Thunder Doctor
In early 1920s China, a young American doctor and his family arrive with a mission to serve a quiet village. Their journey leads through cultural upheaval, Japanese occupation, and internment - testing the boundaries of faith, endurance, and love.
By Roger and Jamie Clay
a limited streaming series
A Family's Journey
1
1923
A young American physician, his wife and
newborn daughter arrive in northeastern China
as Methodist missionaries.
newborn daughter arrive in northeastern China
as Methodist missionaries.
2
1931
Japan invades Manchuria
tearing their peaceful world apart.
tearing their peaceful world apart.
3
1943
Repatriation voyage aboard the Gripsholm
after internment, after years of having to
make impossible choices.
after internment, after years of having to
make impossible choices.
Episode Structure Summary
Episodes 1-3: A Mission in China
We open in 2020 with retired Dr. Peter Whitaker uncovering DNA revelations that pull us back to 1924, when his father, Dr. Clayton Whitaker - the “Thunder Doctor” - brings his young family to Changli, China, to launch a mission hospital amid political and social upheaval.
Episodes 4-6: The Gathering Storm
As war looms, the Whitakers struggle between the differences of Western and Eastern cultures, until the Japanese invasion shatters their world, bringing betrayal, danger, and internment.
Episodes 7-9: Shadow Puppets
Returning home aboard the Gripsholm, the family faces the emotional toll of war and reintegration with life in the States. The series closes back in 2020, as Peter Whitaker confronts his father’s hidden legacy and the scars passed to the next generation.
Setting & Historical Context
Locations
Changli, Peitaiho Beach, Tungchou in northeastern China.
Key Events
Mukden Incident (1931), Japanese occupation of Manchuria, internment in a post-Pearl Harbor Japanese camp.
Culmination
Gripsholm repatriation exchange (1943) marks the end of their time in China.
Main Characters
Dr. Clayton Whitaker
An idealist doctor whose ethics are challenged by war.
Eleanor Whitaker
The emotional and spiritual heart of the family.
Anna Marie, Samuel & Peter
The Whitaker children coming of age with a doctor father and a very religious mother during a time of upheaval in China.
Captain Hiroshi Takeda
Japanese officer torn between duty and conscience.
Liu Ming & Jian
Brave Chinese brothers entangled in resistance.
Why This Story Matters
1
Overlooked History
Sheds light on an overlooked chapter of global history.
2
Endurance
Centers a family's spiritual and emotional resilience during war.
3
Relevance
Speaks to today's themes of displacement, cultural bridging, and quiet resistance.
Themes & Tone
Cross-cultural understanding
Solidarity across divides during wartime.
Spiritual crisis
Faith tested by the brutality of occupation.
Quiet heroism
Ordinary people showing extraordinary courage.
Reflective, lyrical, emotionally layered — like The English Patient meets Pachinko.
Visual Style
Look & Feel
Natural lighting, vintage color grading, intimate handheld shots with sweeping compositions. Taking inspiration from Stuart Dryburgh (The Painted Veil) - luminous natural light, restrained color palette, emotional restraint.
Language
Multilingual authenticity (English, Mandarin, Japanese) with subtitles preserving tone.
Comparables
📺 TV Series
1923 (Paramount+)
A prequel to Yellowstone, this series captures the grit, hardship, and family survival under threat during the early 20th century, set in Montana but resonating with Thunder Doctor’s themes of family loyalty under historical pressure.
A prequel to Yellowstone, this series captures the grit, hardship, and family survival under threat during the early 20th century, set in Montana but resonating with Thunder Doctor’s themes of family loyalty under historical pressure.
The Crown (Netflix)
Historical drama, richly produced, following personal and political upheavals within a prominent family set against major world events — mirrors the tension between private lives and public history.
Historical drama, richly produced, following personal and political upheavals within a prominent family set against major world events — mirrors the tension between private lives and public history.
The English (Amazon Prime)
A visually striking period drama about identity, revenge, and cultural entanglement, with frontier landscapes and cross-cultural relationships, echoing East-West tensions in Thunder Doctor.
A visually striking period drama about identity, revenge, and cultural entanglement, with frontier landscapes and cross-cultural relationships, echoing East-West tensions in Thunder Doctor.
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Multigenerational saga spanning Korea, Japan, and the U.S., showing cultural displacement, resilience, and family legacy — beautifully aligned with Thunder Doctor’s layered family dynamics and cross-cultural stakes.
Multigenerational saga spanning Korea, Japan, and the U.S., showing cultural displacement, resilience, and family legacy — beautifully aligned with Thunder Doctor’s layered family dynamics and cross-cultural stakes.
🎬 Comparable Films
The Painted Veil (2006)
Set in 1920s China, this Edward Norton–Naomi Watts drama follows a British couple’s crumbling marriage and moral awakening during a cholera epidemic — gorgeously shot, with deep emotional resonance.
Set in 1920s China, this Edward Norton–Naomi Watts drama follows a British couple’s crumbling marriage and moral awakening during a cholera epidemic — gorgeously shot, with deep emotional resonance.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Steven Spielberg’s classic about a boy’s survival in Japanese-occupied Shanghai — captures both the grandeur and devastation of wartime China.
Steven Spielberg’s classic about a boy’s survival in Japanese-occupied Shanghai — captures both the grandeur and devastation of wartime China.
The Last Emperor (1987)
Lavish historical epic detailing China’s turbulent transition through the early 20th century — rich in cultural detail and political change, paralleling Thunder Doctor’s era.
Lavish historical epic detailing China’s turbulent transition through the early 20th century — rich in cultural detail and political change, paralleling Thunder Doctor’s era.
To End All Wars (2001)
Based on the true story of WWII POWs building the Burma Railway; themes of survival, faith, and reconciliation under brutal conditions align well.
Based on the true story of WWII POWs building the Burma Railway; themes of survival, faith, and reconciliation under brutal conditions align well.
Contact
We welcome collaborators, producers, and investors who believe in the power of meaningful, cross-cultural storytelling. Let’s talk about how we can bring Thunder Doctor to life together.To start that conversation — and for more information on this and other projects in development at 7th Direction Productions, please contact us:
email: projects@7thdirection.com
Visit our online sites:
- www.dph.com
- YouTube Channel: @7thDirectionProductions