FOX series 'Doc' is based on real life doctor who lost decade of memories

LOS ANGELES - What would it mean to you to lose a decade of your memories and no longer be connected to anything that is happening in the present?

A new FOX medical drama "Doc" is hoping to unravel these questions.

‘Doc’ TV show

What we know:

The television series, which quickly became FOX’s most-watched debut in three years, tells the story of Dr. Amy Larsen, a brilliant doctor who gets a second chance at life after losing a decade of memories in a harrowing car accident.

What they're saying:

"You’ve not only missed out what’s happened in the world, you’ve missed out on who you’ve become," Molly Parker, who plays Larsen on the show, said in a video promoting the series, adding, "It is a pretty far out scenario."

Molly Parker as Dr. Amy Larsen in "Doc." (Credit: FOX)

Is ‘Doc’ based on a true story?

The backstory:

But, viewers may not know that the show is based on the real-life Italian doctor, Pierdante Piccioni, who endured a very similar life-changing accident.

"This new FOX drama, ‘Doc,’ is inspired by my life," Piccioni shared. "I had a car accident and lost 12 years of memories completely."

As the chief of an emergency department at a major Italian hospital, he found himself thrust into the role of "an instant patient," unable to recognize his own identity or his children, who had aged considerably in his absence.

Video still of Pierdante Piccioni. (Credit: FOX)

"I didn’t recognize them. That was very, very terrible. I cried a lot," he shared.

In his determined quest to reclaim his life and career, he painstakingly reviewed 65,000 emails he had sent and received, realizing that he had become emotionally distant and far removed from the person he aspired to be.

"To watch the story inspired by my story was very, very emotional," Piccioni said. "It was like to open my scars again."

Still from episode of "Doc" starting Molly Parker. (Credit: FOX)

Yet, he describes the FOX series as "a story of hope," acknowledging how the incident profoundly transformed him.

"I think that God gave me a second chance. I became more empathetic," he shared. "Before I was more like a machine; now I’m more like a person." 

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You can watch all-new episodes of ‘Doc,’ every Tuesday on FOX.