It’s good to see Coronation Street tackling racism in the storyline about the beating up of a young asylum seeker who works part time at Speed Dhal, the Muslim owned restaurant. A gang of far right racists who are stirring up ill feeling against migrants are in the process of corrupting troubled teenager Max Turner. The storyline is well presented with the racists blaming migrants and people of colour for all the woes befalling the ‘white working class’ .

I haven’t seen today’s episode yet but from what I’ve seen of this Corrie story line so far, the script writers are doing a good job of portraying how teenage youngsters who are going through a difficult time at home or school are vulnerable to being “befriended”, groomed and recruited by members of these racist hate groups.
It is horrible to watch but cleverly done.

There was another TV programme recently which addressed this issue - it was called The Walk-In and was based on a true story of a young man who felt isolated and alone - he was befriended, groomed and recruited by members of a proscribed neo-Nazi terrorist group - he turned informant when he realised how sick the group members were and what they were plotting (to murder an MP)
In turn, the Hope Not Hate group he gave his information to was run by a chap that once was recruited to another similar type of racist hate group when he was young. He eventually saw the light and got out of it and now works to expose and stop the Activities of similar hate groups.

The young actor who plays Max is brilliant and has already won a national television award for best newcomer.
Great storyline..

I think it is a great story line for Coronation Street to show. I have not as yet watched The Walk- In but am planning to do so.
I saw the young actor, Paddy Bever, who plays Max receive his award for best newcomer. The award was well deserved.

I find the Max character's acting a bit annoying. He has an odd way of delivering lines - rather like Dev who seems to runallhiswordstogether in a rush and emphasise random words. Very weird. Still, racism is about the only subject Corrie hasn't tackled so I guess it was bound to crop up. More problems for long suffering Yasmeen. Oh, and more excuses for street punch ups. Probably gender identity will air its head before too long and Steve will take to puff ball skirts..

CAJ wrote: I find the Max character's acting a bit annoying. He has an odd way of delivering lines - rather like Dev who seems to runallhiswordstogether in a rush and emphasise random words. Very weird. Still, racism is about the only subject Corrie hasn't tackled so I guess it was bound to crop up. More problems for long suffering Yasmeen. Oh, and more excuses for street punch ups. Probably gender identity will air its head before too long and Steve will take to puff ball skirts..

The character Max Turner reminds me of some of some of the troubled boys I worked with. I think Paddy Bever’s portrayal of Max is ‘spot on’ - sometimes thoughtful, charming and reasonable, always weighing things up with a questioning look, the emphasis of random words as you pointed out, and a tilt of the head that betrays lack of trust and the potential to ‘ kick off ‘.

Corrie has tackled trans gender and gender identity issues in the past - remember Hayley Cropper ?

I forgot about Hayley!

PS Will everyone stop asking Summer if she's allright? It's driving me nuts. I used to quite like Billy's character, now I could slap the man and his permanently worried frown and soppy attitude.

I didn’t watch Corrie for gritty realism, me I wanted a cosy northern friendliness with occasional argy bargy dropped in for good luck.
I gave up watching years ago .

I have been watching it since its inception. I liked it when there was a gaggle of grannies in the Rover’s Return and pigeons in the pen. Sometimes these days I feel there are too many big story lines. I moan about it but hardly ever miss an episode.

I don't watch Coronation Street any more, but I hope they balance this story-line by showing the other side of things. There is too much emphasis on blaming white youths for all racist problems, when in fact there is just as much racism and hatred towards white people.
Television dramas have a lot of influence and all story writers have a responsibility to show the whole scenario, not just one aspect of it.