Pilot: Bubbles, Dancing, Masks, GoodSAM

Joining Kiri this week are medical historian Dr Lindsey Fitzharris with the story of the pioneering World War I surgeon who transformed wounded soldiers faces, comedian Darren Harriott and his love of dancing, biomedical engineer Professor Eleanor Stride with cancer curing micro bubbles, brain surgeon Professor Mark Wilson with the GoodSAM app that can summon a first-aider at the touch of a button, and the man who owes his life to it.Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future.In each programme, Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science to an obscure invention, an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure.Whether it’s micro-robotic surgery, virtual reality syringes, Victorian clockwork surgical saws, more than a few ingenious cures for cancer, world-first lifesaving heart operations, epidurals, therapy, dancing, faith or laughter - it’s always something worth celebrating.This episode was first broadcast as a pilot on BBC Radio 4 in July 2022.Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLeanFeaturing: Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Darren Harriott, Professor Eleanor Stride and Professor Mark WilsonWritten by Jordan Gray, Rajiv Karia, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben RowseProducer: Ben WorsfieldAssistant Producer: Tashi RadhaExecutive Producer: Simon NichollsTheme tune composed by Andrew JonesA Large Time production for BBC Radio 4