Viaplay to produce Polish dramedy Stroke
February 17, 2023
Viaplay has commissioned the eight-part Polish dramatic comedy ‘Stroke’, starring Jacek Poniedziałek (the major films ‘A Heart of Love’ and ‘The Reverse’) as a Warsaw bon vivant and popular TV host whose life is suddenly turned upside down. Created by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Paweł Demirski (‘Artysci’), ‘Stroke’ will premiere exclusively on Viaplay in 2023 and reflects the service’s commitment to producing distinctive storytelling in Poland.
Jacek (Jacek Poniedziałek) is a restaurant critic, TV celebrity and the gay king of Warsaw (“the only city in Poland”, as he calls it). But a stroke changes everything, and Jacek is forced to reassess his priorities and to reinvent himself on a dramatic scale.
The supporting cast includes Marta Malikowska (‘Blinded by the Lights’), Marta Nieradkiewicz (‘Floating Skyscrapers’), Konrad Eleryk (‘Furioza’), Jan Sobolewski (‘The Office PL’), Monika Frajczyk (‘Prime Time’) and Rafał Maćkowiak (‘Herkules’), with Polish screen legends Anna Seniuk (‘Lalka’) and Jerzy Bończak (‘With Fire and Sword’) appearing as Jacek’s parents.
Paweł Demirski: “I came up with the idea for this series in spring 2019. No-one had yet heard of the coronavirus pandemic, but there was already a feeling in the air, in cinema and theatre, that things were somehow burning out. The main character in ‘Stroke’, Jacek, offers another view on the world – one of vitality, of believing that the best is yet to come and that the last word has not yet been said. I am glad that we could turn this idea into a series together with Viaplay.”
Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer: “Jacek Poniedziałek undergoes such an extraordinary physical metamorphosis for ‘Stroke’ that Polish viewers may not recognise him – but we want Viaplay’s storytelling to be unmistakeable. Our aim is to work with the country’s biggest talents – both famous and undiscovered – to present stories that have not yet been told. I believe ‘Stroke’ will be a big hit among Viaplay’s viewers and will help us attract many new ones.”
‘Stroke’ is directed by Paweł Demirski, Rafał Skalski (‘A Night at the Kindergarten’) and Antonio Galdamez (‘Noamia’). The series (Polish title: ‘Udar’) is produced by Maciej Kubicki at Telemark, with Viaplay Group’s Małgorzata Jurczak as executive producer.
Viaplay’s first Polish scripted commission was the true crime drama ‘Murderesses’, inspired by a book by Katarzyna Bonda, one of Poland’s most popular crime writers. Alongside its line-up of local, Nordic and international films and series, Viaplay offers Polish viewers premium live sports such as Premier League, Formula 1, Bundesliga, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, KSW, NHL and much more.