Disney+ announces a Doogie Howser reboot because we could really use more doctors right now
Aux Features TV
Bless the hearts of the corporate overlords at Disney+. They really do mean well, but what’s a monolithic entertainment brand to do in the midst of a pandemic? People need more doctors right now, but Disney+ isn’t a medical factory. What is this, Tesla?! Disney+ can, however, manufacture a doctor—of sorts. According to THR, the streaming service has announced plans for a reboot of Doogie Howser, M.D., otherwise known as the sitcom that gave us Neil Patrick Harris (take that however you’d like). Speaking of which, this whole damned thing is connected: The new version of Doogie Howser, M.D. is being spearheaded by Kourtney Kang, who previously worked on Fresh Off The Boat and How I Met Your Mother—with Neil Patrick Harris. The report makes no mention of Harris’ involvement in the reboot, but there’s no way he’s not showing up in some capacity, right?
Kang’s reboot does have an intriguing premise, however: Titled Doogie Kealoha, M.D., the series centers on a teen girl who is half-white and half-Asian, not unlike Kang herself. The new Doogie is 16 years old and, having already graduated from medical school, is now working as a doctor in Hawaii. Sounds fun! Kang is executive producing alongside Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar, as well as Dayna and Jesse Bochco—the wife and son (respectively) of the late Steven Bochco, who co-created the original ABC series with David E. Kelley.
26 Comments
Me after reading the headline: “Let me guess, Doogie Howser is a girl now?”
Me after reading the article: “Somebody get me a job at Disney.”
Lol, but a half Asian girl! I bet you did not see that coming.Anywhoo, the original show was not good, so it is not like this is some sacred IP that they are going to ruin. As long as they don’t turn it into a “Disney Channel” style show, it will likely be far better than the original, even if it is just mediocre.
Nice try, @KinjaSucksButYouDont, but that job has already been given to Emma Stone.
Here I was hoping this reboot would just be a continuation of the original series, with Harris returning as a now jaded, bitter, drunken Howser who spends all his time engaging in profanity-laced tirades against the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
I would watch the shit out of that. Or maybe Harris is a dad with a genius son now and he spends all his time trying to get his son to be normal because his adult life is crap.
AKA: my life story. Except for the whole boy genius thing.
I’m not even a Dr. and I find myself doing that sometimes.
I always kinda imagines that House M.D. was the sequel to Doogie Howser.
Why not complete the circle and have NPH reprise Hugh Laurie’s role? Even the name is right there: Howser.
I think that show’s been made before, it’s called House.
Some sort of Dooga or Doogalina? Preposterous.
They left out the Hoongadoonga.
I am hoping this will be set in the mythical Hawaii of the CBS hit show Hawaii Five-O, specifically the reboot version, where Hawaii is the most dangerous state in the nation, full of terrorists and crime syndicates, where large shootouts happen every week.
Sounds like it right up there with the deadly dangerous Absaroka County.
I had to look that up! Been meaning to check out Longmire, haven’t gotten to it yet.
I thought it was pretty solid overall, and would recommend.
Nice, thanks, I will check it out.
I tried to watch Doogie Howser MD again and it’s not as entertaining as when I was a kid, but that theme song is still great.
The only thing I liked about it when it was originally on was the theme song and the fact that he had a computer. The show itself was pretty garbage.
Wow is it me or is it crazy that Neil Patrick Harris is 16 in that above picture. He looks 10
Who knew that “Doogie” is a unisex name?
It’s not so much a name as a title bestowed upon people by Cali Swag District at their discretion.
I just want to point out that although the name “Kealoha” is known in Hawaii, it’s also notorious, for it’s the last name of the disgraced former police chief of Honolulu, and his wife, a disgraced former prosecutor. Their list of crimes includes robbing $150,000 from two children they had guardianship of, and framing a relative for destroying their mailbox as a distraction.
https://www.kitv.com/story/37198073/new-charges-brought-in-honolulu-corruption-case
Is the parenthetical “take that however you’d like” supposed to be a negative toward NPH? Does he have skeletons I’m not aware of?
Doogie Howser reboot? God, no. Hard swipe left for me.