A "Doogie Howser, M.D." reboot is in the works at Disney+, but this time around the show's medical prodigy will look a little different.
"Doogie Kameāloha, M.D." (working title) will focus on Lahela "Doogie" Kameāloha, a multiracial 16-year-old girl who works as a doctor in Hawaii, the streaming service announced Thursday.
The new show is being described as a "re-imagining" of the hit ABC series starring Neil Patrick Harris, and will depict Lahela juggling a budding medical career and life as a teenager. Like Harris' Doogie, Lahela is close to her family, including her spirited Irish mom — who works as Lahela's supervisor at the hospital — and her Hawaiian dad, who's struggling to accept that Lahela is no longer his little girl.
Kourtney Kang ("Fresh Off the Boat," "How I Met Your Mother") will write and executive produce for 20th Television.
"Thirty years ago, a young medical prodigy took the world by storm and left a lasting impact on pop culture," Ricky Strauss, president of content and marketing at Disney+, said in a statement. "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!"
Neil Patrick Harris reflects on landing Doogie Howser role
Sept. 19, 201902:09The original "Doogie" was created by TV legends Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley. It aired from 1989 until 1993 and rocketed Harris to fame. The 47-year-old actor shared how thrilled he was to nab the role during a Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist in September 2019.
"I never wanted to do a TV show. ... My parents said unless it was, like, a Steven Bochco show, because they loved 'L.A. Law' and 'Hill Street Blues,'" recalled Harris, who was just 15 when he landed his big break.
Harris then recalled receiving a phone call from someone in Hollywood, who told him, "This Steven Bochco guy is doing a show about a kid doctor. You'd be perfect for it."
"Cut to us moving to Los Angeles and doing just that," Harris shared, and the rest is history.
