Following an incredible five year run as Norman Bates on Bates Motel, Freddie Highmore is ready to commit to a new series. Next up for Highmore is a starring in the medical drama The Good Doctor which has just earned a spot on ABC’s primetime lineup for the upcoming 2017-2018 season.
The series also stars Richard Schiff, Nicholas Gonzalez, Beau Garrett, Antonia Thomas, Chuku Modu, Irene Keng, and Hill Harper.
The Good Doctor is based on a South Korean format and will be executive produced by Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-O) and David Shore (House).
The Plot: San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital is about to employ a new surgeon, 25-year-old Shaun Murphy; a young man unlike any doctor they’ve ever hired before, which is causing problems for the Board of Directors. Shaun is autistic. He also has savant syndrome, which means that while he has real and fundamental difficulties communicating and connecting, he is also a genius with almost perfect recall. Growing up wasn’t easy–he was bullied by kids as well as his own father. But when he was 14 years old, his genius attracted the attention of Dr. Ira Glassman who mentored him and now wants to hire him.
Although he’s President of the hospital, Glassman still needs to convince key players that Shaun is the right person for the job. There’s Allegra Alexis, who controls the Board’s purse strings; Jessica Preston, whose grandfather started the hospital; and Horace Andrews, Head of Surgery who considers Shaun too big a risk for his department to take on.
When Shaun uses his encyclopedic medical knowledge to save a young boy’s life, his detractors cannot deny he has the knowledge to be a great surgeon. But while his knowledge saved a life today, his lack of judgment could cost a life tomorrow. A surgeon must inspire confidence in patients and in their fellow doctors. Can Shaun do that? Can he successfully work with the tough, brilliant surgeon Dr. Neil Melendez, or form an effective team with the medical residents like Elle Mclean, Jared Unger and Claire Brown.
