The boom in deaf characters is fantastic for both deaf and hearing TV viewers. The more such characters appear on screen, the more audiences will become aware that deaf people are visible not only within everyday life, but in our media and cultural life too.

Of course, it's not all about the sheer number of deaf characters - another positive aspect lies in the variety. Some sign, others use lip-reading, while others have hearing aids. (We're still not aware of any with cochlear implants.)

So what other deaf characters have graced our screens? Coronation Street won a RADAR People of the Year award for 'the excellent portrayal of the lives and viewpoints of disabled people', thanks to introducing the character of fun-loving Freda, who depended on lip-reading to communicate. One of her earliest storylines saw her withstanding prejudice from Norris, who was confused about how to treat her.

The character was well-respected in the deaf community for being very natural and for her use of physical expressions, which perhaps resulted from the part being played by a deaf actress, Ali Briggs.

Grange Hill's Holly, as played by young deaf actress Rebecca Anne Withey, also proved to be a popular character with viewers. Holly was deaf, but chose to speak rather than use sign language, and was seen to overcome any difficulties she experienced thanks to her determination and strength.

Another favourite among deaf TV viewers was The West Wing's Joey Lucas, a political advisor played by famous deaf actress Marlee Matlin. Joey was a rare case of a signing deaf character who featured regularly in a high profile, fast-moving and fast-speaking drama.

Matlin's character appeared on screen accompanied by a interpreter who spoke for her (almost) as quickly as she signed. Sam Dore, a deaf director for VEE-TV, saw the Joey Lucas character as "great, because she was an integral part of the plot, and her character was about more than just her deafness."

The part was re-written to fit Matlin's deafness, since she is so well respected as an actress. Indeed, she seems to have cornered the market for playing deaf roles in American dramas. After winning an Oscar for the movie Children of a Lesser God, she's also played roles in shows like ER, Seinfeld and The L Word. She recently had a guest role in Desperate Housewives as deaf woman Alisa Stevens when she befriended Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) whose children (Porter and Preston) also attend Barcliff Academy. But their new-found friendship was tested when Lynette got involved in Alisa's disturbed marital problems.

So, a pretty impressive CV by any standards!