Disney’s upcoming “Doogie Howser” reboot may be set partially in a hospital, but don’t expect to see COVID-19 make an appearance.
“It was definitely a question early on,” showrunner Kourtney Kang said during a Television Critics Association press tour panel on Thursday when asked about how the show navigated the decision to represent the pandemic. Ultimately, the producers decided an escapist approach was most appropriate for the family-friendly Disney+ series.
“Our show is so hopeful and escapist and so uplifting that having this magical world where we don’t have to touch on that felt like the right decision,” she said. “We were all in agreement early on that that was the way to go.”
Set to premiere on Sept. 8., “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” stars “Andi Mack” alum Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha, a mixed-race 16-year-old girl, juggling a budding medical career and life as a teenager. Elizabeth Perkins and “Mulan” star Jason Scott Lee co-star as her parents alongside Matthew Sato, Wes Tian, Emma Meisel, Mapuana Makia and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman.
Kang is writer and executive producer on the 20th Television series a part. Jake Kasdan, Melvin Mar and Dayna and Jesse Bochco executive produce the series, with Jake Kasdan directing the first episode.
The original “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” led by Neil Patrick Harris, ran for four seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1993. Read more about what Kang and the “Doogie Kamealoha” producers had to say about a potential Harris cameo here.
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