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Eastenders Baby Death Storyline

1392 replies

deemented · 28/12/2010 18:30

Once again, no one can live happily ever after Sad

Ronnie's baby James, dies and she puts his body in Kat and Alfies son's crib, and steals their baby boy, Tommy.

Why oh why oh why do scriptwriters insist on portraying bereaved parents - mothers especially - as mad and deranged??? Maybe it's because they can't begin to imagine how awful the death of a child is, but really, whilst we are mad with grief, it is our own child that we want back, not someone else's stolen child. When are scriptwriters ever going to understand that?

Still, it'll be a riveting watch, no doubt.

OP posts:
deemented · 03/01/2011 22:17

Does anyone know when the episode is to be aired? Or how to set up a FB page?

OP posts:
Mouseface · 03/01/2011 22:18

Great post CazandBellle

Hope you are okay xxx

PotPourri · 03/01/2011 22:21

I will boycott and will ask others to too. Need to know when though

jonicomelately · 03/01/2011 22:24

GO TO BED MOUSEFACE Grin

wannaBe · 03/01/2011 22:28

the funeral episode is on Tuesday the 11th.

\link{http://www.walfordweb.co.uk/spoilers.php\here}

jonicomelately · 03/01/2011 22:30

10th January 'Ronnie finally bonds with the baby.'

PotPourri · 03/01/2011 22:33

Right so Kat goes and sees Ronnie - surely she will recognise her own baby???

MsKLo · 03/01/2011 23:35

I am not watching anymore - my boycott has been in effect since Sunday and I won't watch until kat gets her baby back

I hate this horrible story - they could have dealt with it respectfully - how ronnie deals with the loss of her baby - not made her into a deranged unfeeling monster who would just put her baby down and take another

Stupid, insulting storyline

I hope they lose so many viewers

confuddledDOTcom · 03/01/2011 23:46

"upset those who genuinely have reason to be upset more"

Wow. Do you know how insulting that is? If your child was to die do you think anything could be worse than that? This storyline doesn't make us more upset than we already were, believe me that's not possible. Several people have already said that on this thread.

The point about the cladders and valuers is it wasn't undone, it still affected both industries. People remember. They believe that producers actually have a responsibility to show things honestly and accurately, that they research things. As an angel mummy and as a premature mummy the amount of times someone has quoted a soap at me as though it's real. The staff at the NNU last time I was in there were complaining at the affect that the Roxie/ Amy storyline was having.

"watch these episodes knowing what its all about and how it wil traumatise them,"

Same again, do you think a show can traumatise or bring memories "flooding back"? Do you not think watching your healthy baby die in your arms knowing there's nothing they can do because she's just too small and it's because your body rejected her is the most traumatic thing a mother could ever go through? Do you not think that I don't live that 27 hours through every day of my life, so vividly I feel like I could change events? Don't be so insulting.

"but ronnie is a bit of a nutter anyway "

Maybe I'm watching something different but that's not the way I've seen her. I agree with TigerseyeMum, I had a massive row in a meeting once. My landlord uses a service for grounds and maintenance work that is a training provider for people with mental health difficulties. One of the management came to talk to us about what they do and another resident started complaining about allowing someone who could attack her into her home. I watched the manager and our own staff try to defend the project without her much allowing them to, getting angry listening to her then I blew up! People with mental health problems are more likely to harm themselves than someone else. Besides which I don't believe there is anything wrong with Ronnie. She's maybe a little hard because of the things she's been through but she's a successful business woman.

"you don't generally, as a rational thinking person, watch a storyline like this and suddenly think "OMG, mothers that suffer the loss of a child are mentalists who might come after my child," most rational-thinking individuals will think "what a bloody ridiculous storyline." "

You've obviously not read this thread because several people have said they've already had this reaction when they lost their own baby! People are horrible when someone has lost a child, some of it I've had to just laugh about because it's been so ridiculous I can't believe a rational person (get this, even HCPs) can say something so awful. Those people who already think horrible things about us will feel justified.

mouseface my OH hasn't seen it and normally he likes to mock about "it's not real" but I told him what's happening and he's angry about it, so yes totally fathers are affected too.

wintera, she wasn't trying to pass it off as her own and the story was done straight away. I don't think she killed herself, IIRC she was run over and Kevin took Bethany from her in time.

The message at the end "If you've been affected by Kat and Ronnie's situation..." Oh yeah, when my daughter died, I walked into the next room (so glad I was in delivery at the time) and picked up the next baby...

Those of us who have lost children are silent too often. We don't count our children when asked how many we have (can you imagine how much it hurts to say "I don't have any children"?) we smile and nod when people make insensitive comments, we don't talk about our babies because it upsets people to hear it, we don't add to some threads because we feel like we'd be dismissed because our baby died anyway. We choose to stand up on this issue, to make a noise for a change. We don't need other women trying to put us back in the silence. We won't protect other people's sensibilities by remaining silent on this. Don't like? Tough. We put up with a lot of what you who only have living children have to say, this is our turn.

CazandBelle · 03/01/2011 23:50
peterpansmum · 04/01/2011 00:00

Another round of applause for confuddled from me too x

I told my dad, who is 65, on new years day about this storyline and i could see tears in his eyes at the thought of it. He like so many others who miss my wee lad miss him every day not just when something appears to remind him that his grandchild is no longer alive and well. The after-effects of grief on a family are enormous.

shabbapinkfrog · 04/01/2011 02:48

How weird.....I go away from the thread (to my best friends house) and along with me goes the person taking the pee out of me......You know something MNetters...I SHOULD have 4 sons.....Amazing twin boys (aged 29), a single boy (aged 26) and another single boy (aged 13)

Unfortunatly....I have ONE twin boy (aged 29), and a single boy (aged 13)

You see....one of my twins died - very like the EE baby but with a collection of heart problems....and then 10 years later my 3rd son was crushed to death by a reversing lorry.....and, GUESS WHAT, I didn't go and steal OR SWOP those amazing little boys with any bugger elses little boys.

To the MNetter who patronised and took the piss out of me.....all I can say is that I hope and pray with every part of me that you never know anyone who looses a child....and would like to remind you that you are speaking to a strong 54 year old woman of four children who is soooooo thankful that she is also a grandma of an amazing little boy.

This WILL BE the last time I post on this thread. Thank you ladies for all your support, and to the few that took the piss, or tried to take the piss out of my views....My God bless you and look after you xxxxx

Inkipinkiponki · 04/01/2011 04:35

Can't believe this thread is still going.

gregssausageroll · 04/01/2011 07:21

and I reckon it will keep going until this storyline ends.

swallowedAfly · 04/01/2011 07:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ManateeEquineOhara · 04/01/2011 07:39

Has anyone set up a FB page to boycott the funeral episode? There was already this - www.facebook.com/pages/OPT-OUT-of-Eastenders-Grim-Cot-Death-Episodes-on-New-Years-EveDay/186711058011602 for boycotting the new years day episode. I would be happy to set up a page but I am new to this thread.

HereMeRoar · 04/01/2011 07:41

Ah but Swallowed, they think they're writing a modern day Greek tragedy, so tyhat's OK Hmm.

You make a good point. Do you know I'd forgotten Stacey's mental health issues were triggered by a torrent of misery too.

This is the third baby snatch storyline in just over a year too (Sean and Amy, Janine and Lily being the other 2).

swallowedAfly · 04/01/2011 07:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

peppapighastakenovermylife · 04/01/2011 08:14

Another boycott here Sad. Is horribly handled, painfully so.

Emjxxx · 04/01/2011 08:57

OMG I had to go yesterday and that was at page 20, have just read through all the other posts to catch up on what has been said.

Has anyone actually contacted This Morning? Day Break? Lorriane Kelly etc etc? Set up a FB page?

I can't agree more with being "One voice" and boycotting until this story line is concluded.

We all know that this story line can't just be cut and taken away, but it can be stopped asap and concluded in the right way and the BBC and EE production/writers need to make A HUGE very public APOLOGY and admittance that they have seriously cocked up on this one

Emjxxx · 04/01/2011 09:03

Can they back the research they did on this subject? How many mothers did they talk to exactly who HAVE swapped they dead baby for another baby?

Emjxxx · 04/01/2011 09:03

THEIR sorry

Emjxxx · 04/01/2011 09:05

If the intention is to say that Ronnie now has PND how many mothers with PND did they speak to, to make sure that swapping their baby was the first thing that occurred to them?!!!!!

Emjxxx · 04/01/2011 09:09

How many mothers who have had the tragedy of the death of a child did they speak to to ensure that this subject was handled sensitively and accurately?

jugglingjo · 04/01/2011 09:17

swallowedAfly - some interesting points, especially about the difference between including and exploiting sensitive issues.
Too much happening to one character in too short a time and it becomes sooo sensationalist, unrealistic, depressing, and sometimes, as here, distressing to viewers.

I disagree though that anyone's being too negative. The writers and producers of EE are quite capable of listening to a variety of views, and need to hear them all.

And I don't think it's only EE viewers who have a right to complain. I think it's perfectly reasonable to complain after reading bereaved mothers experiences on this thread, without watching the episodes. It's the choice of story-line many take offence at. The portrayal of women and mothers by today's media.

If you've grown up and already noticed it's crap and switched off, it's still completely valid, and important, that your voice be heard too.

As a mother, and especially as someone working with children and their families, I can still recognise the responsibilities and influence of a popular soap such as EE ( attracting 9 million of the nation's viewers) without necessarily choosing to watch it myself.

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