ABSTRACT
The children, all Down's Syndrome children, were singing along with their teacher. The programme in question was a recent edition of Umbrella, a programme which is built around the theme of religious education and the celebration of religious differences. Numerous discussants pointed out that there was little room within dramatic fiction for sensitive portrayals of almost anything. The incorporation of the ‘ordinary’ into daily television practices has proved immensely difficult. A situation comedy, for example, does not leave much room for manoeuvre. The main characters have to remain constant in order to provide for the ‘comforting continuity’ which is a reason for its success. The more general point to make in the context of the present discussion is that to attempt to go beyond the occasional appearance of a disabled character it would be necessary to break with convention and write the main character as a character with a disability, as in Ironside.
