The Good Doctor has recently landed on Netflix and is rapidly ascending the streaming giant's Top 10 most-watched rankings, surpassing major titles such as Emily in Paris and Revealed: Death Cap Murders. This ABC medical drama, adapted from the 2013 South Korean series sharing its name, ran for seven seasons before concluding in May 2024.
Freddie Highmore leads the cast as Shaun Murphy, a young surgical resident on the autism spectrum working at the fictional San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Whilst the series garnered mixed critical reception, Highmore's portrayal earned widespread acclaim. Despite facing some criticism regarding its storylines and depiction of autistic individuals, the programme maintained a loyal following.
The character of Shaun navigates life with both savant syndrome and autism, conditions that impact his ability to communicate effectively. Although he possesses exceptional medical abilities, Shaun faces challenges with routine situations and interpreting social interactions. Whilst these are genuine conditions affecting countless individuals globally, the character wasn't modelled on any specific real-life person.
Writing for Autism Speaks, Kerry Magro, who is also autistic, observed: 'It's a razor's edge. Trying to avoid producing "inspiration porn" but also making the programming meaningful to those in the autism community. The Good Doctor does a fine job of navigating this razor's edge. [Highmore] does well in his debut, showing several characteristics that can accompany an autism diagnosis.' The creators of the show conducted extensive research on the conditions to shape Shaun's character.
In an interview with TV Line, creator David Shore revealed: 'We saw a lot of documentaries. We consulted with people. We have people on the spectrum who we're working with. [Shaun] is a very specific character. He's not there to represent autism. The real challenge will be his communication skills. He can be right, and fail in communicating the information, which is crucial. There will be consequences for him not following protocol.'
In April 2023, the series was given the green light for a seventh season which made its debut in February 2024. It was later announced to be the final season and fans of the show were sad to say goodbye. Actor Highmore opened up to Parade about the show's ending, saying he was satisfied that it wrapped up the entire story. He added: 'I loved the way that it brought things full circle, as all finales should do in some way. It looked back to the beginning. I think the most moving scene to film was probably the one where Shaun returns to the very same board room where he gave that speech in the pilot, [this time] to talk to Dr. Glassman and Lea.'
