Heads up! In case you don’t already know, Fall is here. Obviously, that means the season is changing but it also means it’s time for your favorite series to start up again and new shows to try out. Trust us, we definitely understand the struggle of juggling a busy schedule plus staying in the loop of all the “must see” water cooler talk shows. We got you. Next time someone asks you what new show you’ll be checking out, tell them The Good Doctor on ABC.
Not familiar? Here’s a quick overview. The Good Doctor is a brand new ABC series starring Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel) as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome who joins a hospital’s surgical unit in Silicon Valley. Often doubted and questioned, Shaun uses his gifts to help save lives. Creators David Shore (House) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-O) came together to bring a striking drama to your Mondays. And fear not, if this show sounds a bit like another version of Dr. Gregory House, it’s not the same. “The characters ultimately couldn’t be more different and yet they’re essentially asking many, many of the same questions,” Shore says during the annual Television Critics Association’s summer press tour.
Not convincing enough? Here are five reasons we’re excited for The Good Doctor and why you should be too!
1. Freddie Highmore. Freddie Highmore. Oh, and Freddie Highmore!
Freddie is an underrated actor. He’s received small parts here and there, but he’s most notably known as Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the iconic Norman Bates character from Bates Motel. It’s time for him to shine a bit more in the spotlight on prime time television. Much more easier for him to grow a bigger fanbase especially if you never had A&E… *slowly raises hand*
2. Recognize autism and savant syndrome
It’s very rare to see characters with specific characteristics such as autism highlighted on television. If it is, it’s not really explanatory to the average audience member. With this series, people who may not know much of the disorder will be able to get a better understanding of what is autism, how it affects others, etc. Not only will it be educational for some but it’ll have others feel included.
3. David Shore brought us House!
Admittedly, I have not watched House myself, but the series made its way to season eight with high praise season after season. With David Shore backing The Good Doctor, we could only imagine what more he could bring to the small screen.
4. Another medical drama…
That you’ll WANT to watch. This isn’t your typical ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med. We’re focusing on Dr. Shaun Murphy trying to understand hospital politics as he goes off the wall in what he thinks is the right way. No love triangles (that we know of). We aren’t stuck in the heat of the emergency room each episode but instead, we get the front seat of what thoughts are running through a surgeon’s head as he’s about to perform surgery. The more informative, the better. Especially for those of us who never took up a career in the medical field.
5. This may fill in our Forever void. I’m talking about the short-lived series Forever that aired on ABC in 2014. While ABC axed that the first season, fans (such as myself) wondered if we’d ever find something as good as that show. This may be it! If Freddie can pull off the same charm as Dr. Henry Morgan and keep from dying multiple times, we may have a new leading character to love!
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The series also stars Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Brown, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neal Melendez, Chuku Modu as Dr. Jared Kalu, Irene Keng as Dr. Sarah Chen, Beau Garrett as Jessica Preston, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman.
The Good Doctor airs Monday, September 25th at 10/9c on ABC.
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