description.

Over the last year, it has improved incredibly. With the exception of the Justin character, I don't think there is a single character which the writers don't know what they're going to do with.

There have been some gripping plots. Sure, a 20-something lad looking after his young brother with his best mate, and nearly dying after falling for a bit of a nutter wife may sound a bit OTT, but the Max/OB/Claire plot has been gripping.

And for a programme which has an audience of millions, it's only right it explores issues which otherwise go unspoken about - and eating disorders are one of those. Hannah, played by St Helens actress Emma Rigby, has started competitive dieting in her quest to become a model after he mate Sarah got snapped up by a model agency. She's being led astray by a Home Counties-accented toff Melissa, who seems to think Hannah needs to slim to get into the industry. Which, for some reason, Sarah didn't.

Slowly but surely, and in quite graphic fashion, this story will build a head of steam quickly. It's going to be must-see telly and further proof that, while Eastenders is busy expanding the Mitchell family and Coronation Street bores us with Steve McDonald's love life, Hollyoaks is becoming the only soap to touch taboo subjects in a sensible way.

Also tonight:

Heroes (BBC 2, 9pm): If you missed last week's opening double bill, then, to be honest, you can still pick this up - and you really should, because it's all that everyone will be talking about over the next few weeks.
Tonight, things speed up a bit from the scene setting as Hiro, one of would-be heroes who can teleport himself, jumps as the chance to save the world, Claire tries to get things together after a rather tragic date and Niki is lead into the desert by a sinister force. Slowly, it's coming together and for what it is worth, I say it's going to be worth hanging on for the ride.

Dragon's Den: Where are they now? (BBC 2, 8pm:) Catching up with the stars of the previous two series - both the ones who left with the investment they wanted from the multi-millionaire investors, the Dragons, and those who walked away empty-handed. This episode features young Devon entrepreneur Ian Chamings who hit all the right notes with his dance music website, and Jude Camplin and Chrissie Shaw, who managed to enrage the Dragons whilst pitching their idea for a women's construction business.