Unknown but catalogued as The infirmary.

This programme, the first of a 3-part series on the history of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies, records the 16 years of research and setbacks leading to the birth of Louise Brown (1978), the world's first 'test tube' baby. Pro. Robert Edwards (Cambridge University) had carried out experiments in animal embryology which led him to propose IVF as a technique for dealing with infertility in women caused by blocked fallopian tubes. But Cambridge in the 1960s took a conservative view of science and Prof. Edwards' idea won no support. Although isolated, he pressed on with his research. No hospital would help him to obtain eggs from patients but a gynaecologist eventually supplied him with the tissue he needed. However, the eggs obtained from this tissue died soon after they were fertilised. He realized that he needed to collect eggs directly from patients at the optimum moment and found an ally in Prof. Patrick Steptoe, an expert in laparoscopy. Prof. Steptoe recruited infertile couples, among whom were Mrs. and Mrs. Brown, but it was nearly 3 years before one of his patients, Mrs. Marlene Platt, became pregnant by IVF. Mrs. Platt tells how, tragically, the pregnancy was ectopic and had to be terminated. Encouraged by this near success other scientists began working with IVF, one of whom was Prof. Landrum Shettles (Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York). But the hospital had banned IVF research so Prof. Shettles worked in secret. Among his patients undergoing IVF was Mrs. Del Zio who became pregnant, but lost her chance of a baby when the Director of Surgery discovered Prof. Shettles' work and subjected her to surgery, deliberately exposing the embryo. The del Zios went to court to fight for the right to IVF but had little success. They were awarded damages but Prof. Shettles was sacked and his work came to a halt. Meanwhile, Profs. Edwards and Steptoe, puzzled at their lack of success in establishing a successful pregnancy with their implanted eggs, began to suspect that the drugs used to induce multiple egg production were actually damaging the eggs. They addressed themselves to the difficult task of detecting the single egg naturally produced. Mrs. Lesley Brown was the patient with whom this was achieved, and her pregnancy was successful. Her daughter Louise was delivered by caesarian section on 25th. July 1978. The operation was filmed - clips are shown - and the operating theatre staff talk of the stress of the occasion; had the baby been in any way impaired, IVF would have been blamed. Profs. Edwards and Steptoe were acclaimed heroes by the press but the future of IVF was by no means assured.