Eastenders Baby Death Storyline

[deemented]

Once again, no one can live happily ever after

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.

I'm just over on Digital Spy and really, I want to bang my head against a wall. They just don't get it, they really don't. If one more person says don't watch it if you don't like it, I think I'll scream.

This thread has made very interesting, and very sad reading. I have been whinging on MN for ages about this story. I am very lucky in that I have no experience of any of this and, tbh, feel slightly out of my depth by being so upset/annoyed/sickened by this compared to people who have, well, for want of a better phrase, good reason to be upset/annoyed and sickened. I wish that the powers that be at EE and the tossers on Digital Spy, who think it's all great fun, would read this. Maybe they would think twice.

"It's not real"

"It's only a drama/tv show"

"Turn it off if it upsets you"

"You don't have to watch it"

THAT'S NOT THE POINT!!!

The point is, they have portrayed 'Ronnie' to be a unhinged, mad as cheese bereaved mother, who thought no-one would notice if she swapped a dead baby for a live one.

The fact that the babies were dressed the same bought her a bit of time I suppose but still.

Not one poster on here, who has lost their child/ren, NOT ONE of us went out looking for a replacement following the death of thier child/ren.

Did any of you wander the streets with your dead child in your arms waiting to swap it for another whilst 'no-one was looking'?

Thought not.

but she's right, it's not real.

And as one of the callers said, she's been watching it, has recorded it in fact, so the makers of EE have done exactly what they intended - these storylines are rate winners be that because people watch it for the sensationalist aspects or whether people watch it because they want to see just how bad it is before they complain about it. When the ratings are calculated there is no distinction.

The majority of texters to the programme have said how awful and unrealistic the storyline is, so on that basis at least they're not getting texts saying how much people love EE and the stories it has been covering.

I genuinely think that the only way to make a stand is to switch it off. It's a soap opera, it's not going to make the headlines because it's a television programme that people have the option not to watch.

Setting up facebook groups and campaigns and hoping for mass boycotts are good ideas but only if you have enough support for them, and the reality is that there isn't enough support for the boycotting of a tv programme because anyone who hasn't been personally affected by the issues covered sees it as just that - a tv programme, and anyone with an ounce of common sense wouldn't be watching it in the first place.

And I think the lack of comment from FSID speaks volumes, and not in a positive way tbh.

All this bollocks of talking to FSIDS and talking to people who have been through this and doing a load of research , why bother if the argumen is "It is drama and not real" Why not just make it up as you go along then ?
I wish they would stop trying to wrap this up as some sort of educational rubbish with the helplines and the nassives of research line .

Maybe it wasn't my son I buried , maybe it was some womans down the street ? Maybe I should go and demand a blood test ? Madness !

I have boycotted it and have urged others to do so - this stroyline is so so insulting to mothers who have lost babies.

I know it is only a story but I just want ronnie to give kat her baby back. I keep hearing conflicting reports on when this will be - sOme say few weeks others say two years! That can't be right?? I can't ever watch EE again if they stretch this out

Stupid prOgramme - it's becomih like those crazy sunset beach type American programmed

The frightening thing is there are many, MANY people out there who although they know its not real, do believe it is a true depiction of what happens and will therefore now see a grieving mother in a whole new completely innaccurate and damaging light.
These are the people whom you will hear spout "well they thoroughly research their storylines beforehand"
Well clearly in this case they havent and to all mothers who have lost a child this story has done you a huge disservice.
I have learnt so much reading this thread from women who have been through such a tragedy as losing their child and its heartbreaking. This is the research they needed before embarking on this dreadful story.
Out of the 9 million people who watched over new year how many of those do you think believe that this is a story based on reality? So to say 'its not real' really is just brushing it under the carpet.

i agree fooffy

they have been totally irresponsible but don't give a shit - what they have done is inflict even more pain on bereaved mothers and made out that this is what they could do

research my arse - they wouldn't know research if it slapped them in the face, I am soooooo angry for the damage they have caused and the fact that even one person could believe a bereaved mother could do this is enough to make me spit

swallow I don't think that any of the soaps are suitable viewing for small children but tbh I also think that there is a point where there needs to be some onus on the parents to decide what their children can or cannot watch - this shouldn't be guided purely by the watershed.

After all some of what is shown on the news probably isn't suitable for all small children to watch, yet I don't think that we should advocate for the news to only show non upsetting subjects or to only be shown after the watershed, .

Surely if this story runs for two years, or even a year tbh they won't be able to change it? after all you can't just have a baby growing up with its assumed mummy for two years and then suddenly give it back can you?

Spot on Foofy

"The frightening thing is there are many, MANY people out there who although they know its not real, do believe it is a true depiction of what happens and will therefore now see a grieving mother in a whole new completely innaccurate and damaging light."

That is indeed frightening & worrying.

Morning all.

Please can we direct your attention to Justine's post here?

We're thinking of sending a letter to the Beeb and we'd love to collect your thoughts in the one place...

I think what is more worrying is that there are seemingly several million people out there who, instead of spending new year doing something positive, were sat at home watching eastenders! wtf does that say about our society?

Interesting the ones on the radio who are finding it realistic have never been in that situation...

That in itself is worrying Wannabe but sadly inescapable fact.

Also worrying is if this is the lengths they will go to to provide the masses with 'entertainment', 5 or 10 years down the line it's no holds barred isn't it. Nothing is sacred now so where does that leave us?

I think that the BBC has a responsibility to us all as we allow it to broadcast it's programmes in our homes.

It should not allow EE to exploit a very sensitive subject to chase ratings.

I can't abide EE with it's depiction of wc people as cement headed, impulse driven victims and it's insistence that anyone in authority is a threat to the precious faaaaamily.

They have excelled themselves with this one though.

ROCKBIRD I have posted the link to this thread via email to ITV, BBC, Facebook pages, twitter and urging people to come and read this thread to try and fully understand what we are so upset and outraged at.

I have never been affected in RL either by this horrid story line and I count my blessings for that, but having read this thread from the beginning I feel more than justified to stand by the people on here who have been affected in RL and also to just stand as an individual who is horrified by the story line. I think there are quite a few of us on here you haven't been affected in RL but still feel anger, upset and pure disbelief with this story line.

I am some what miffed with the VD radio coverage of this issue and in the way in which she spoke with the very brave parents that spoke on the show.

The whole "it's not real" issue for me is so frustrating.

Don't the BBC and EE alike congratulate themselves on a job well done when they are praised for an issue that is covered by them that is seen to be good, has been handled sensitively, has raised awareness, like the breast cancer story line with peggy mitchell. How can they on one hand stand there and say that they try to make EE as true to life as possible, that they try to cover issues that people can relate to and understand something that many people in RL have to cope with, deal with, live with. How can they say that they are proud that their story lines help the understanding of sensitive topics and then dismiss this one as "but it's not real"

Isn't this our whole point EE frequently big up their "Real Life Issues", doesn't them being "real life issues" make them REAL.

We Know EE is NOT REAL but SIDS, GRIEVING PARENTS, PND, AND KIDNAPPING ARE ALL REAL AND THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE PORTRAYED SHOULD BE ACCURATE AND REALISTIC. To throw all of these issues together and mash them up in a 30 minute slot for ratings is wrong.

I've really rambled but i hope i have made some sense.

I cannot believe that the BBC and its employees are spectacularly missing the point when it is being repeated to them over and over again.

Mother's with PND aren't likely to swap a baby either considering they're more likely to reject or push away their baby. I think it would probably have to be puerperal psychosis before you're looking at someone who might but I think that would be a stretch and certainly wouldn't think Ronnie has PP.

Well said Foofy. I don't think people realise how much faith people really do put in shows. How much they research they believe is put into these things. The Steph Scully prematurity story had an effect on me when my eldest LC was born, which was stupid when I looked back because I realised how different things were. I was glad that I had already had a premature baby when the Roxie storyline had been on and that thought was justified when I was in hospital a few weeks later and the staff said the harm it had done.

"Surely if this story runs for two years, or even a year tbh they won't be able to change it? after all you can't just have a baby growing up with its assumed mummy for two years and then suddenly give it back can you?"

Legally yes the baby would have to go back.

Thanks for the applause

Can you imagine how heavily pregnant women are feeling about all of this too? I'm sure this ratings war storyline has upset them, it did my fried who's 8m pg.

'friend'

If EE covers issues like breast cancer in it's story-line then it has to get it more "right"- because it's something that affects more people. If it doesn't show some sensitivity they would be overwhelmed with complaints.

If it has characters affected by SIDS it can make a ridiculous mess of it because it won't affect their ratings so badly.

The BBC should care about more than ratings, that's why it's publicly funded through the licence !

I hope they find they are deluged by complaints on this, more than they expected.
The death of a child has very wide repurcusions amongst family and friends.
The ripples spreading out to everyone who has ever met them or their family.

Quote the BBC's mission at them. They say they are there to entertain, inform and educate. Ask people like VD who say it's not real whether it's OK to make up such sick stuff about such a serious topic just for entertainment? If not, then it's not informing or educating either is it because it's not reflecting the reality of SIDS. Remember, Kat and Alfie aren't actually bereaved (though they don't know that yet). In terms of realism it's the portrayal of Ronnie which is crucial.