All Our Eggs: The Accurately Depicted Infertility Show We've All Been Waiting For
Though infertility has become a bit of a ‘trend’ in the entertainment industry, it’s not often accurately depicted. Which is why when we stumbled across All Our Eggs, we were immediately glued to the screen. All Our Eggs is heartbreaking but hopeful, devastating but ultimately life-affirming, and full of love. The characters portray the emotions one faces on an infertility journey flawlessly. You’ll immediately relate to the pain, hope, and fears these characters face during their journey towards parenthood.
We recently had the opportunity to ask Martha Goddard, director/co-writer of All Our Eggs, some questions about the series, and what went on behind-the-scenes to create it.
Tell us about All Our Eggs?
All Our Eggs is an Instagram drama told in micro-short episodes, exploring one couple’s rocky fertility journey towards parenthood. Charlie is desperate to be a mum, but she's got a blocked fallopian tube and her partner Jack has dodgy sperm, while at thirty-six they’re considered ‘geriatric’ (the official medical term!) in fertility years. The odds are against them, but they're determined to try it all - herbal teas, headstands, sex-on-schedule, and IVF - all the agonies, the ecstasies and the absurdities of ‘the Great Big Fertility Ride’.
Adrienne Pickering, contemplating the future as Charlie in @alloureggs
What inspired the script for All Our Eggs?
The series was based on an acclaimed IVF memoir by Australian playwright Vanessa Bates. The producer (Dan Prichard) gave me a copy of ‘Legs up and Laughing’ and I laughed, cried and gnashed my teeth at the great injustice of infertility. It’s a brilliant read, very intimate and biting. I was struck by the sense of longing, while the experience of infertility forces some heavy-duty soul searching and questioning. It’s a process of extreme oscillation - of hoping and despairing, striving and grieving, of holding on and letting go, of self-protection and vulnerability. All the big stuff. And we (Dan, Vanessa and I) have drawn additional inspiration from each other, from our lives and the people around us, in creating this series.
Charlie in @alloureggs
What sort of person is going to love this show?
We’ve taken a no-holds-barred approach to this show. It’s brutally honest, painfully relatable, bleakly funny and told in a Fleabag-like manner, with Charlie sharing her deepest fears and thoughts directly with the viewer. We hope it resonates with women and couples who are going through a similar experience; those who might be reflecting on a past journey; those about to embark on one, or for people who are wondering about the experience of others, particularly if they have friends or family members grappling with these challenges. We hope viewers curl up with Charlie on their lap and a cup of something hot in hand, and a tissue box nearby (just in case).
What’s been challenging about bringing the script to life?
Initially we took a more conventional approach with the show - making a short proof-of-concept film and drafting a 9-part episodic series. We came crushingly close to being made but when a piece of the financial pie fell through, momentum stalled. Couple that with the current climate of uncertainty, and we started looking at an alternative way to tell this story. The producer, Dan, had the inspiration to release a series of micro-shorts on TikTok (!) - primarily one-minute episodes from the proof-of-concept — and it exploded. Over two million views in a week. That was a very powerful motivation for us to take a radically new approach.
Shifting my emphasis to this format meant rethinking ideas about structure and linearity. As viewers can join the show at literally any point in the timeline, each piece has to have a force and resonance of its own, while also catching the attention. Limitations yield creative solutions so our strict rules around screen time have given me a license to experiment and that’s been wonderfully stimulating. There’s also an immediacy to the process online given that feedback is instantaneous. We can engage in a dialogue with our audience, responding to comments while also opening up the opportunity to incorporate viewers experiences into the show. For example, one viewer commented that IVF is akin to leaping out of an airplane, only for your parachute to fail, you are hitting the ground, only to dust yourself down and to get right back on that plane. That’s a wonderful metaphor and I can see Charlie absolutely saying that down the line. Equally another viewer has contributed a novel use of frozen peas and we absolutely HAVE to find a place for that. We are also asking viewers to share their experiences in our #5questions feature on our website (www.alloureggstheseries.com)
Martha on set with Adrienne Pickering @alloureggs
Why did you want to be involved in this production?
When I first read Vanessa’s book, I loved the dark humor thinly veiling the genuine anguish. It’s a very relatable situation, utterly heart-wrenching and on a more personal note, eye-opening. I was in my early thirties when I started this project and hadn’t taken the whole ‘will I have kids’ question seriously, assuming I had plenty of time to think about that. It was a bit of a wake-up call.
After that reached out to my network to speak with women who had undergone IVF and I was overwhelmed with how generous and open these people were, sharing the most imitate details of their journey because they wanted to watch a series like this and see their story on screen. While each story was unique, I was struck by the commonalities and the shared rhythm to the process. I became very motivated to get this story told.
What has been the most emotional aspect of putting this series together?
Definitely the research phase. I felt privileged to gain such insight into what was in often case the most intense period of someone’s life. I very often wound-up blubbering by the end of the call. These stories stay with me.
Adrienne Pickering as Charlie in @alloureggs
Have your personal views changed for those battling infertility and / or other paths to parenthood?
Absolutely. In the past I’ve been as guilty as anyone of casually prying into places I now recognize can be very triggering. I’m much more sensitive around the topic of baby-making, and at least I have a better clue of what not to say. I cringe whenever I hear someone oh-so-casually asking if a woman wants kids or nudging them not to leave it too late.
I’m also passionate about portraying alternative family structures on screen. There is so much more choice today than there was thirty years ago - third party donor eggs or sperm, donor embryos, surrogacy, and co-parenting arrangements between singles or couples. It’s becoming commonplace to see children thriving within alternative family structures, which is empowering people to re-vision the nuclear family and consider new possibilities.
What’s going to surprise people about this show?
There’s a bit of a twist at the end although I can’t say anymore without it being a major spoiler! But I think also people will be surprised by the very processes involved and the journey that Charlie and Jack go through because of this need to be parents. It’s the great unspoken experience of so many women and couples today.
There’s also a complex mother-daughter storyline that might surprise and resonate with viewers. Embarking on a journey towards motherhood brought up a lot of unresolved feelings and memories of my own mother - it all comes out in the writing.
What takeaways do you hope others have after watching the series?
A disturbing truth of life is that we ultimately have limited control over our lives. And fertility is one of those wildly uncontrollable factors - unknowable until you try. Charlie’s story could easily be a lot of women’s stories. I want this series to inspire empathy and spark important conversations around choice and infertility.
Episode 1 (PINCH AN INCH)
Episode 2 of ALL OUR EGGS premieres Sunday May 17th on:
BIO: MARTHA GODDARD is a director and writer based in Stanthorpe in rural Queensland, Australia. To date Martha has directed commercials, documentaries and 6 short films, screening at over thirty film festivals.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.
