"Inconceivable," indeed...!

I've seen some buzz in several online infertility/childless forums recently about a relevant storyline on a Netflix series called "Virgin River."  I have never watched it or read the books it's based on, but at the risk of dropping spoilers, I'll just say that the infertility/clinic aspect of the storyline had the seasoned infertility veterans snorting in disbelief. 

This got me thinking back to another TV series from some years ago that I watched, briefly, set in an infertility clinic. I did some Googling and found it:  "Inconceivable" on NBC, which was cancelled after 7 of the 9 episodes filmed were broadcast. Among the cast members: Angie Harmon, Ming-Na and Alfre Woodard. (Apparently there's another series by the same name which made its debut in 2016.)

I knew I had written *something* about this series somewhere... did a search on my blog (before I realized the show ran in 2005 -- I didn't start my blog until October 2007). I finally found it elsewhere online. This is what I had to say: 

...did anyone watch "Inconceivable" on Friday night??  

There was quite a lot of buzz around it on the INCIID boards -- most of it negative &, having watched it, well founded.  Basically a soap opera set in an infertility clinic & as much about the sex lives of the drs & nurses as about the patients. There's a charming (British accent) but extremely arrogant dr who encourages all of his patients to believe they're going to get pregnant. He's having a fling with one of the receptionists at the clinic but dumps her. [Note from present-day Loribeth: This same situation actually happened at my RE's office in 2006!! -- although I didn't learn about it until some time later...!  I wrote about it recently, here.]  She manages to get a "sample" from him & sneaks into the clinic at night & switches it with someone else's sperm in the fridge!! (Great, that will really inspire confidence in these clinics!) The dr's (female) business partner at the clinic (Ming-Na) has a young son born via donor sperm & beginning to ask questions. 

Among the patient story lines -- practically the first scene you see, a white surrogate gives birth to a black baby for a white couple -- she had unprotected sex before the egg transfer took place. The couple storm out of the clinic & sue. The social worker at the clinic appeals to the birthmother to tell the birthfather, who arrives at the clinic & claims the baby -- after one of the clinic workers has fallen in love with the child & declared she wants to adopt him. 

There's a pastor & his wife who just failed their fourth IVF. The wife privately asks the dr to use someone else's sperm the next time around. (What really bothers me is he didn't say no!! -- didn't say yes either, but that makes you wonder whether he's actually thinking about it!!)  I cant' remember if it was this couple or another couple, but the dr is looking into the possibility of offering them a "cytoplasmic transfer."  

In another story line, a female soldier was killed in Iraq but before she went she had her eggs frozen. Now her sister is offering to carry the baby. The dr asks why the husband didn't fertilize the eggs to make embryos before the wife left & he said, "that would mean she wasn't coming back."  He ultimately decided not to go ahead with it because it wouldn't be the same as having a baby WITH his wife. I know things like "cytoplasmic transfers" & egg freezing are within the realm of possibility, but I don't think they are by any stretch of the imagination treatments that are currently being offered regularly in most IVF clinics yet, or have a high success rate. 

There was also a surrogate having a baby for a gay couple, & the one guy (almost a stereotype) is driving her crazy following her around, inspecting her garbage, etc., to make sure she's eating healthily.    

In one scene, can't remember which couple, but it's three days past transfer & the dr is telling the woman that everything is fine -- using a regular on the tummy u/s.  Uh, yeah, right. Also, it looked like they were actually delivering the babies at the clinic (not at any clinic I've heard of)... & they had the babies in an old-fashioned nursery with rows of bassinets with pink & blue blankets. Great visuals for the camera, I suppose, but there aren't very many hospitals that have old fashioned nurseries like that anymore, at least for the healthy babies. 

So a lot of the story lines were stuff that maybe made great drama or great headlines, but were not within the realm of typical fertility patients' experiences.  Just totally unrealistic. I don't think I'll be watching again. 

I don't remember if I did watch any further episodes. I don't think I did. I certainly didn't watch all 7.

Have you watched "Virgin River?"  (Did you watch "Inconceivable" when it was on?)  What do/did you think? What unrealistic/ridiculous/disappointing TV shows or movies about the infertility/childless experience have you seen?  Any good ones to recommend?