David Farnor | On 17, Sep 2020

Disney+ has given a straight-to-series order for a reboot of Dougie Howser.

The Neil Patrick Harris-starring medical dramedy first aired on ABC back in 1989 and ran for four seasons. The hit show made a star out of Harris, who played the eponymous teen physician and cemented the reputations of showrunners Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley.

Now, the show is getting a reimagining with a female led, provisionally called Doogie Kameāloha, MD. The project is created by How I Met Your Mother and Fresh Off the Boat veteran Kourtney Kang and set in Hawaii, where Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha – a mixed race 16-year-old girl – is juggling a budding medical career with life as a teenager.

Guiding Lahela is her family, including her Irish mother who’s also her supervisor at the hospital, and her protective father.

“Thirty years ago, a young medical prodigy took the world by storm and left a lasting impact on pop culture,” said Ricky Strauss, president, Content and Marketing, Disney+. “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!”

Bochco’s widow, Dayna Bochco, and son, Jesse Bochco, serve as producers, with Kang exec-producing alongside Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar, who are based at 20th Television. It marks a reunion for the trio, after Kang co-exec-produced Fresh Off the Boat, which Kasdan and Mar exec-produced.

The series has been in development since the start of the year, reports Deadline, and will go into production later in 2020, eyeing a 2021 release date. Casting is reportedly underway.

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