“Whatever happens in this drama has happened to real-life parents of children with ADHD. No doubt there will be criticism of Kid in the Corner, but it will be misplaced because I’ve only told the truth.”Marchant insists this is not merely a drama about dealing with special needs. Uncom-promising yet deeply moving, it will certainly raise awareness about a much-misunderstood condition. But the series shouldn’t be limited to an examination of one particular children’s disorder; it is meant to be a more general reflection of the growing stresses that all parents are under.Marchant says: “This is a story that every parent – and every teacher – will recognise.

The series is being billed as “semi-autobiographical”: Marchant has a teenage son with Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism, and has used his own experiences to help with the background to Kid in the Corner. “We go from one shitty moment to the next, without anything in between. When do I get to love him?” Later in the episode, Alex’s frustrations with his son spill over into shocking violence.Although his parents don’t yet know it, Danny has ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), which causes problems with concentration and discipline. But it is the foreground of the photograph that catches the eye – a blur of an eight- year-old boy manically shaking his head and sticking his tongue out at the camera. It is this boy’s hyperactivity that dominates the family – and indeed the whole of this gripping new drama. In the title sequence for the first episode, the parents, Alex (Douglas Henshall) and Theresa (Clare Holman), are desperately trying to restrain the rampaging Danny (a stunning debut from Eric Byrne) in a supermarket.
As Danny runs amok – eating lollies he hasn’t paid for and tipping basket- loads of sweets onto the floor – Alex takes out his exasperation on his wife: “What do you want me to do? Tie him to the bloody trolley?” When a horrified bystander then asks Alex “Can’t you control him?” he replies with a blunt “No!”Theresa, too, is nearing the end of her tether over Danny “It’s relentless,” she sighs to Alex. There are various organiser sites, each offering much the same core features.

Planet All is one such, and besides an address book and calendar, the site also prompts you to provide personal details in order to put you in touch with other users.Yahoo Connected Office is much the same again (connected.clubs.yahoo /office). Its stand-out feature is the ability to create group access to a single diary or address book, to grant to whomever you want.The Daily Drill sells itself as being less dry than its rivals, enabling you, it says, to bring a bit of humour to your diary ( www.dailydrill ).. The background in the C4 publicity still for Kid in the Corner, Tony Marchant’s new three-part drama, shows an idyllic-looking family: glamorous blond parents and a smiling teenage daughter. As well as all the usual music, gigs and sport information, the site has a link to the Guardian archive and sections on time and financial management.

Good, messy fun.Get organised www.PlanetAll Pity the poor old Filofax. Not only has its various electronic successors taken off but now we have on-line organisers. More to the point, the ability of Web-based organisers to synchronise and share data with electronic, hand-held sets is making on-line diaries and address books increasingly attractive. juiced.co.uk), on the other hand, look as if they’ve managed to get out of bed before lunchtime at least once this year. Its stylish set of features, fashion, reviews and sport has relatively little oriented towards students.
Student World ( www. student-world.co.uk) is the sort of site parents would want their student children to visit.