New TV show - "Inconceivable"?

[ShelbyMay]

Anyone else heard about this upcoming fall show? It's going to star Ming-Na from ER (right?). I hope they don't do something really stupid and insensitive with this topic. Here's the description from the NBC website:

This delightful ensemble drama concerns one of the most complicated questions: to conceive or not to conceive. The doctors of the Family Options Fertility Clinic are on a noble quest to help desperate couples give birth. Except these doctors are often distracted by their personal quests involving sex, deception and secrets. Navigating through ultrasounds and super-egos, missing frozen embryos and impending malpractice suits, it's positively clear that life inside this clinic is anything but sterile.

(MODS: I know this would also fit under the Entertainment topic, but I thought this would be of particular interest to members in the Family Planning section.)

Preview of show (http://www.nbc.com/NBC_First_Look/newseries/inconceivable/)

[ShelbyMay]

From www.tv.com:

Angie Harmon just had a daughter, and her co-star, Ming-Na, is pregnant. Co-creators Marco Penette and Oliver Goldstick each have used surrogates, and Goldstick and his partner are expecting their second baby in August.

Which explains why Goldstick thinks this NBC drama about a fertility clinic is timely. In the old days on TV, he says, women used to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor. "Now they can borrow an egg or a uterus."



:rolleyes: :confused: :mad:


I'll be right back -- Just have to go ask my neighbor if she'll give me a baby! I think they have an extra...

[jennylou]

We talked about this briefly in the SAI thread. Personally, if done right, I'm all for it. It's about time someone talked openly and honestly about all the people struggling with getting pregnant. Hopefully, they won't botch this the way that Friends did with Monica.

Hearing that the creators have themselves some knowledge of surrogates, they'll likely know something about ART.

[Wrighty26]

Yeah- I'm thinking they are going to be on the sensitive side. The people who write these blurbs-- not so much.

I honestly hope that the "truth" about inferility comes out-- and in the right manner!

Side note: What really PISSES me off about the Monica/Friends thing-- is that Courtney Cox had major infertility issues with sustaining a pregnancy full term. You think they would have done a better job!

[Scooter]

The Friends thing still makes me mad. I mean it's one thing for the characters to decide that they want to adopt instead of undergoing treatment. But not mentioning that there IS a treatment option is horrible misinformation. :mad: I can't believe Courtney Cox went along with that oversight.



I'm not too sure about this show. I hope some good info will come out of it. I worry, though, that they'll focus on controversial sensationalistic aspects--like "missing frozen emryos". And that people will think that stuff is common. I'm just waiting for them to transfer the wrong embryos or use the wrong sperm in an IUI. :rolleyes:

I do like the part about RE's having super-egos, we know some of them sure do!! ;)

[ShelbyMay]

I worry, though, that they'll focus on controversial sensationalistic aspects--like "missing frozen emryos". And that people will think that stuff is common. I'm just waiting for them to transfer the wrong embryos or use the wrong sperm in an IUI. :rolleyes:


I think every single one of those situations you mentioned was covered in the preview they're airing (link in first post). :rolleyes: I hope they're just using that sensationalism to promote the show at first and will do better in later episodes.

[KarenS]

One of my photographer friends photographed the wedding and publicity photos of Joelle Carter, one of the people in the show. It's my 2 degrees of separation! :)

Karen

[angelgirl8]

i have very little hope for this show, unfortunately. i'd like it to be well done and address some of the issue we all have faced, but i highly doubt it.

it's meant to be entertaining, so i can't imagine all the emotions will really be there. i think it's supposed to focus more on the doctors' perspective, anyway.

i just fear that people will watch it and think they understand what infertility is. sort of an "i saw 'inconceivable' so i now understand what you went/are going through". i'm sure i'll watch while yelling at the tv!

[Scooter]

i just fear that people will watch it and think they understand what infertility is.
UGH you're right, I didn't even think of that part of it. Great. :mad: I'm sure some people will think that.

I'll be yelling, too. Whenever stuff comes on TV related to my job I'm always yelling at the TV because it's all wrong & messed up, and I'm sure this will be even worse because of all the emotions behind it!

[Niko&Troi]

After going through 3 losses and then infertility before Niko, I hope this show doesn't make it seem like it's no big deal. Even DH said, they need to be careful where they go with this. He saw how I was through all of our years trying, so he doesn't want families out there waiting to live off of their every word, as I would have.

[AusMarchBride]

Except these doctors are often distracted by their personal quests involving sex, deception and secrets

My guess, it's going to be as in-depth about infertility as that dreadful dreadful (sorry to anyone who liked it) Nip Tuck was about cosmetic surgery :rolleyes:

angelgirl i just fear that people will watch it and think they understand what infertility is

Think you hit the nail on the head there angelgirl

[Soulmate]

Personally, I can see people not struggling with IF find it kinda boring/not relate. I already get the "you want to be pregnant?...just have sex" attitude. And those who could relate might get angry/oversaturated with the topic. I know I have no interest in it because I really don't want to be reminded yet another hour of my day that I can't get pregnant (as well as seeing even *more* pregnant women in my day). I'm sure they'll do a good job with it but I don't think the audience is really there. Then again I was skeptical of ER :p

[kat]

i just fear that people will watch it and think they understand what infertility is

I agree that you hit the nail on the head, angelgirl! There is one friend in particular that I'm GLAD we didn't tell about IVF.....Lord knows she'd think she was ready to take the RE boards after watching an episode of the show.

I probably won't watch it, unless and until I hear that it's realistic.....which probably won't happen because it won't be. I have a hard enough time watching legal shows because of how often they screw things up (when *not* screwing it up would be so easy and wouldn't take anything away from the plot)....I can only imagine what they're going to do with the world of infertility. Lost/switched embryos and mega-rich self-absorbed patients, here we come!!! :rolleyes:

[Scooter]

Reviews of this show are starting to come out, and they're not pretty:

The Futon Critic (http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/rant.cgi?id=20050707) says it's as bad as we're expecting.

The TV Guide critic also said it was horrible, on the radio this morning.

Plus if you look on tv.com, it lists the episode titles. No, I'm not making these up!

1. Pilot
2. Secrets & Thighs
3. To Surrogate with Love
4. Balls in Your Court
5.Sex, Lies, and Sonograms
6.(TBA)
7. Face Your Demon, Semen

[angelgirl8]

what an awful list of episodes!

we can only hope it will be cancelled soon. i did hear there is a storyline with a surrogate who gives birth to the wrong child and a woman who wants to use donor sperm without telling her husband.

but it seems like it's mostly about the arrogance of the doctors!

[jesseybell]

Even as much as a TV freak I am, I just don't see myself evening trying to watch it. I can't imagine that it is even possible to do a show like this well/politically correct/with taste. The only good thing that comes out of infertility is delivering a healthy baby, and them showing that for an hour each week doesn't make for good tv.

Even though I haven't had infertility treatments yet, but I think I probably will. There is no humor in infertility. None. Inferility treatments are incredibly personal so I can see them offending and hurting a lot of people by this show.

[marteneym]

I was quite interesrted in watching this show until seeing the episode titles. I really hope they don't think this is something to take lightly.
i just fear that people will watch it and think they understand what infertility is. This is so true. I hadnt thought about it that way. Yikes.
I guess I will watch the first episode and see what happens.

[ShelbyMay]

Looks like the pilot episode is airing again in the wee hours of Saturday morning, so you can record it if you're curious.I didn't see it when it aired last week.

[Suzlywoozly]

Did the show start last week? I thought I saw an interview with the cast on t.v. this morning that said it starts tonight on NBC.

ETA: I just checked on TIVO and the season premiere is tonight. They are also replaying the episodes on BRAVO.

[junkinmytrunk]

"Face your demon, semen"?????!!
You've got to be kidding me. Nice to poke fun at a serious issue.

Sigh. Hollywood. What are they thinking?

[ShelbyMay]

Well that's weird -- Maybe TIVO had their listings screwed up before? I just assumed that I missed the first one because of it "re"airing at such an odd time.

ETA: Nope, this is what my local listing says:

Inconceivable "Pilot" Rachel tries to keep a couple from filing a lawsuit following a mistake with a surrogate birth; Malcolm must swallow his pride and seek help from his former flame to work on the case of a soldier's frozen embryos.
Sat 9/24 7:01 AM

:confused:

[angelgirl8]

i'm guessing that it's airing tonight and then re-airing a few hours later. they do that a lot with pilots and stuff.

although, my dvr guide has nothing about it re-airing. weird!

guess we'll be discussing after the weekend! and by discussing, i mean ranting.

[Suzlywoozly]

Well that's weird -- Maybe TIVO had their listings screwed up before? I just assumed that I missed the first one because of it "re"airing at such an odd time.

I went back to last Friday and didn't see that it aired. That's weird they are showing it an odd time in the middle of the night.

Can't wait to see what's in store tonight! :rolleyes:

ETA: Just looked at NBC's website and it says the season premiere is tonight!!

[ShelbyMay]

Apparently, they are only airing it here in the middle of the night -- Too "controversial"?

ETA: Anyone else watching this Dateline story about the twins -- one "white", one "black" -- conceived through invitro?

[jennylou]

Okay, I missed the first half hour, but caught the second half.

My biggest :eek: moment came when the one woman found out she wasn't pregnant and said something along the lines of the dr having put in FIVE embryos. Now, I've not gone through IVF, but from my reading here, it seems like most docs will only put in two or three. Am I wrong about this?

I felt horrible for the woman who must have been going to adopt that baby and the dad showed up to claim the baby.

My biggest :rolleyes: was when the blonde (again, I missed the first half, so I didn't catch any names) stole the docs sperm. If that wasn't bad enough, then she switched it with someone else's. :rolleyes:

From what I saw, it wasn't all that horrible...though that sperm swapping was a bit too much.

Anyone else catch it? Care to fill me in on the first half hour? Any major blunders?

[Scooter]

I just finished watching it. Slightly better than I'd imagined, but some things that really bothered me. I'm glad I'm pg watching it, though, all those babies & pg women were still hard to watch, I wouldn't have been able to watch it if we were still trying.
My biggest moment came when the one woman found out she wasn't pregnant and said something along the lines of the dr having put in FIVE embryos. Now, I've not gone through IVF, but from my reading here, it seems like most docs will only put in two or three. Am I wrong about this? Some REs will do that, usually if the woman is "older" and the embryos are lower quality. So that part didn't bother me quite as much as him encouraging the couple that they "will have a baby" & getting the dad to pick out a name etc etc. Had they never even discussed donor eggs, sperm, or embryos before this point? They weren't a young couple, and it was their 4th IVF, you'd think the RE would have discussed options at some point along the way. And then the woman said she wanted to use donor sperm w/o her DH knowing?! There is just no way any Dr would even consider that!! They acted like it was an ethical dilemma--no it's not, the answer if NO, if you want to keep practicing medicine. UGH!

I'd also like to know why the semen specimens were sitting in a warmer overnight. Embryos I could see, but semen in a cup? Come on, they have to send it to the andrologist immediately, it can't sit there. :rolleyes:

On a slightly different note, letting the therapist "take the fall" about the surrogate mom who had sex & gave birth to her own baby--come on, no therapist is able to predict the future. There's no way anyone is going to be able to tell from psych evaluations whether a woman would have sex before the transfer. COME ON. There's all this tension about a lawsuit that isn't based in reality. Which equals NO TENSION.

There just seems to be so many factual errors, it ends up looking sloppy. The male RE character is so fake it's hard to suspend belief that he's not just an actor. It was kind of boring, too. I can't imagine sitting through it if I hadn't gone through infertility.


I'd love to hear what others thought!

[Wrighty26]

I only watched parts of it... it wasn't that it was offensive (well, the parts I watched) but so over the top silly and ridiculous. IMO, they could have created a show that was more realistic and more character-based. Instead they have these "plotlines" every week.

I also have to say-- that if my Dr. was like the a$$hole Dr-- I would find a new one!

[jennylou]

scooter - thanks for the recap on some parts I hadn't seen. I too was sort of scratching my head on the semen in the warmer part. It just didn't seem....right?

Wrighty - I agree...if the docs and ass, you gotta find another one. ;)

[Soulmate]

I watched like 5 minutes of it and had to turn it off. It was really obnoxious. Did anyone else get really distracted by the really bad soap opera background music that never seemed to fit the scene? I never notice the background music in anything but for this show I couldn't concentrate on anything else.

[ShelbyMay]

I wasn't supremely offended, but I did think they went over-the-top. Was their point to scare people away from fertility clinics? Because they gave the impression that the majority of cases get screwed up somehow.

And I can't get that "Sweet, sweet baby..." song out of my head. :(

Do you think infertility is mentioned on tv a lot more frequently than it used to be, or am I just more aware? It was a part of the plotline this week on Inconceivable (of course), Smallville, Cold Case, and Dateline. Oh, and Reunion, too, when they tell her that she'll have secondary infertility.

[shushyk]

I haven't seen it, but its ashame they botched it so badly. I hope to catch a re-run. I forgot to tivo it. I thought it would have been a really great way to open up SOME peoples eyes to the sensitivity around TTC and asking people questions around that. Oh well.

So are you guys saying they are ALL ACTORS? None of its real?

[marteneym]

I wasnt offended either as many of you have said, but it was very fake. I was hoping it would be more factual and less drama! Its TV though what can you expect.

[ShelbyMay]

You can take a post-show survey here:

http://www.inciid.org/

[tigerest]

My mom called me to tell me about this new show about Infertility clinics! I was all excited thinking what a great idea. Then I read the preview and was like "Great, a Scrubs for Infertility". So I didnt make an effort to watch it.

I'll try to catch it next week.

[KaliLily]

I haven't watched the show, and I highly doubt I will - largely because of the title. "Inconceivable"? Could they make fertility problems sound any more hopeless?

I have fertility problems , but I choose to be hopeful. Positivity can go a long way - in any medical situation.

[jnettie]

Just visiting...there is a discussion over in Entertainment on this, then Scooter said (Hi Scooter) there was one over here I might be interested in.

Just so ya'll know, I'm not going through IVF, but DH worked in an IVF clinic, so I understand things from that POV. Incidentally, he was an andrologist! So when I saw this:
I'd also like to know why the semen specimens were sitting in a warmer overnight. Embryos I could see, but semen in a cup? Come on, they have to send it to the andrologist immediately, it can't sit there. :rolleyes:
I asked DH. Basicly, he laughed! Yes, they have warmers, but it takes 10 minutes and you'd never leave a specimen out overnight. Too many things could happen.

[Niko&Troi]

I watched it and although I wasn't too upset, I wasn't all that impressed either. When we went to the RE, there weren't tons of other women sitting in the waiting room, maybe one or two and we weren't in there forever. It was more of a private, sensitive setting.
I'll probably continue watching, but not for the infertility part, I MUST KNOW what happens with the switched sperm. Yes, they hooked me on that one :rolleyes:

[bottleored]

Just caught up on last week's episode.

I feel like it's all about the characters that work in the clinic, not the patients that go there and their feelings about the procedures, costs, etc. Just like ER, Law & Order, etc have plots, but it's really about the characters that are recurring. Now, if they had more characters (like Ming-Na) who had gone through, or are going through IF treatment, it would be interesting to follow them.

It was an o.k. show, but it gives you as much information on infertility as ER does about triple bypass.

[MrsSmith]

I thought the show was pretty good. I've watched both episodes and enjoyed it. Nothing on TV is going to be completely realistic. So, I wasn't expecting that.

[Scooter]

I've got to say I'm pretty surprised by the more recent responses. Several of you have said it wasn't that bad or wasn't offensive. To me anything that takes on such an incredibly serous subject and then throws reality out the window--especially when so much of the audience has no idea that NONE of that happens in an IF clinic--is without question offensive.

I'm just surprised that some of you (not everyone who's posted), who have been in clinics and seen the reality of it, don't think it's a bad idea to support negative stereotypes of infertile couples and give out misinformation right and left.

[jennylou]

I watched again on Friday night. I'm still hoping that they can be more accurate in future episodes. I hope that they are reading the responses on INCIDs website and will use it to help showcase infertility in a more accurate way.

I've always really like Ming-Na and Angie Harmon, so I'm hoping that this show can be a good thing for infertility awareness (provided it portrays it accurately) and that I'll get to keep watching these ladies.

One good thing that I've seen so far is the NBC website has a link page here:
http://www.nbc.com/Inconceivable/links/

This is an interesting article as well.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002508707_inconceivable21.html

[ShelbyMay]

I watched Friday night's episode, and I think it really wasn't as bad as the pilot. It wasn't GREAT, but they did at least deal a little more with the patients' feelings. On the other hand, are they going to bring adorable babies into the waiting room on EVERY episode? :rolleyes:

[meggers]

I don't think this show has much life left. They aren't showing it this week. Instead they are showing a repeat of Law & Order:CI. I watched the show last week and it was just a terrible show in general. I had hopes that it would be good.

[Scooter]

In hopes of seeing it was cancelled, I checked the NBC website. Show #3 is airing 10/14, so they're skipping a week.

I just have a feeling that they're not going to change anything to make it more realistic. I don't even care if they don't get into the patients' feelings, I just want them to use a plausible backdrop.

This show should be moved to the Science Fiction channel.

[Suzlywoozly]

Look at this... Don't think it will be around much longer!!! :)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/05/tv.nielsens.ap/index.html

[Suzlywoozly]

You guys are never going to believe this.... My Re just called and asked me if want to be on tv. NBC contacted my clinic for an interview, asked if they would gather some of their patients for a special screening of the third episode (the one that got pulled for this week) and then do an interview on the news!

[jennylou]

You guys are never going to believe this.... My Re just called and asked me if want to be on tv. NBC contacted my clinic for an interview, asked if they would gather some of their patients for a special screening of the third episode (the one that got pulled for this week) and then do an interview on the news!

That's awesome. Perhaps this show (b/c of how it is being rec'd) will help bring about a positive for IF patients. :)

[ShelbyMay]

Is it possible that the 3rd episode is delayed so they can "re-work" the script and shoot new scenes? That would be good...

[Scooter]

Suzly, that is such good news! I hope NBC is beginning to listen to the reaction. I hope they read the INCIID poll, too, that was so telling. It would just be such a waste to get a show like this on TV and then ignore how they could improve it.

I hope you tell them that they need some ADVISORS on the show so they can stop reinventing the medical field and having the Drs say things that would make them lose their licences. :rolleyes: Shameful.

[Suzlywoozly]

Scooter- I tried calling you earlier but your phone has been busy all day! What's up with that? :) I am totally excited! The three of us need to get together and chat so I have plenty of ammunition when I go. Yes, I am going to tell them that they need some advisors and I can help them find three of them... Amygrrl, Scooter & Suzly.

[meggers]

In hopes of seeing it was cancelled, I checked the NBC website. Show #3 is airing 10/14, so they're skipping a week.


NBC is again showing Law & Order: CI instead. The NBC website didn't say when they were going to have the next episode on.

Suzlywoozly-- Did you ever see and make comments on the 3rd episode? I'm interested on how it went.

[angelgirl8]

hmmm...interesting. my cable thing and my DVR still think the new episode "to surrogate, with love" is airing on friday. wonder what's going on there.

i'm caught between wanting it to be cancelled since it's horrible to wanting more episodes to air so i have more examples of its crappiness to use in letters to NBC!

[shouldaeloped]

I read on e-online yesterday the show is definitely being canceled after this season. . not sure if it's true or not but they tend to be pretty accurate.

[Linnybubbles]

I read it was cancelled after 3 episodes...

[Scooter]

I read it was cancelled after 3 episodes...
Funny, since they've only aired 2!

And I wonder why it would be cancelled before they finished the polling they were doing at fertility clinics.

[Suzlywoozly]

Suzlywoozly-- Did you ever see and make comments on the 3rd episode? I'm interested on how it went.

From what I was told at my clinic, they have decided against showing the third episode right now. If they decide to preview and give feedback, the clinic will call me. I really want to see the third episode.

[jesseybell]

I got the new (and not improved in my opinion) TV Guide yesterday and it was talking about how ratings tv shows and it had the big "Cancelled" stamped over it.

[angelgirl8]

cancelling sounds good to me!

my DVR finally caught up with meggers tivo and they're definitely showing law and order in that time slot!

[Scooter]

Yeah, all the websites are showing "Cancelled" now. Guess they read the Inciid poll--way to alienate what could be a strong audience for you! Too bad they screwed up this opportunity so royally.

[marteneym]

I heard an ad on the radio this last week that it was showing again after a 2hr 3wishes. Did anyone see it? What is weird is that I heard it Sunday for that night but when I checked the TV Law And Order was on. I was wondering if the radio ad was played late on accident and it was actually on Firday like it was before.

[Bubeleh]

From what I've seen its not on, and a rumor from a friend that works in the studio said that the show is toast. Too bad, although it wasn't done well, atleast it was a show getting those issues out for public discussion. Maybe someone else will try again, but use a little more tact.

[Suzlywoozly]

I spoke to someone from NBC today and the show has been cancelled for good.

[Scooter]

It's funny, I got selected to vote in the People's Choice Awards for some reason, and Inconceivable was listed in the category Best Drama. At the end of the poll there was a space for comments, and I wrote that I didn't understand how the worst show on television was on the poll, even after if had been cancelled after 2 shows. I just couldn't let that go without one more chance at a comment. ;)

[Suzlywoozly]

It's funny, I got selected to vote in the People's Choice Awards for some reason, and Inconceivable was listed in the category Best Drama. At the end of the poll there was a space for comments, and I wrote that I didn't understand how the worst show on television was on the poll, even after if had been cancelled after 2 shows. I just couldn't let that go without one more chance at a comment. ;)

Hey Miss "I'm in the second trimester":D! They should have listed it in the best comedy category since the whole show was a total joke!! (BTW... Is your phone working yet???)

[marteneym]

I wonder why there was that radio ad. Maybe it was an old one that got played by accident. WEIRD!