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What should happen now - Eastenders baby swap story

221 replies

PotPourri · 06/01/2011 21:57

MNHQ have done us proud and taken a stand on our behalf. So what do we want Justine to tell the producer should happen now?

My own view: The only way I would accept is to reverse: make it a dream. It could be a from the point where Ronnie finds her dead baby. Maybe a sleeping sedated Ronnie is trying desperately to 'fix' the situation in her dream, but realising that there is no way to fix it. Then it could flash back to what really happened - the sensitively handled real life traumatic event - an unearthly roar, dialling 999, collapsing with grief, being sedated (hence the crazy dream)

And a public apology from the bbc to viewers and licence payers. And an apology to FSID for abuse of their name.

Reversing and admitting they messed up big style is the only outcome that will show integrity

OP posts:
Mylittlebubble · 08/01/2011 09:53

newgolddream I agree with you Jessie Wallace and Shayne Richie have played their role really well and I think we should recognise that. EE have dealt with their grief and is showing how this is dealt with and the range of emotions griving parents go through.

EE is a soap and is not real. Showing an extreme almost unbelievable story line keeps us watching (or talking) about the show.

NeverlandOfFun · 08/01/2011 10:42

Surely people realise it's just a tv show? I think it has been excellently acted and stopping watching the show will not prove anything. I understand cotdeath is a sensitive and tragic issue to deal with but it is a soap, it deals with real life and cotdeath is sadly a fact of life. The baby swap story line is ridiculous no doubt about that but so are all soap story lines really. I am not saying it is wrong to be upset by the story line but I really think people need to actually realise it's just a tv show. If you don't like it don't watch it. Fine. But 11 million other people in the county will be gripped by it and see no need to complain.

diddl · 08/01/2011 11:02

Just seen this on another thread

"Good news is that MN have a meeting with the Beeb on Weds to discuss this issue!!"

Newgolddream · 08/01/2011 11:17

Mylittlebubble, last night watching Jessie Wallace deliver a heartbreaking performance, the portrayal of her raw grief, absolute devastation and shock was outstanding, particularly when she went to Ronnies to get her babys toy back.

In between all the controversy and outrage I think this should be noted.

diddl · 08/01/2011 11:25

"Yes I know its fiction but ee sets itself up as dealing with real life issues..."

And this for me is an issue.

That they are happy to take praise when they deal with something well, & then when criticised fall back on the well it´s a soap, the character has other issues...line.

Maybe they should have made it clear that it was not an accurate portrayal.

Pennies · 08/01/2011 11:39

Stacey is spot on, though I reckon what would also happen is that Ronnie would be arrested and charged with kidnap, which would result in a conviction, then prison which therefore effectively writes her out of the show.

Pennies · 08/01/2011 11:41

Plus some kind of added dimension whereby Kat & Alfie (albeit rather unexpectedly, esp as Kat likes to hold a grudge) forgive her for what she's done and try to defend / support her in some way which might help to lesson the demonisation of bereaved mothers that so many people have been critical of.

staceylhughes · 08/01/2011 11:42

Ifancy: I am sure EE can portray the risk of SIDS and how to minimise it in a way that suits the show. All it has to be is a chat between Kat and a Dr...

Pennies · 08/01/2011 11:43

lessen - obv Pennies watches too many soaps and her brain's rotting.

staceylhughes · 08/01/2011 11:45

Pennies: I agree with your posts. I sincerely hope Ronnie is not dragged through the courts... Unless Kat is there to support. Initially Kat could be unforgiving but through talk and her experience she could empathise and later support Ronnie

Smileypeeple · 08/01/2011 12:26

I don't usually watch EE, Ive no experience of SIDS but I have been following the discussions on here.

As a result of the controversy I tried to watch EE to see what the fuss was about. I managed about 10 minutes and I just couldn't bear to watch the extreme pain and anguish portrayed, as a parents worst nightmare was portrayed on the screen, so I switched off.

Surely the death of a child is one of THE most traumatic, sensitive terrible nightmarish events that could ever happen to a person. surely everyone with children would know that. Just to allow myself to imagine it for a few seconds almost makes me want to pass out with fear.

So surely the BBC knows when it seals with 'sensitive' issues it has to do so sensitively?

Using the death of a baby as a springboard for an extreme storyline is deeply deeply insensitive.

Using a character who has suffered in the most unimaginable way any mother could and turning her into a callous criminal for a good story is deeply deeply insensitive.

Imagine if when they introduced the AIDS issue years ago the one character with AIDS was a deranged nutter delibrately infecting others??? That would have been hugely inappropriate as a reflection of most peoples experience of dealing with a serious illness.

Imagine having a character suffer racist abuse who deals with it by kidnapping and slowly torturing the abusers? That would be a totally inappropriate reflection of most peoples reaction to racism.

These are story lines and issues the BBC would never have dealt with in this way. They would have seen the implications and the sensitivity.

But dead babies, and grieving mothers?? They apparently are fair game for the most extreme bizarre twisted callous story line you can think of.

And nah, apparently you don't need to think how you should portray grieving mothers.

They don't need the same consideration that other issues would get.

The whole thing has made me angry. How do I complain?

cupot · 08/01/2011 12:47

Gosh its just awful !!

It needs to end now not in the spring , That meas it will be remind us all for the next 3-4 months of our loss what 4 times a week how horrible are they at the bbc.

Please I can not bare this it has been 10 years on the 25th of jan for me and I feel so down and tearful all the time now , Just want it all to go away carnt bare to see the acting of there loss .....

staceylhughes · 08/01/2011 13:36

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

ifancyashandy · 08/01/2011 14:00

Becky on Corrie lost her baby. She has now bought her sisters son from her.

No-one is complaining about that....

juneybean · 08/01/2011 14:11

ifancyashandy true, it's been done many times before

MadMum2Five · 08/01/2011 14:17

I personally think its all a fuss. EE have no where said that a mother who looses her baby is gona go nutty and steal another. Remember its fictional and Ronnie is known as a bit of a basket case.
I have found this side of the story line a bit cringy but as for the other side, Kat's story, its been played out brilliantly and praise the BBC. I have been fortunate enough to not have lost a child, but being 6mths pregnant I have found it incredibly emotive.

If you don't like the show, just turn it off, know one is forcing you to watch it...are they.

deemented · 08/01/2011 14:19
frasersmummy · 08/01/2011 14:29

The point that is being missed by the BBC is that they could have shown the grieving process sooo much better by leaving it purely as a cot death.

This would have given them the opportuntity to keep the storyline going with remember days, birthedays etc.. Would have given the public a real glimpse of how a grieving parents feel

Instead the bereaved mum is made out to be a deranged nutter and although by all accts (I havent seen it )the grief is being protrayed well its not going to last as they will get their baby back.

So we dont see the strength most bereaved mums and dads show every day by just living without their child ...and thats whats soo annoying.

cupot · 08/01/2011 14:33

I know that you are saying dont watch the show well Im not but you can hardly escape the news all around , everywere so how SMUGG just to say turn it off.............

amygreen · 08/01/2011 14:36

cupot Im sorry if the show reminds you of your loss but saying that it needs to end now otherwise you will be reminded for the next 4 months of your loss is a little silly.

The easy solution is dont watch it for the next 3-4 months and you wont be reminded. What annoys me is that people complain about a show saying its horrible and offensive and yet continue to watch it anyway - DONT watch it if you dont like it.

I dont like football on TV so guess what..I dont watch it!.

Theres nothing wrong with the swapping story because it could actually happen. Ronnie is heartbroken at the loss of yet another child and considering whats shes been through over the last couple of years its understandable. Alone and confused and not being able to deal/make sense of whats happened she swaps her baby for another not realising whats shes done in an act of desperation until hours later and then trys to put things rite and tell everyone what has happened but her grief and not wanting to lose everything again she bottles and doesnt tell anyone even though its eating her up inside. We all have moments in life when pressure gets to us and we do something incredibly stupid so you should be able to understand the story and realise it is a STORY.

cupot · 08/01/2011 14:46

Sorry AMYGREEN for being SILLY and veiwing my throughts on this site ,

Yes it is a story how very stupid of me to have feelings about it gosh I am so SILLY !!!!!!!!

deemented · 08/01/2011 14:51

'Theres nothing wrong with the swapping storyline because it could actually happen'

Do you really, really believe that? I mean, do you actually think that a bereaved mother could, on finding the dead, lifeless body of her child really actually think, 'i know, i'll swap it with someone elses'? I mean, really, do you actually think this??

Jesus.

beachholiday · 08/01/2011 14:53

Amygreen, as someone pointed out on one of the other threads about this, if EE were showing a racist storyline, would it be alright, as long as anyone of the race they were disparaging turned it off and didnt watch for a few months?

No it wouldnt.

I havent watched any of the EE episodes since this debacle started screening, and I still very much want it off our screens.

If anyone is watching it and thinking oh yes "it could actually happen" and "its understandable" that a bereaved parent would immediately swap her baby for the neighbour's one, then this storyline is damaging.

beachholiday · 08/01/2011 14:59

As frasersmummy said, the BBC have squandered an opportunity to show the greiving process and educated about cotdeath and bereavement.

It doesnt matter how well "kat" and "alfie" are portraying bereavement. Their child is alive and well and living across the road. Which undermines the whole grieving story completely.

It looks like Ronnie's genuine grief for her baby who died, is going to be passed off as PND. So, God help us, they are now going to mess around with the whole idea of PND and probably stigmatise women struggling with that while they are at.

EE are taking real life issues and making them into awful charicatures of a storyline. I am just astonished that the BBC let them.

Mouseface · 08/01/2011 15:00

Smileypeople - fantastic post, thank you Smile