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ABC’s The Good Doctor is resurging on Netflix after the medical drama was shockingly cancelled two years ago. The Good Doctor ran for seven seasons and a total of 126 episodes as a high-profile remake of the South Korean series of the same name. It focuses on Shaun Murphy, an autistic young doctor, and puts a spotlight on the challenges he faces.
The adaptation was showrun by Liz Feldman and David Shore, who developed the ABC drama and previously created House M.D. Despite ranking as #1 in its timeslot and generally strong ratings, The Good Doctor ended after season 7. The decision not to continue with the popular hospital-set saga was reportedly influenced in part by the trend of network saving cuts by cancelling more expensive veteran series.
Now, after its May 2024 conclusion, The Good Doctor is proving to be a global hit on Netflix. Although the medical drama streams on Hulu in the U.S., it is licensed to Netflix globally and is having a notable resurgence. According to FlixPatrol, the K-drama remake is in the Top 10 in more than 70 locations. That includes Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom.
Bates Motel star Freddie Highmore played Shaun Murphy, and, along with co-star Richard Schiff, he is one of two actors to appear in every season of The Good Doctor. Although the cast changed frequently, with characters exiting and then making brief returns, the ABC series built up a devoted fanbase that speaks to the value of having a long-running drama.
There was also some criticism, however, for its depiction of autism and scenes that depict Shaun as a bigot. In the time leading up to The Good Doctor season 7 farewell episodes, the ABC drama sparked a discussion between those who felt the remake did a good job of presenting autism and others felt that episodes were often guilty of going over the line for the sake of dramatization.
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The Good Doctor is only the latest example of a traditional series that finds a second life on streaming. Platforms like Netflix have been trying to tap into that market by creating their own procedural shows, with mixed results. While something like The Pitt is a breakout success for HBO Max, there is still no real substitute for a drama with multiple seasons and numerous episodes that viewers can rely on when they’re unsure what else to watch.
