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, high-quality 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.

Paweł Demirski commented: “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, said: “Jacek Poniedziałek undergoes such an extraordinary physical metamorphosis for Stroke that Polish viewers may not recognize him – but we want Viaplay’s storytelling to be unmistakable. 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.