After a bit of a shakeup, it's being reported that Joshua Jackson (Fringe, Dawson's Creek, THE MIGHTY DUCKS) is replacing Jamie Dornan for the title role in Peacock's Dr. Death. The UCP-produced limited series based on the Wondery podcast of the same name also stars Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater.
Dornan had been cast for the part back in August 2019. Unfortunately, that pesky coronavirus pandemic came along and knocked Dr. Death's production start back aways. With scheduling conflicts now a major concern, Dornan has opted to bow out. It's also due to the delay that Dr. Death lost Stephen Frears, who was expected to helm the first two episodes. He's since been replaced by Maggie Kley, who frontlines an all-female directing team on the show, including Jennifer Morrison and So Yong Kim.
Written by Patrick Macmanus, who serves as showrunner, Dr. Death is based on the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (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 (Slater) 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. (via Deadline)
Good grief! How does a quack like Dr. Duntsch operate for so long with such a shady success rate? Those poor victims. I might have to listen to that Wondery podcast and find out how this dude was eventually brought down. There's no room in this world for abusive, murderous medical professionals. We've got enough problems to deal with already.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more details related to Dr. Death as the limited series comes together.