To feel a programme dramatising Shannon Matthew's disappearance is in poor taste?

[Annie592]

I watched it. I quite enjoyed it. (I think Sheridan Smith is amazing.). But it doesn't sit quite right with me. I want to be able to say why, but I can't explain it. Maybe because a real life case of a nine year old's abuse doesn't feel like something that should be used for entertainment? Wondering if anyone agrees and can articulate it better? Or whether it's actually an important topic to talk about and I'm being stupid. I honestly don't know. Would appreciate mumsnet thoughts!

I watched the first episode too. Mixed thoughts.

With TV I find you've always got to ask yourself what the agenda is. Why was this program made? Could it be to further demonise the working classes?

I don't agree that it was a strong portrayal of a WC community. It was a portrayal of one woman (Julie) who rallied/bullied a housing estate into supporting a woman she viewed as a "great mum". Shannon Matthews was not a great mum.

*Karen Matthews, sorry.

I agree. It was well done and the cast are brilliant but it made me feel uneasy. Then again good programming can do that too so maybe it is a good thing? I don't know.

I didn't watch it but did wonder how wise it was to dramatise this event just as Shannon is becoming a legal adult. I hope the care she has had in the years following has been good and she is happy, resilient enough to cope with her story being gossip fodder again.

I have an adopted DS and DD.

If a film was made about the events leading up to them being taken into care.. even if they weren't in the film themselves... it would cause enormous issues for them.

I can't believe, wherever she is, Shannon has come out of this unscathed.

I don't think the makers gave Shannon much thought at all. I think this was a way to bash Karen Matthews as she embodies a lot of things people despise in one way or another.

They did contact Shannon to discuss it. Seen the reference in a couple of articles.

I thought it was very sympathetic. Even to Karen Matthews, who could easily have been portrayed as a complete villain (like in the press) and instead she's pretty much shown as a victim as well.

It shows the community, the impact of someone lying and abusing their goodwill. I expect it will explore the after-effects. Whether they all trust one another the same way again. Whether doors stay unlocked. Whether friends stay that way, whether kids are still in and out of friends' homes.

It's not like the usual crime dramas, where we'd have had lingering gory shots of wounds, bodies and tears.

How did they know where to contact her?

I've just listened to Samira Ahmed interviewing the producer Jeff Pope on R4 Front Row.

He came across as an arrogant, patronising tosser , lacking in empathy and incapable of seeing anyone else's view point, including Shannon Matthew's.

I do not think it should have been shown.

Front Row - The Moorside, 20th Century Women, Peter Greenaway on Russian Revolution at 100 - @bbcradio4 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08cqqjd

I think the problem with that interview was that Samira Ahmed didn't allow the producer to finish his answers but kept interrupting.

The impression given seemed to be that Shannon's disappearance was the most exciting thing to ever happen to the community. All that utterly cringey "Marching for Shannon", releasing balloons and moonlit vigils with the singing. All that made me actually squirm.

Ok I get that perhaps it made them feel like they were doing SOMETHING but I suspect that a lot of them, especially the Bushby person, had never felt so important.

CalmItKermitt* I thought it did quite good job of showing the complexity of the situation and gave a nuanced picture of the community. Yes to a certain extent the vigils and marches might have had an element of pointless self promotion and enjoying the limelight but on alongside that it came across as people genuinely caring about members of their community at the same time.

All that utterly cringey "Marching for Shannon", releasing balloons and moonlit vigils with the singing. All that made me actually squirm.

what about the McCann's publicity circus, did that make you squirm too?
Or are middle class, middle age, professional parents meeting the pope somehow different?

I thought it was good. 'Enjoyed'is probably the wrong word given the nature of it. But it focussed on the community. The plot was all over the news at the time, will be in existence online forever so I can't see that this is much different.

There were programmes re-enacting the Madeleine McCann situation years ago. In fact far sooner after the event than the 9 years in this situation.

There were programmes re-enacting the Madeleine McCann situation years ago. In fact far sooner after the event than the 9 years in this situation

Not comparable. The situation of the adult McCanns, who were not the primary victim, does not compare with that of Shannon Matthews- the primary , child victim.

I watched it. I had a feeling of discomfort as it was on but also found it interesting. Interesting in that I didn't know if the portrayal of the community and characters was accurate or dramatised.
The whole family seemed scarily detached emotionally and the only person who appeared to show any empathy or emotion was her neighbour friend.

Some of the scenes were dramatised. I'd be interested to know which these were and if any scenes were added for benefit.

I just hope wherever Shannon and her siblings are they've have had the best life they can after all they went through and their future isn't forever blighted by their past.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Karen Matthews had a new identify but kept some details the same for some things as she wasn't considered cognitively able to manage and maintain a whole new identity.

Angeldelight - if the pope had led everyone in a rousing chorus of He's Got The Whole World In His Hands then too right I'd have squirmed. Possibly slightly less so given that I believe the McCanns are actually religious,as opposed to the shower of shite that is Shannon Matthews' family. You think they bopped along with the vicar on a regular basis? 😏

Karen Matthews dsis is a Mner I wonder how she feels ?

I watched it and thought the SS character was really unconvincing. I mean who would involve them self so much for no reason and fight like that for a stranger. The other friend character was much better. Overall not v well written at all.

They did contact Shannon to discuss it. Seen the reference in a couple of articles

The radio 4 interview is quite clear they did not and could not contact Shannon.

About 8 minutes into the interview he states they did not have any contact with Shannon. He even says it's not about Shannon.

How do you know that portia?

Can we please stop the bollocks that Karen Matthews was a victim! Is that because she's a woman?

She's a child abuser and a vile manipulative excuse for a parent.

If she was a man no one would be sympathising with her. Stop it. Women abuse and enjoy abusing children too. To excuse her actions is disgraceful.

Lass, the situation of the McCanns is directly comparable. A victim of crime is a victim of crime, whether they are direct victims such as Shannon Matthews or indirect victims such as the parents of an abducted child. Further, there are children in their family who are also directly involved.

People also seem strangely reluctant to square the objections to this programme with the lack of objections to programmes such as "Appropriate Adult" where some of the primary victims are still alive.