ABC Kingdom Hospital Press Release

ANDREW McCARTHY, DIANE LADD AND BRUCE DAVISON ARE FIRST TO JOIN THE CAST OF THE STEPHEN KING’S NEW DRAMA SERIES, “STEPHEN KING’S KINGDOM HOSPITAL”
 
Two-Hour Premiere Airs Thursday, February 5, 2004, on ABC

Andrew McCarthy (“Monk,” “Pretty in Pink”), Academy Award nominee Diane Ladd (“Primary Colors,” “Rambling Rose”) and Academy Award nominee Bruce Davison (“X-Men II,” “Longtime Companion”) have been cast in the haunting new fifteen-hour drama series, “Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital,” created directly for television by the award-winning, best-selling master of horror. The two-hour series premiere airs THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2004, (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT), with subsequent one-hour episodes airing Thursday, 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET, on The ABC Television Network.

McCarthy will play the role of Dr. Hook, a brilliant surgeon who resides in the hospital’s basement and has a penchant for collecting medical equipment. Ladd will play Mrs. Druse, a psychic hypochondriac whose strong connection to the spirit world repeatedly draws her to the emergency room of Kingdom Hospital. Davison will play Dr. Stegman (“Steg”), whose absent bedside manner and arrogance are paralleled only by his ineptitude as a physician.

Using Lars Von Trier’s Danish miniseries “Riget” (a.k.a. “The Kingdom”) as a point of inspiration, Stephen King gives this series a unique, darkly comedic and menacing American touch. King himself describes it as “ER” crossed with “The Shining.”

Production will begin August 11 on location in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Kingdom” is a hospital the bizarre population of which includes a nearly blind security guard, a nurse who regularly faints at the sight of blood and a paraplegic artist whose recovery is a step beyond miraculous. But when patients and staff hear the tortured voice of a little girl crying through the halls, they are dismissive of any suggestion of mysticism or unseen powers... at their own peril.

“Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital” will be executive-produced by Stephen King and Mark Carliner (Emmy Award-winning producer of “Stalin,” Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning producer of “George Wallace”) and directed by Craig Baxley (“Stephen King’s Rose Red”). Richard Dooling provides technical support. “Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital” will be produced by Sony Pictures in association with Touchstone Television.