Some 8,400 complaints have been made to the BBC and 374 complaints have been received by Ofcom , a British media regulator, after soap opera EastEnders broadcasted what BBC News Online described as the "cot death storyline". Part of the EastEnders set. The storyline involves character Ronnie Branning – portrayed by Samantha Womack – taking her baby, who experienced sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and exchanging for another living baby, Alfie and Kat Moon 's recently born son. The plot has caused the largest number of complaints to be made about the show since it was first broadcast in 1985. Campaigners attempting to raise awareness of SIDS criticised the plot. Anne Diamond , a television presenter and one of those campaigners, remarked that the exchange of the babies was a "crass twist to an otherwise credible storyline" and said that not "one iota of good in educating a young audience about cot death" had been achieved by it. Due to the complaints received, the BBC have made the decision to end this storyline earlier than originally scheduled, during the spring of 2011. Bryan Kirkwood , the current executive producer of EastEnders, has disclosed that, at the end of this storyline, the baby, named Tommy, will remeet Kat Moon, his mother. Kirkwood said that this storyline, like many others in the BBC One programme, approaches "social issues in a powerful and dramatic way". He also explained: "Although we have had complaints we have also had positive responses from people who have been through the experiences we are currently dramatising who feel we've done this and have contacted us to offer their backing. Justine Roberts, the chief executive officer and founder of British community website Mumsnet , created a letter of complaint for Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC . "The focus of the complaint is the swapping story line," the letter reads. "Our members are concerned that, as is all too common, a bereaved mother has been portrayed as deranged and unhinged." In response to the Mumsnet letter, Jana Bennett , director of vision at the BBC, stated that this plot was managed in a manner that was "sensitively handled". She stressed that "[t]he show is absolutely not suggesting that this behaviour is typical of a mother who has suffered such a terrible and tragic loss. Before this incident occurred, the record for the highest number of complaints for EastEnders was a storyline in April 2009 that involved Danielle Jones being killed as the result of a car collision. That storyline received in excess of 7,000 complaints.
Some 8,400 complaints have been made to the BBC and 374 complaints have been received by , a British media regulator, after soap opera broadcasted what described as the "cot death storyline". Part of the EastEnders set. The storyline involves character – portrayed by – taking her baby, who experienced (SIDS), and exchanging for another living baby, and 's recently born son. The plot has caused the largest number of complaints to be made about the show since it was first broadcast in 1985. Campaigners attempting to raise awareness of SIDS criticised the plot. , a television presenter and one of those campaigners, remarked that the exchange of the babies was a "crass twist to an otherwise credible storyline" and said that not "one iota of good in educating a young audience about cot death" had been achieved by it. Due to the complaints received, the BBC have made the decision to end this storyline earlier than originally scheduled, during the spring of 2011. , the current executive producer of EastEnders, has disclosed that, at the end of this storyline, the baby, named Tommy, will remeet Kat Moon, his mother. Kirkwood said that this storyline, like many others in the programme, approaches "social issues in a powerful and dramatic way". He also explained: "Although we have had complaints we have also had positive responses from people who have been through the experiences we are currently dramatising who feel we've done this and have contacted us to offer their backing. Justine Roberts, the and founder of British community website , created a letter of complaint for , . "The focus of the complaint is the swapping story line," the letter reads. "Our members are concerned that, as is all too common, a bereaved mother has been portrayed as deranged and unhinged." In response to the Mumsnet letter, , director of vision at the BBC, stated that this plot was managed in a manner that was "sensitively handled". She stressed that "[t]he show is absolutely not suggesting that this behaviour is typical of a mother who has suffered such a terrible and tragic loss. Before this incident occurred, the record for the highest number of complaints for EastEnders was a storyline in April 2009 that involved being killed as the result of a car collision. That storyline received in excess of 7,000 complaints.
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Ofcom
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EastEnders broadcasted what BBC News Online
broadcasted what
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Ronnie Branning
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Samantha Womack
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sudden infant death syndrome
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Alfie and Kat Moon
and
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Anne Diamond
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Bryan Kirkwood
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BBC One
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chief executive officer
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Mumsnet
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Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC
,
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Jana Bennett
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Danielle Jones