Doctors take a Hippocratic Oath to uphold ethical standards and not willingly harm their patients. But that didn’t stop former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch from maiming several of his patients, and killing two others. The scary story of Dr. Duntsch was chronicled in the Wondery podcast Dr. Death, and now the story has become a Peacock series, too. The series tracks Duntsch’s rise, crimes, and downfall – as well as the system that protected him for far too many years. Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb, Christian Slater, and Alec Baldwin star.
Dr. Death Trailer
Christopher Duntsch was a rising neurosurgeon that everyone seemed to like. But he was too good to be true. Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years – and killing two others. He was eventually charged and convicted with maiming one of his patients and sentenced to life imprisonment, but for a while there it looked like he might get away with it all.
The story was chronicled in the podcast Dr. Death, and now that podcast is a Peacock show. Here’s the synopsis:
Dr. Death is inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, Dr. Duntsch was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. Patients entered his operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries and left permanently maimed or dead. As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Christian Slater), as well as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart (AnnaSophia Robb), set out to stop him. DR. DEATH explores the twisted mind of Dr. Duntsch and the failures of the system designed to protect the most defenseless among us.
What makes the story all the more disturbing is the fact that the healthcare system seemed to protect Duntsch for far too long. The show promises to explore “the ‘why’ behind Dr. Duntsch’s horrendous operations, while revealing the broken healthcare system that allowed him to slip through the cracks. It celebrates everyday heroes, in this case, two fellow doctors, who went well beyond the call of duty to bring Duntsch to justice.”
Dr. Death Premiere Date, Cast, and Crew
Dr. Death will be streaming on Peacock on July 15. The series is executive produced by Patrick Macmanus, who also serves as showrunner. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, and Taylor Latham also executive produce via Escape Artists, as well as Hernan Lopez and Marshall Lewy of Wondery. The series boasts an all-female directing team, with directors including Maggie Kiley, who will also executive produce the first two episodes, Jennifer Morrison, and So Yong Kim. The cast includes Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb, Christian Slater, and Alec Baldwin.
You can listen to the podcast that inspired the series here.
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