Disney+ reimagining Doogie Howser as ‘Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.’
A re-imagining of the popular early 1990s ABC series “Doogie Howser, M.D.” will start production later this year and appear on Disney+. “Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.” – its working title – is scheduled to hit the streaming service in 2021.
Kourtney Kang, a writer, producer, director, known for her work on all nine seasons of “How I Met Your Mother” and for launching “Fresh Off the Boat” will write and executive produce the show for 20th Television.
The 10-episode comedy series will be set in modern-day Hawaii, and follow Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha, a mixed race 16-year-old girl, juggling a budding medical career and life as a teenager.
Guiding Lahela (and also complicating things) is her family, including her spit-fire Irish mother who’s also her supervisor at the hospital, and her Hawaiian “Local Boy” father struggling to accept that his daughter is no longer his little girl.
“Thirty years ago, a young medical prodigy took the world by storm and left a lasting impact on pop culture,” said Ricky Strauss, president, Content and Marketing, Disney+. “Kourtney and the team at 20th Television have created a very modern take on this beloved property which will resonate with our global Disney+ audience. We can’t wait to introduce the world to the new Doogie!”
“Doogie, Howser MD is beloved by everyone at our studio, so we knew that if we were going to reinvent it for a new generation, we had to have both the blessing and participation of the Bochcos and a creator with a fresh, new take that made us lean in,” Carolyn Cassidy, president, 20th Television said.. “Kourtney’s vision for the character is so inspired, we’ve been dying to collaborate with Melvin and Jake again, and Disney+ is exactly the right home for this idea. We couldn’t be more excited.”
Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar will executive produce and Dayna and Jesse Bochco will produce the half-hour comedy series.
Running for four seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1993, “Doogie Howser, M.D.” starred Neil Patrick Harris as now iconic doctor. The hit series catapulted Harris into television stardom, who also starred in “How I Met Your Mother,” which Kang served as a producer.
