A new transmedia adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has named its doctor, and we’re pretty sure she’s a feminist. Newcomer Anna Lore will star in the new PBS Digital Studios series as Victoria Frankenstein, an eccentric prodigy looking to prove herself in the male-dominated arenas of science and medicine.
The series, Frankenstein, M.D., is produced by Emmy Award-winner Bernie Su, the mind behind other Pemberley Digital giants like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved. The first season will run 24 episodes released twice a week starting Aug. 19, culminating in a Halloween finale. Frankenstein, M.D. is PBS Digital Studios’ first foray into scripted programming, although the network is home to critically acclaimed series like Webby-Award winning PBS Idea Channel; Blank on Blank, which animates lost interviews from cultural icons; and a reboot of Pancake Mountain, a musical variety show. Frankenstein, M.D.’s mix of scripted drama and educational topics makes it a natural next step for PBS.
“As PBS Digital Studios continues to grow and attract digitally savvy audiences with content that is equally entertaining and educational, we are thrilled to launch Frankenstein, M.D. later this summer,” said Matt Graham, senior director of PBS Digital Studios, in a press release. “The Pemberley Digital team are visionary storytellers, which makes them the perfect partner for our first scripted series. We are committed to experimenting with new formats to engage viewers.”
The series reimagines the title character as Victoria Frankenstein, setting her medical experiences in the context of a modern university. Meeting roadblocks in the aforementioned male-dominated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, Frankenstein takes matters into her own hands and creates a YouTube science show, and in the pursuit of her boldest research yet, she makes shocking discoveries that could put her own career and the lives of her friends in danger. Lore will be joined by YouTube comedian Steve Zaragoza as Frankenstein’s colleague Iggy DeLacey (based on Igor), Kevin Rock as mentor Dr. Waldman, and Brendan Bradley and Sarah Fletcher as Victoria’s childhood friends Eli and Rory. The series is filmed at the YouTube Space LA, and fans can already start following Frankenstein on her Twitter (@VFrankMD) as part of the overall multiplatform experience.
“Frankenstein, M.D. gives our team at Pemberley Digital the exciting opportunity to take on a brand new genre for our literary-minded audience,” said executive producer Bernie Su. “Our version of Mary Shelley’s all-time classic will re-imagine the legend of Dr. Frankenstein for a whole new generation of viewers.”
Frankenstein, M.D. premieres Aug. 19 on PBS Digital Studios’ channel.