The Good Doctor, one of ABC's Monday night series anchors, was the No. 1 entertainment series in the 10 p.m. timeslot among adults 18-49 last season. After six seasons in the Monday 10 p.m. timeslot, the series led by showrunners Liz Friedman and David Shore — the latter created the series based on a Korean format — moves to Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
“Thanks to David Shore and Liz Friedman’s creative direction and anchored by Freddie Highmore’s performance, The Good Doctor has captivated audiences, who have deeply connected with Dr. Shaun Murphy and the staff at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital,” said Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group. “As we prepare to finish this beloved story, words cannot express our gratitude for the incredible cast, crew and our partners at Sony and ABC Signature for the lasting impact they’ve made.”
The premise of The Good Doctor is much more than a typical medical drama and puts the spotlight on its central character, autistic young doctor Shaun Murphy. Finding the right actor for the role was therefore a decisive decision for the success of the series.
Bringing in Highmore was so important to the producers that they agreed to his condition of shortened 18-episode seasons. The Good Doctor also eventually produced a few seasons of 20-22 episodes. The strike-affected seventh and final season will consist of ten episodes.
Together with Richard Schiff, who is Shaun's mentor Dr. Grassman, Highmore is the only cast member of The Good Doctor to have appeared on the series for its entire seven seasons. Production on season seven is currently underway in Vancouver with Shore Z Prods. Erin Gunn produces along with Shore, Friedman and Highmore.
“Playing Dr. Shaun Murphy has been an immense privilege and one of the most remarkable and rewarding experiences of my life,” Highmore said. “I will always be grateful to David, Liz, and Erin as well as the hugely talented – and lovely – cast, writers, and crew who made this show possible. Caring deeply is what got us here. Thank you to Sony and ABC, and to everyone who has watched along at home. With love from Vancouver… tequila, stat!”
For six seasons, The Good Doctor has navigated the complex world of Dr. Shaun Murphy and the obstacles, triumphs and milestones his character and his colleagues face in a fast-paced medical world.
In addition to Highmore and Schiff, the main cast of season seven includes Fiona Gubelmann as Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee as Dr. Alex Park, Christina Chang as Dr. Audrey Lim, Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo, Bria Samoné Henderson as Dr. Jordan Allen and Noah Galvin as Dr. Asher Wolke.
In addition, original cast member Chuku Modu, who returned midway through the previous season and reprised his role as Dr. Jared Kalu took over again, has been promoted to regular guest star.
There will likely be other Good Doctor fan favorites making an appearance in the final chapter of the series.
“The Good Doctor has been a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it’s time to say goodbye,” Shore, Friedman and Gunn said. “We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done and the message we’ve been privileged to be a part of. We look forward to giving our fantastic fans, the truly extraordinary Freddie Highmore, the rest of our talented actors (and friends), and the best crew in the business the series ending that you all deserve. Thank you, Sony; thank you, ABC; thank you all.”
This marks the end of The Good Doctor franchise, as ABC recently opted not to move forward with its proposed spinoff, The Good Lawyer, which was introduced last season as a backdoor pilot episode of the medical drama.
The Good Doctor is produced by Sony Pictures Television and ABC Signature, part of Disney Television Studios. Daniel Dae Kim, Thomas L. Moran, David Hoselton, Peter Blake, Jessica Grasl, Garrett Lerner, Mike Listo, Shawn Williamson, David Kim and Sebastian Lee also serve as executive producers.
Below you can check out a poster and promo for the final season, which kicks off on Tuesday, February 20
