Quacks
In Victorian London four pioneers, friends, and rivals fight to make a mark on the world and save lives, even if they don't know what they're doing.
- 2017-2018
- 1 season
- Comedy
In Victorian London four pioneers, friends, and rivals fight to make a mark on the world and save lives, even if they don't know what they're doing.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2017
Episode 1
The Duke's Tracheotomy
29 mins
In 1840s Britain, before anaesthetics, cocky surgeon Robert Lessing is in disgrace after sawing off rather more than a patient's leg, causing his death whilst fledgling psychiatrist - or alienist - Tom Agar recommends kindness therapy, rather than beatings, to asylum inmates, not very successfully. Tom's demonstration of phrenology to help Robert's wife Caroline leads to Caroline's own decision to try and enter the all male world of medicine whilst impoverished dentist John experiments with the use of anaesthetics. Robert's chance to redeem himself occurs when lordly Royal physician Dr Hendrick orders him to operate on the Duke of Bedford's tumour. His success will depend on two medical innovations provided by John and himself.
Episode 2
The Lady's Abscess
30 mins
Caroline is entranced by Charles Dickens and gains an invitation to dinner with him, accompanied by William. He is impressed by her interest in social reform but his drug-induced lechery ends her adoration of him. Meanwhile Robert is annoyed when Dr Hendrick endorses volunteer Florence Nightingale, who lectures him on hygiene and fresh air. When the two of them are called upon to treat a wealthy dowager he sets out to frame her whilst John has cause to regret taking on a street urchin as his apprentice.
Episode 3
The Madman's Trial
30 mins
William is treating Harold, who believes he is a French aristocrat pursued by vengeful revolutionaries so he stages a mock trial to disprove his delusion, though it does not go well. John, heavily in debt and unable to sell his tooth-brushes finds it pays to resort to peddling quack medicines whilst Caroline cross-dresses to gain entrance to the society of apothecaries, fooling Dr Combe, but also exposing her husband's attempts to seduce the wealthy Lady Campbell into being his patroness.
Episode 4
The Indian Mesmerist
29 mins
When Robert suffers from nightmares Caroline arranges for herself, William and John to meet famous hypnotist Mr Kapoor though William is more concerned about his gall-stones. Mr Kapoor demonstrates his skills by hypnotizing Caroline, impressing all concerned but William, whilst anxious about his own condition, is keen to learn the reasons for Robert's bad dreams. John's lecture on the use of ether and chloroform goes awry when he inhales a surfeit of both but his use of Mr Kapoor's mesmerism may still be invaluable to William's operation - hopefully.
Episode 5
The Bishop's Appendix
29 mins
His stone removed, William is visited by childhood sweetheart Mina, who has marriage in mind whilst his progressive therapy is questioned and the asylum in danger of closing. His colleagues suggest a solution - paying the local innkeeper to feign madness so that William may be seen to 'cure' him - but the plan goes wrong. Mina is in a position to save William's family from ruin but he finds himself falling for Caroline. Meanwhile Robert is summoned to remove the diseased appendix of the Bishop of Lambeth, who mistrusts surgery but John's new lady love Nicola comes to the rescue by drugging the bishop before the operation. Unfortunately for John she is also betrothed to a wealthy lord and she dumps him.
Episode 6
The Physician's Hernia
29 mins
When Dr Hendrick finds he has a hernia he chooses the famous French surgeon Patrice Dupont to operate on him over a disgusted Robert, who is demoted to assistant and is further annoyed that Patrice has chosen John as his anaesthetist. Caroline is still meeting in secret with William, who reluctantly gives a suspicious Robert advice on saving his marriage, leading Robert to take his wife's medical ambitions seriously. Consequently when Patrice bungles the operation Caroline's knowledge helps Robert to perform it successfully whilst William, feeling guilty about his affair, agrees to marry Mina - for financial reasons.
