The prognosis is good for The Good Doctor, which will live to see another season on ABC. The Freddie Highmore-led drama series was renewed for Season 4 on the alphabet network Monday morning, with ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke calling the show a “cornerstone on Monday nights.”
“The Good Doctor has been a cornerstone on Monday nights and is one of those special heartfelt series that fearlessly tackles inclusivity,” Burke said, as reported by Variety. “David Shore’s thoughtful storytelling, combined with an incredible cast led by Freddie Highmore’s nuanced performance as Dr. Shaun Murphy, are what have made this series as breakout hit over the past three seasons, and I’m excited to see where they take us next.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
“We are incredibly thankful to ABC for all their continued support and to David Shore for bringing The Good Doctor to television at the exact right moment; the show’s complicated, surprising and emotional journey is the perfect prescription for right now,” added Jason Clodfelter, co-president of Sony Pictures TV.
The series follows Dr. Shaun Murphy (Highmore), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, as he uses his extraordinary medical gifts at St. Bonaventure Hospital’s surgical unit. Shaun continues to tackle the world of dating and romantic relationships as he navigates his work environment to prove to his colleagues that his talents as a surgeon will save lives.
The Good Doctor is ABC’s most-watched show this season after 35 days of delayed viewing across all linear and digital platforms, the network says, averaging 15.6 million multi-platform viewers. After seven days of delayed viewing, The Good Doctor averages a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49, which represents a whopping 125 percent average growth from Live+ Same Day. In total, it has averaged 10.8 million viewers through 13 episodes.
Produced by Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios, David Shore serves as the executive producer and showrunner on The Good Doctor, which is based on the South Korean format of the same name. Daniel Dae Kim, Erin Gunn, David Kim and Sebastian Lee also executive produce.
In addition to Highmore, The Good Doctor also stars Antonia Thomas, Nicholas Gonzalez, Chuku Modu, Beau Garrett, Hill Harper, Richard Schiff, Tamlyn Tomita and Will Yun Lee.
Lee praised Shore’s innate storytelling ability in an interview last year with PopCulture.com. “I think it’s [showruner] David Shore and the writing team that just brings this show of hope,” Lee said of why audiences continue flocking to the show. “It’s kind of like one of the last shows that you see on TV that kind of anchors itself in hope.”
Lee said Highmore obviously has a “huge thing to do with” the show’s success because he created an “amazing character to watch because it’s kind of like everything you want to say in a room, he says it for you. You… get to watch it through his eyes. So I think a lot of it has to do with the story and Freddie and obviously the other cast and we’re just lucky.”
Photo credit: ABC/Art Streiber
