Robert is a domineering, showman surgeon - a rock star of his age - who is almost as brilliant as he thinks he is. He can pack out an operating theatre and take off a leg in 92 seconds. But after a botched amputation, Robert is put under pressure by the royal physician, Dr Hendrick. So John, a drug-addled dentist who is trying to create the world's first anaesthetic, convinces Robert to use potentially lethal ether in a prestigious and pioneering operation. (thetvdb.com)