*Apple TV+ is set to take audiences deep into the high-stakes world of emergency medicine with “Berlin ER” (formerly KRANK Berlin), a raw and unflinching German-language drama premiering globally on February 26.
Co-created by former ER physician turned screenwriter Samuel Jefferson and visionary filmmaker Viktor Jakovleski, this series pulls no punches in its portrayal of an overwhelmed, underfunded Berlin hospital where doctors fight against the odds—both professional and personal.
At the heart of the action is Dr. Zanna Parker (Haley Louise Jones), a determined young physician seeking a fresh start in the capital after her personal life unravels in Munich. But she quickly learns that change doesn’t come easy, especially in a system teetering on the brink. Alongside her, Dr. Ben Weber (Slavko Popadić) navigates the relentless pressures of an ER where black humor is just as essential as medical expertise.
Ahead of the series’ highly anticipated premiere, we sat down with Jones and Popadić to talk about stepping into these intense roles, the emotional and physical challenges of portraying emergency doctors, and what audiences can expect from Berlin ER‘s pulse-pounding drama.
“We shadowed doctors in a hospital in Cologne because we both happen to live in the same city,” Jones explained. “But a lot of our colleagues did that–they would go into hospitals and do… mini internships for a while, just to be able to follow people around and be a mouse on the wall in a way. We had a medical boot camp just before filming.”
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She added, “They got a doctor in that took us by the hand and tried to give us an intensive course in years and years of medical training. We had doctors on set all the time that also acted as extras. They would help to make it even more authentic. They always had an eye on us and we could always go and speak to them. So that was essential to make this smooth enough.”
Jones especially enjoyed exploring the complexities of playing a female doctor in a male-dominated field, bringing depth and authenticity to Dr. Zanna Parker’s journey in “Berlin ER.”
“I loved exploring the topic of how is it more difficult or differently difficult to be a woman in a position of authority. The challenges that come with that… It was so close to my heart to explore that and to make sure that that was part of every single ounce of this show because we need to see that,” she explained. “I want to, as an audience, I want to see a woman that I recognize myself in.”
Popadić’s Dr. Ben Weber shares a complex relationship with Dr. Parker and when she enters the ER, “she’s a big problem for him because she throws him off balance,” he said.
“She’s for him at the beginning, she’s a big invader. And later, he recognizes that she wants the same thing as him. Her passion is to help other people,” Popadić added.
Hear more from Jones and Popadić about their characters’ journeys in our exclusive clip below.
Alongside Jones and Popadić, “Berlin ER” also stars an ensemble cast including Şafak Şengül, Aram Tafreshian, Samirah Breuer, Bernhard Schütz, Peter Lohmeyer, and Benjamin Radjaipour.
The eight-episode drama debuts on Apple TV+ on February 26 with the first two episodes, followed by one episode weekly, every Wednesday through April 9.
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