Television gives a distorted picture of birth as well as death

EDITOR—Crayford et al have analysed death rates in televised soap operas.1Similar, but less systematic, observations were made by Karpf a decade ago. Discussing American daytime soap operas, Karpf commented that “in 1977 there were only two cases of cancer on soap operas, neither of them fatal. … Instead they die by being hit by a truck, being pushed downstairs, being shot at, or tumbling out of aeroplanes. Homicide is the soap opera's number one killer … and …