Dozens of women arrived at Yale Fertility Center in hopes of becoming mothers. The shocking events that unfolded next will be covered in The Retrievals, an upcoming drama series. Written and executive produced by Molly Smith Metzler, the Emmy-nominated creator of Sirens and Maid, and adapted from an acclaimed New York Times and Serial Productions podcast by Susan Burton, The Retrievals chronicles one woman’s crusade against a fertility center that operated on her — and almost 100 other women — without anesthesia.
Emilia Jones (Bad Bridgets, The 99'ers, Task) will star in the forthcoming drama as Gabby Clemente, a New Haven bartender and student teacher whose life is upended by her traumatic egg retrieval surgery. Upon discovering that a nurse at the clinic was stealing vast amounts of fentanyl, Gabby seeks out other victims and leads a groundbreaking legal battle against Yale University.
The drama will be executive produced by Dani Gorin, Tom Ackerley, and Margot Robbie for LuckyChap, as well as Colin McKenna (Maid, Sirens), Caitlin Roper of The New York Times, and Susan Burton.
Keep reading for everything we know so far about The Retrievals.
Inspired by the Peabody Award-winning New York Times podcast by Susan Burton, The Retrievals follows one woman’s crusade against Yale Fertility Center after she (and almost 100 other women) were operated on without anesthesia during IVF egg retrieval procedures — because a nurse stole their fentanyl. A powerful and surprisingly funny story about an unlikely community that dares to take on one of the largest institutions in the nation.
The Retrievals was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 by Vulture, with critic Nicholas Quah hailing it “brilliant” and “unforgettable.” He wrote, “[Susan] Burton and company are unsparing in their critiques of the system, but they also leave room at the edges to poke at even thornier subject matter, like the sometimes destructive tension between bodily autonomy and motherhood itself.”
Hosted by Burton, the podcast explores the stories of the women who dealt with excruciating pain and the system that ignored them. Time called the podcast “a masterwork in investigative reporting,” noting that “sometimes a podcast grabs you by the lapels and demands your attention.”
Emilia Jones will star as Gabby Clemente, and come back here for more news on the rest of the cast as it’s announced.
There’s no release date yet. While we wait, dive into some other gripping narratives based on true stories, and keep checking back with Tudum for more updates.
