Overview
When Dirty John and The Case Against Adnan Syed leapt from audio to television, it was a floodgates moment. The true-crime genre definitely isn't new, but more shows based on grim real-life stories — and inspired by the podcasts that cover them, to be specific — were always going to follow. Dr Death is the latest, sporting a moniker that speaks volumes from the outset. Even if you know nothing about Christopher Duntsch going in, and you've also never heard the Wondery podcast that shares the series' name, that title really doesn't bode well for the surgeon's patients.
Working in Dallas during the past decade, Duntsch was originally a rising neurosurgery star. Then, as the series charts, his patients started leaving the operating theatre either permanently maimed or dead. If you've ever faced going under the knife, this is pure, unfettered and deeply disturbing nightmare fuel — and it all really happened.
Joshua Jackson plays Duntsch, and is bound to shed any lingering Dawson's Creek-era affection audiences might have for him in the process (and fondness from The Mighty Ducks and Fringe, too). He's joined by Alec Baldwin (Pixie) and Christian Slater (Dirty John) as fellow surgeons who raise the alarm, and also by AnnaSophia Robb (Words on Bathroom Walls) as the Dallas prosecutor who takes the case. As the just-dropped first trailer for the series show, this is quite the bleak story.
Whether you already know how it all turns out or you'll be discovering the details fresh, you'll be able to watch Dr Death sometime this year — although exactly when it'll start streaming hasn't yet been announced.
Check out the trailer below:
Dr Death will be available to stream in NZ in 2021 — we'll update you with a release date when further details are announced.