Ian Beale 'would survive credit crunch'

Careful characters like EastEnders's Ian Beale or Coronation Street's Claire Peacock would weather the credit crunch well, according to new research.

The report into psychological aspects of dealing with the financial climate classifies people - typified as TV characters - by how they deal with money. It was carried out by Professor Geoff Beattie, head of psychological sciences at the University of Manchester, for Freeview.

So-called Shrew characters, like Beale and Peacock, have a "propensity to take careful and regular stock of money matters and find searching for the best value deals rewarding".

Drifters - who are "happy to coast through the credit crunch without changing their spending and saving habits" - are represented in the report by Shameless character Frank Gallagher.

Nessa from Gavin & Stacey and Friends' Joey Tribbiani represent the Ostrichs. This group "tend to bury their heads in the sand", such as by failing to open bank statements.

The Freeview Guide to the Credit Crunch report also identified panicking Alarmists such as Peep Show's Mark Corrigan; Deniers, for example Sex And The City's Carrie Bradshaw; and Opportunists, such as Simon Cowell, who apparently want to "benefit from other's financial misery".

Freeview's managing director Ilse Howling said: "In the current economic climate every penny counts, as our discovered tribe of 'Shrews' appear to know full well."

She recommended the subscription-free digital terrestrial service as a cost-effective way of watching TV.