EastEnders and Criminality

Having started studying for my degree, criminality is at the forefront of my mind again, not that it left much since I'm working in the courts most days now!!

But I started thinking about how Eastenders characters are more prone to criminality than say Corrie Characters.

You've got the obvious ones like Phil Mitchell, Tony King, Jase Dyer and Lucas Johnson, Jase and Lucas have tried to escape their past and at the moment Lucas has been far more successful than Jase.

But then you have the less obvious, Pat Evans, Tanya Branning, Max Branning, Jack Branning, Dot Branning, Suzy Branning, Ian Beale, Jane Beale, Lucy Beale, Chelsea Fox, Sean Slater.

Pat - drink driver and killer
Tanya - kidnap and assault
Max - receiving stolen goods, possession of an illegal firearm, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice
Jack - perverting the course of justice
Dot - Assisting a suicide
Suzy - theft
The Beales - Perverting the course of justice regarding the shooting
Chelsea - drug possession
Sean - drug dealer

Then you have all the minor assualts like Ronnie Mitchell slapping everyone in sight.

Strange how Manchester is always portrayed as a den of iniquity, yet you cant imagine Betty or Rita having guns stashed under their sinks or Ken Barlow hiding a stash of speed under his pillow

To be law-abiding in EE is unusual and tends to lead to a swift exit for the character concerned (Honey and Yolande for instance). It's as if the writers can't do storylines based on normal family life and have to go for the criminal aspect every time.

I think the only family to be crime free (at the moment, touch wood it wont change) are the Masoods. I cant recall any of them being involved in anything criminal.

Its no wonder people think the crime rates are rising (when they're actually falling)