UFA Fiction and Paper Entertainment today announce the development of the new high-end drama series DR. JAKOB.
The 8 x 60-minute series is based on the extraordinary life of Berlin surgeon Dr. Jakob Joseph, regarded as one of the most important pioneers of modern plastic surgery.
DR. JAKOB is set against the backdrop of the First World War and the profound social upheavals that followed. The series tells the story of an eccentric, visionary doctor whose radical methods and deep humanity clash with the fierce resistance of the medical establishment, while his identity as a Jewish man becomes increasingly endangered. Conceived as an emotional, character-driven and highly suspenseful medical drama, DR. JAKOB weaves together human destinies, decisive historical turning points, and groundbreaking medical innovation.
The internationally acclaimed actor Claes Bang (THE SQUARE, DRACULA, BAD SISTERS) has been cast in the lead role of Dr. Jakob Joseph. The series is created by award-winning British writer and showrunner Barbara Machin (THE WALKING DEAD, CASUALTY).
Nataly Kudiabor, Managing Director and Executive Producer UFA Fiction: “We were surprised that it was British creatives who brought Jakob Joseph to our attention, while in Germany, his name remains largely unknown. How can a European visionary who helped shape modern plastic surgery be almost forgotten? Joseph was far ahead of his time: radical, groundbreaking, and uncompromising in his commitment to identity and dignity. That is why DR. JAKOB is more than a historical drama to us: it is the rediscovery of a forgotten visionary – and a story of striking contemporary relevance.”
Julien Leroux, CEO and Executive Producer Paper Entertainment: “We're thrilled to announce DR. JAKOB and even more so to be developing it with such brilliant partners. Claes Bang will no doubt be an extraordinary central character which we can't wait the global audiences to discover.”
Claes Bang, Lead Actor: “Jakob — the man, the surgeon, the Jew — whose achievements were claimed by others, and whose story has been quietly erased, is a huge character. It would be an irresistible challenge to explore his story and bring him to the screen.”
Barbara Machin, Writer: “This drama could profoundly challenge modern hearts and minds: never was a time so right to tell this story with our contemporary lens.”
When Dr. Jakob Joseph (born 1865 in Berlin) performs the first documented aesthetic surgical procedure in 1896, this pioneering act pushes him to the margins of the medical community. But when floods of severely disfigured soldiers begin returning from the First World War with injuries never before seen by mankind, the once mocked outsider suddenly becomes indispensable to a society in urgent need of new medical solutions. Along with his growing team, Jakob races against time to invent reconstructive procedures previously considered impossible. Running alongside this thrilling story of inventions is one of great love and professional partnership between Jakob and Leonora, his wife and nurse. As well as Jakob’s personal story of survival and bravery as a Jewish man under impossible circumstances.
DR. JAKOB is a co production by UFA Fiction and Paper Entertainment. Executive Producers are Nataly Kudiabor and Denise Neustadt (UFA Fiction) as well as Julien Leroux and Caroline Amer (Paper Entertainment). The script is written by Barbara Machin.
