Ovation to Air A YOUNG DOCTOR’S NOTEBOOK

Ovation, America’s only arts network, has further grown its slate of arts-centric programming by completing a deal with BBC Worldwide for the highly sought after UK hit from Big Talk Productions, A Young Doctor’s Notebook, starring Jon Hamm (Mad Men, 30 Rock) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, The Woman in Black).

“As a cause-based media company dedicated to the arts, Ovation is the perfect home for such a rich visual adaptation of this classic literary work,” said Robert Weiss, Ovation’s Chief Creative Officer. “It’s an honor to deliver work from artists as passionate about this project as Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe.”

Originally broadcast on Sky Arts in the UK last year, A Young Doctor’s Notebook became the highest-rated program in the network’s history, with audiences up over 1000% on the slot average and receiving universal critical acclaim.

“I’m thrilled that Ovation has picked up the rights to broadcast A Young Doctor’s Notebook stateside,” said Jon Hamm. “Like our UK benefactor Sky Arts, they have proven to be a singular champion of unique, artistic projects that often remain unseen in the current commercial broadcast landscape. I hope everyone enjoys A Young Doctor’s Notebook as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Renowned Russian writer and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov’s book A Young Doctor’s Notebook was adapted into a television series by writers Mark Chappell, Shaun Pye and Alan Connor (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret). It is a darkly humorous account of the turbulent experiences of a newly graduated young doctor (Daniel Radcliffe), artfully told through the eyes of his older, opiate-addicted self (Jon Hamm), who narrates the action from his own notebooks. The young doctor lands a post at a small hospital in a remote village during the Russian Revolution. Dealing with superstitious and poorly educated patients creates for the doctor a brutal, panic-inducing introduction to his medical practice, causing the young doctor to struggle with doubts about his own competence.

A Young Doctor’s Notebook is co-produced by multi-award-wining Big Talk Productions (Rev., Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Shaun of the Dead) with eight-time Emmy Nominated actor Hamm’s own Points West Production Company. The highly sought after literary adaptation stems from Hamm’s interest in the book, having been introduced to the work by producer Clelia Mountford.

Weiss emphasizes, “Given Ovation’s quest to surface, create and connect viewers to top-notch arts programming from around the world, we couldn’t be more excited about how well A Young Doctor’s Notebook fits into our wheelhouse.”

Big Talk Chief Executive Kenton Allen added, “Ovation is the perfect home for this extraordinarily original series. It blew the roof off the ratings in the UK and we can’t wait to see how US audiences respond to Bulgakov in the brilliant hands of Messrs Hamm and Radcliffe.”

A Young Doctor’s Notebook premieres Fall 2013, only on Ovation.