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Original poster

Spoiler - VERY VERYsad NYE Eastenders

51 replies

Portofino · 14/12/2010 11:32

I get regular emails from FSID after doing some donations. Had this one today:

Popular BBC soap, Eastenders, will shortly feature a cot death story when Ronnie Mitchell?s baby dies on New Year?s Eve.

We have worked with script writers to advise on SIDS risk factors, bereavement and the involvement of health professionals and the police.

The Helpline will operate extended opening hours following the New Year?s Eve programme:

31 December 6pm-10pm
1 January 10am-10pm
2 January 6pm-10pm
3 January 6pm-10pm
4 January 10am ? 6pm (regular Helpline hours resume)

The Helpline number is 0808 802 6868 but you are also welcome to email [email protected] . We will respond to emails from Tuesday 4 January. If you prefer to have contact with other bereaved parents online or if the phonelines are very busy you may like to visit our discussion forum or our

OP posts:
chocolatebuttontheif · 14/12/2010 13:17

Surely Ronnie Mitchell deserves some happiness, leave her alone Eastenders!

bluebump · 14/12/2010 13:19

Yes I can't believe this will happen to Ronnie of all the characters.

twirlymum · 14/12/2010 13:22

This is why I am glad I don't watch soaps.

Thoroughly depressing.

Also, it's been done before hasn't it? Baby Hassan?

PaxoIsEvil · 14/12/2010 13:23

I won't be watching it. Eastenders has gotten ridiculous lately, and I have no wish to see something so tragic being played for shock value.

RockinRobinBird · 14/12/2010 13:34

I've already been kicked off digital spy for ranting about this storyline and how sick it is (not the cot death bit, that's upsetting not sick). One thing I don't understand is that FSID are backing this because a) the cot death is only a tiny part of it, the bit that enables the real storyline if you like and b) the baby dies the day after birth, which I gather is so rare as to be almost unheard of. I'd be interested to know why they've given it their backing.

oneofsuesylvesterscheerios · 14/12/2010 15:23

Agree. Any 'benefit' that could have been gained by raising awareness and the charity's profile incompletely negated by the next stage of the storyline that will revolve around the 'deranged' grieving mother swapping her dead baby with another. Too ridiculous for words and a slap in the face for anyone who has ever lost a baby or child through SIDS.

Didn't emmerdale do the same/similar? There was a baby who died and it was a very sensitively handled... Until it turned out the babies had been mixed up on the ward as newborns - oh that's ok then, wasn't your baby after all...

Why does a tragic story like this have to have a further 'twist'? It's crap. Glad I won't be watching.

herbietea · 14/12/2010 15:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

chocolatebuttontheif · 14/12/2010 16:26

Oneof - I stopped watching Emmerdale because of that particular storyline, although it probably didn't help that I was pregnant at the time. I may now stop watching Eastenders, it's just sick and depressing.

NorthernLurker · 14/12/2010 16:31

I think they feel under pressure because of the Coronation Street tram thing and also The Archers are having a big story on 02/01 to celebrate their 60th birthday. But they've got it so, so wrong. This storyline is going to backfire hugely and I cannot think what FSID is thinking to be involved!

RockinRobinBird · 14/12/2010 18:22

When I heard what they were planning to do I went onto YouTube and watched the death of Sue and Ali Osman's baby Hassan . I do remember it at the time but I was only a kid. Watching it now as a mother and an adult it was chilling. But so so well done. If FSID want to give their backing to a story thats great. But why sensationalist shite? What happened to the really good drama?

FortunateHamster · 14/12/2010 18:28

I would probably find a straightforward cot death story on a soap too upsetting to watch but would understand why it was done and could educate etc. But the twist to this story is sick, imo, and I'm very glad I'm not currently watching EE because I couldn't bear to see it happen. It's exploitative and manipulative. Urgh.

I guess no-one is writing out the spoilers or I would rant about it even more.

kittya · 14/12/2010 19:08

That poor Ronnie!! I gave up with Eastenders a long time a go, its thoroughly depressing and violent. I dont know how it gets away with being on before the watershed.

A baby could die at 24 hours at home, due to a cardiac problem.

wintera · 14/12/2010 19:11

I'm glad a discussion has come up about Soaps and their handling of important subjects. My friend and I were only saying yesterday that Soaps used to be better at tackling tricky storylines. The other night there was a prog on all about Coronation Street and it's top scenes. They showed the death of Alma from Cancer, and it was so much more realistic than the various deaths you see nowadays.

I was very annoyed when Coronation Street showed Becky having a miscarriage. In their ideal world it would seem that a woman just nips to the loo, has a miscarriage and then walks down the road to get pissed. When this storyline was covered I had just suffered my 2nd miscarriage. I won't go into too much detail, as I wouldn't want to upset anyone. But let's just say, during my 2nd miscarriage there is no way I would have been able to leave the house, never mind nip down the pub for a swift half!

As for the SIDS storyline, I remember Hollyoaks covering this subject a few years ago and if memory serves they actually did a very good job of it. And as others have said, Eastenders covered it well many years ago. I can't believe that they are actually going to do the baby swapping storyline though. It sounds utterly ridiculous!

Original poster
Portofino · 14/12/2010 19:52

Sorry I kind of posted then ran and have been busy since. I was worried that I could have posted this in a more sensitive place but I think I wanted people to be aware. Many, many people have sadly been affected by this issue. To me it seems a bit bad taste to show such a thing on what is, in effect, the big party night of the year.

It IS a serious issue and one that deserves covering maybe. But NYE???

OP posts:
FunkySnowSkeleton · 14/12/2010 21:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Portofino · 14/12/2010 22:02

Personally, I know this is fiction and NOT real, but i won't want to watch this at that point in time.

OP posts:
FortunateHamster · 15/12/2010 12:38

SPOILERS AHEAD

For me, what makes it particularly odious is the baby swap aspect.

Not only will we see Ronnie suffer (yet again) a horrible tragedy, but we'll see Kat go through it too. I think it's fine for soaps to explore SIDS and how it affects parents, but I think doing it to two at one time is exploitative of the issue.

Then there's the fact that it's Ronnie, who has a horrible time of things generally, and Kat, who hasn't fared much better. Both of them have given daughters up in the past.

On top of this, we're expected to believe that Kat wouldn't recognise that it wasn't her baby - I would've spotted in an instant if my son was swapped, even soon after birth.

All this so one day Kat can say 'I'm not your mother!' and the kid can reply 'Oh yes I am!'.

UGH

mamadiva · 15/12/2010 12:49

Have been hearing about this for a month or 2 now and TBH have kind of decided that it is such a stupid, insensitive storyline that I have just given up watching altogether.

Not just because of this but the whole program has just become soo dull, that along with the fact that this storyline is expected to run on for almost 2 years... in what sense exactly? I just don't get it.

christmasrocks · 15/12/2010 12:58

Have read what is going to happen in EE over christmas and have decided def will not be watching, cant think of a more cruel upsetting storyline and I cetainly do not want to be watching it as entertainment, I mean an infant death (in real life it can be the most devestating thing in the world) and stealing another womans child, tbh its sick and very distrurbing, especially as they will try and roll it out as family entertainment. EE should be totally ashamed of themselves.

Sorry, what a rant, but am really really disgusted at this storyline!! Can we complain, before it is aired?

mamadiva · 15/12/2010 13:01

IIRC there was a thread on here about 6 weeks ago talking about a petition but they have confirmed it will be aired and that filming is all done and waiting to go out.

Catchthewind · 15/12/2010 13:02

This is horrible...I stopped watching it about 6 years ago anyway, it's cheap emotional exploitation for ratings.

But honestly. Shameful.

I imagine fsid got involved only to try and limit the damage tbh - bet they weren't pleased about it, but what could they do? Eastenders would have run it with or without their help.

Bastards.

FortunateHamster · 15/12/2010 13:38

Ooops supposed to be 'oh yes you are' up there. Need to preview my posts more often.

RockinRobinBird · 16/12/2010 17:48

It seems they are rewriting and reshooting a lot of stuff at the moment. They haven't given any indication of what storylines they are rewriting and it's probably nothing to do with the baby swap one but hope springs eternal.

mrsfossil · 16/12/2010 21:47

just started to get back into eastenders, but i'll be switching off if thats the next big story line. Why can't anything nice happen??? After having a lovely family xmas the last thing i want to watch on tv is a baby dying. I know its not real but it would just play on my mind.

hogfather · 16/12/2010 22:51

since having DS I have found watching any storyline involving young children very hard (i sat watch Corination Street last week behind a cushion with Molly and the baby)

I totally agree with other posters that tackling difficult storylines like SIDS can be trickly but we have seen in the past that these can be sensitively but not in such a crass matter.

I will be voting with my finger on the `off' button

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