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.

Not wanky at all wiggles , thank you .

Great post wiggles

I know the thread you mean, I'm avoiding it.

Hello all,

whats that lovely fresh, non wee smell? Its like a newly showered mumsnetter.......

I have volunteered to go to the BBC. I am about and free (well as free as a supermum of many children can be).

I have previously complained to BBC about mentalist bereaved parent storylines so perhaps I am on their blacklist and I may set off alarms if I enter the building!

Excellent Mrs I was hoping you would

Mouseface - there is no need to apologise at all.

Its not quite the same but I remember when my Dad died at only 42, I was 18 - and my Mum being terribly upset at friends(well people she thought were friends) and neighbours - who actually crossed the street to avoid her afterwards - it was like either they thought young widowhood was catching, like your feeling, or that she would suddenly turn into a husband thief - it was horrible and heartbreaking.

Not too disimilar actually to the sterotypical "idea" that a bereaved Mum would want another baby, when all she wants is her own baby back - thats what my Mum wanted - my Dad, and not someone elses husband.

Dealing with grief is subjective I feel, and whatever you feel has to be really FELT and accepted, however painful, bad, good etc or even how crazy it sounds to others.

You can feel them , simply because they are still with you, albeit sadly not in person. I dont know what you believe - and please I dont mean to offend anyone or foist my beliefs on others - but I truly believe you will be reunited some day, Im not religious or anything like that but I like to think my Dad (and now sadly my Mum) are watching over me and my children. As I said we all have different beliefs, but this helps to comfort me when I feel Im going mad with grief.

And youre absolutely right about the stigma attached to a loss of a child and people not knowing what to say. Im sure I would appreciate people just simply saying that to me, and being honest about their feelings to, rather than avoidance, anxiety and allsorts.

mrsdev I think it's fab that u would b able to go. I had emailed to say I'd love to go but am just so far away it's not practical. X

MrsDeVere - do you like my new wiff?

I call it Eau De Clean

So, so fab that you can go. Fight our corner lovely lady. xx

Ahhh thats what it is!

Well I have emailed MNHQ. They will get back to me on Monday if they want me.

One good thing about me - I will swiftly dispel the myth that all Mumsnetters are middle class - as soon as I open my mouth

Ha ha ha ha! Me too!!

Common as muck me.

I dont think the BBC can excuse themselves by saying that they just looked at outdated research EvilTwin. They consulted FSID. FSID have clarified that they do not support the babyswap storyline. So the BBC just went against what they were told, as sensationalising cotdeath appealed to them more than accuracy.

I dont know if anyone watches Doctors. Its on at lunchtime. Its the soap that is famous for never winning anything at the soap awards.

I watch it most days. I have become a teeny bit obsessed because they have used the mad bereaved parent line at least 5 times in my recent memory.

I complained after they showed a mother go to the wedding of her DD's ex husband and throw her ashes over him and his new bride.

I said it was an insulting and ridiculous notion etc. I got a reply about two weeks later. The reply apologised for any offence etc but they were committed to good quality blah blah blah blah yadda yadda.

Ironcially I recieved the reply on the very day a new storyline concluded. One of the doctors had a child snatched. It was a week long story and by the Friday it became clear that a deranged woman had stolen this little girl to be a sister to the older son they stole years before. She did this because? She had lost a child Yes really. Her baby died, so she snatched a little boy and kept him and then fancied another so popped out and nicked a girl.

So TWO demented storylines within weeks of each other. I wonder if the same writers work for both?

MrsDeVere

I've found over the years that there have been plenty of shambolic storylines in soaps.

Badly written, badly portrayed, badly thought out etc.

But this? This EE storyline has to be the worst, most insensitive, farcical plot ever.

If this is going to be the future of EE, purely for shock factor, ratings and publicity, then I feel they will eventually lose more viewers than they will gain.

I hope at least.

Well Yorke approved all of that Doctors tosh MrsDeVere, as well as the current debacle on EE.

He's definately a common link in the steep nosedive the BBC has taken recently.

Well I hope they pick me then. I would like a word or two.

If you speak to him please cast this quote up at him:

(Yorke in The Guardian in 2008 re approving the Child Sex Abuse storyline in EE) "My standpoint has always been that there has to be a good editorial justification. If it's just entertainment, or just sensation, or just the bogeyman in this case, then I don't think that's a good enough reason."

Would love to know where the current tosh fits into his self-proclaimed stance.

I can give you several, but they're not very nice!

?...complaints about the cot-death storyline soared to nearly 9,000 - the most ever for the soap.?

From The Sun

?That's why the whole storyline is so "entertaining", the majority of the public don't feel that the topic applies to them and hate bereaved mothers making them feel "guilty" for enjoying the storyline.?

Agreed, we normally keep quiet about our babies so we don?t upset people. Maybe that?s the problem, we should talk more about it.

Newgolddream, isn?t that just the point? People are so wrapped up in ?just a soap? that they believe it really happens

My aunt had just turned 40 when she died, my grandma nursed her through a long and horrible (she had photos taken for medical books because of some of the awful things) battle with cancer. Grandma is not known for her tact but she was one of the most wonderful people when my baby died, it really is a club none of us want to join.

?even though she quit the show in November, she has to work six month's notice.?

I?m not sure about this to be honest. After Beppe left I saw an interview with the actor and he said he was contracted for another two years and the interviewer (I think it was Brian Connelly as I remember them doing ballet with a pink tutu and suits as the actor is a ballet dancer!) asked how he?d got around the contract and he said that it was OK because they?re not contracted by episode count, just that they?re available for that time, so they could still have called Beppe back within his contract if they wanted to and he?d have had to go back. So I?m not convinced about the working her notice issue. I?m not sure what the alternative is though!

?Can any one of you, as bereaved mothers/fathers say that you felt like that??

No, never. My niece is five days older than my baby and I used to hate being asked to look after her, I used to panic because I didn?t want to be near her. I wasn?t jealous of her because it?s as logical as being jealous of an adult, but I didn?t want to be caring for someone else?s baby when mine should have still been inside me. Even my own children don?t replace the one I lost.

Me too, thefirstMrsDeVere, I?m Brummie and no way getting away with middle class.

I used to watch Doctors all the time, used to play spot the location and have fallen over them several times (was interesting seeing Santa in the Pallasades in August!) but I just had enough of it, couldn?t put my finger on it but I was finding it hard work (funny considering I like Eastenders!)

confuddled - I see you quoted me there re SW's notice period.

That's what I thought, not know IYSWIM. Because it's six months between Nov and May, I assumed that was the case, which can be the norm for actors/resses.

I wish that she'd quit before TBH. But then maybe EE would have got another poor person to play the role/plot out.

How are you BTW?

I think it's possible that it's because whilst they can send you on an extended holiday you still have to be available to them so if they've refused to write her out before her contract end then she would be obligated.

I'm fine, had a lazy day today, relaxing and forgetting about MN lol

Hmm, see what you mean.

Good for you lovely. re taking it easy

Off to bed. xx

I have had a beautiful boy, and deeply sorry to those who have lost a baby.

However, even i am finding this story line too much. It's so insensitive and it's upsetting too many people. Who would do such a thing? It's your baby you woul want not someone elses. Seriously this story line really needs tp go.

Estenders 'baby swap' is upsetting too many people who have babies or have lost their babies. Its a rediculus storyline.

For those who think people are sympathetic and caring towards bereaved parents. This is from an obstetrician

Just go through the pregnancy loss entries to see how HCPs handle the subject.

confuddledDOTcom, that is truly appalling and it saddens me to think that anyone would be talked to like that , never mind someone who has lost a baby. I hope each and everyone of those people put in a written complaint. I really find it hard to believe that in this day and age this would happen in the NHS and would hope these type of comments are very much in the minority.

My friend had a still born wee girl a few years ago and was treated with kindness and dignity thank god.

MORNING ALL!

I am boiling with rage today!

Stupid, ignorant columnist CAROLE MALONE (I can't link to it because you have to pay for the news of the world website on Sundays) has written an article for her column saying that:
(not all direct quotes but to give you an idea)
she can 'understand why people are upset', but that 'maybe some bereaved mums would kidnap another persons child'

Carole Malone is a woman who does not have children

She also (falsely) stated that the cot death charity has not condemned the storyline when they have totally distanced themselves from it

And that in some of the 9,000 plus complaints some of those complaining might be mothers who have lost babies to cot death

You think Carole?

She also slates Samamtha Janus for her private life and even states it is not relevant but has mentioned it anyway (Samantha Janus cheated on her first hubby and her second hubby was married when they met - just stating what she has said, why this needs to be mentioned I do not know)

She cannot grasp that this affects Samantha Janus because she is a mother

And she ends with 'it isn't real life... it's a soap opera!'

Oh that's ok then

Stupid, ignorant woman who has no idea what she is talking about!

I have sent her an email saying that as she is not a mum she doesn't know what she is talking about and have asked her to talk to bereaved mums before she writes ignorant crap

I urge you all to write to her too at
[email protected]

Rant over!

Carol Malone has always been stupid and ignorant. Why someone gave her a pen and ever encouraged her to write down her views I don't know.