Potsdam, February 18, 2026: UFA Fiction and Paper Entertainment jointly 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, who is considered 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 follow it. The series tells the story of an eccentric, visionary doctor whose radical methods and distinct humanity are met with fierce resistance from the medical establishment, while his identity as a Jewish man is increasingly jeopardized. Conceived as an emotional, character-driven and at the same time highly suspenseful medical drama, DR. JAKOB combines human destinies, decisive historical turning points and groundbreaking medical innovations.

Internationally renowned actor Claes Bang (THE SQUARE, DRACULA, BAD SISTERS) has been cast in the lead role of Dr. Jakob Joseph. Award-winning British author and showrunner Barbara Machin (WAKING THE DEAD, CASUALTY) is responsible for the screenplay.

Nataly Kudiabor, Managing Director and Producer UFA Fiction: “We were surprised that British creatives drew our attention to Jakob Joseph, while his name is hardly known in Germany. How can a European visionary who had a decisive influence on modern plastic surgery be almost forgotten? Joseph was way ahead of his time: radical, pioneering and uncompromising in his commitment to identity and dignity. This is precisely why DR. JAKOB is more than a historical drama for us: it is the rediscovery of a forgotten visionary – and a story of captivating topicality.”

Julien Leroux, Managing Director and Producer Paper Entertainment: “We are delighted to announce DR. JAKOB and to develop this series with such brilliant partners. Claes Bang will undoubtedly be an extraordinary central character and we can’t wait to introduce him to a global audience.”

Claes Bang, lead actor: “Jacob was a human being, a surgeon, a Jewish pioneer – and yet his achievements were attributed to others and his story almost erased. Making him visible again and telling his extraordinary journey is a challenge that is as great as it is compelling.”

Barbara Machin, screenwriter: “This drama has the potential to move and challenge modern hearts and minds. There has never been a better moment to revisit this story from our modern perspective.”

Content: When Dr. Jakob Joseph (born in Berlin in 1865) performs the first documented aesthetic surgical procedure in 1896, this pioneering act pushes him to the fringes of the medical community. But when, after the First World War, streams of severely disfigured soldiers return with injuries the likes of which mankind has never seen before, the once derided outsider suddenly becomes indispensable to a society in urgent need of new medical solutions. Together with his growing team, Jakob battles against time to develop reconstructive procedures previously thought impossible. In parallel to this captivating story of medical invention, the series tells a great love and partnership story between Jakob and Leonora, his wife and nurse – as well as Jakob’s personal story of courage and survival as a Jewish man in impossible circumstances.

DR. JAKOB is a co-production of UFA Fiction and Paper Entertainment. The producers are Nataly Kudiabor and Denise Neustadt (UFA Fiction) as well as Julien Leroux and Caroline Amer (Paper Entertainment). Barbara Machin is responsible for the screenplay.

About UFA Fiction

UFA bundles its activities in the program genres of fiction and serial drama as well as show, factual and documentary under one roof. UFA Fiction stands for production activities in the areas of series, serials, TV movies, events and feature films and has a remarkable portfolio that has had a lasting impact on the German television landscape. For decades, UFA Fiction has delivered outstanding programs, lasting ratings successes and productions for all established partners, both nationally and internationally. Many productions have not only been great successes with audiences, but have also won numerous national and international TV and film awards, including two International Emmy Awards. These include, for example successful cinema films such as DER MEDICUS or DER JUNGE MUSS AN DIE FRISCHE LUFT, event and high-end drama formats such as UNSERE MÜTTER, UNSERE VÄTER, DEUTSCHLAND83/86/89, CHARITÉ, KU’DAMM 56/59/63 or FAKING HITLER, SAM – EIN SACHSE and ALL YOU NEED as well as the long-running crime series and series with high ratings such as EIN STARKES TEAM, DIE DIPLOMATIN and SOKO LEIPZIG. Current UFA Fiction productions include the cinema productions DAS FLIEGENDE KLASSENZIMMER and EIN FEST FÜRS LEBEN, the high-end series GUTE FREUNDE – DER AUFSTIEG DES FC BAYERN, HELGOLAND 513, MAXTON HALL – DIE WELT ZWISCHEN UNS and WHERE’S WANDA? The managing directors of UFA Fiction are Markus Brunnemann, Nataly Kudiabor, Ulrike Leibfried and Sebastian Werninger.

Press contact UFA Fiction:

Janine Friedrich
Head of Communications

janine.friedrich@ufa.dePhone: +49 331 70 60 379

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The press release as PDF for download: