Disney+ has announced a reboot of 90s TV series Doogie Howser, M.D.
Ttled Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., the re-imagined series will debut in 2021 with Kourtney Kang (Fresh Off the Boat, How I Met Your Mother) writing.
Set in modern-day Hawaii, the new 10-episode comedy follows 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.
The series will start streaming on Disney+ in the UK 8 September, with new episodes premiering every Wednesday.
Further casting includes Kathleen Rose Perkins (Big Shot) as Dr. Clara Hannon, Jason Scott Lee (Mulan) as Benny Kamealoha, Matthew Sato (Hawaii Five-O) as Kai Kamealoha, Wes Tian as Brian Patrick Kamealoha, Emma Meisel (American Horror Story) as Steph, Mapuana Makia (Finding ‘Ohana) as Noelani and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (UnREAL) as Charles. Recurring stars include Alex Aiono (Finding ‘Ohana) as Walter and Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians) as Dr. Lee.
Disney+ has also revealed the series’ title sequence featuring a new rendition of the iconic “Doogie Howser, M.D.” theme song re-imagined and performed by music composer Wendy Wang and world renown ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro.
Ricky Strauss, president, Content and Marketing, Disney+ said: “Thirty years ago, a young medical prodigy took the world by storm and left a lasting impact on pop culture.
“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!”
Carolyn Cassidy, president, 20th Television, added: “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.
“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.”
Running for four seasons from 1989 to 1993, Doogie Howser, M.D. starred Neil Patrick Harris as the now iconic doctor. The hit series catapulted Harris into television stardom and made the term Doogie Howser synonymous with kid geniuses.
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