‘House’ Fans Have To Watch ABC’s 7-Part Bonkers Medical Series

Medical dramas are a dime a dozen, largely thanks to a tried-and-true formula that has captivated viewers from 1954’s Medic to pop-culture phenom The Pitt. As a result, it’s hard for a series to stand out from the crowd. If you can’t do it, it’s a one-and-done, like the fate that befell 2022’s Good Sam. But if you can, the results can be rewarding. Take House, for example. The series, which debuted in 2004, brought something new to the table: a misanthropic genius doctor whose manner is prickly, to say the least, and was rewarded with a healthy 8-season run.

A show like that doesn’t come around that often, but let’s say there was a series, one that had a House-like doctor who isn’t an ass, or at least whose behavior is explainable, that had viewers genuinely engaged and left cheering on his successes in the operating room and out of it. Is there such a unicorn? There is: The Good Doctor, ABC’s 7-season medical series that is the perfect House replacement.

Dr. Shaun Murphy Breaks Barriers in ‘The Good Doctor’

The Good Doctor takes the most engaging part of House – the solving of medical mysteries – and hands it to Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), a young surgical resident with autism and savant syndrome. In the pilot, “Burnt Food,” Shaun’s mentor and long-time friend Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) advocates for the board of San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital to hire Shaun. There’s pushback, especially from Dr. Marcus Andrews (Hill Harper), who questions Shaun’s ability to interact with patients, and from Jessica Preston (Beau Garrett), the Vice President of Risk Management for the hospital, who is worried about the liability. It’s a deadlock, but Glassman, the hospital president, wins the vote by asserting that he will resign right there and then unless Shaun is hired.

As this is happening, Shaun is witness to a falling sign that shatters, sending shards of glass raining down on a young boy. The boy is in danger, but thanks to Shaun, who visualizes the boy’s internal injuries, he is stabilized by the time the medics arrive. He goes with them, but gets angered when Claire (Antonia Thomas) ignores his concerns about the young boy’s heart and is removed from the building. She has a change of heart, however, when Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez) confirms Shaun’s suspicions and brings him back in to find a piece of glass stuck behind the heart. The incident justifies Glassman’s faith in Shaun’s abilities, and that, coupled with the fact it was all caught on social media, secure Shaun a place on the team.

As Marcus feared, however, Shaun’s bedside manner is curt and unsympathetic. He’s iced out by his peers, who have no idea how to approach, let alone work with, Shaun, and his presence creates friction within the staff. But over time, his superior diagnostic skills and earnest attempts at bettering his bedside and social manner earn their respect and friendship. As the series progresses, every two steps forward often comes with a step back for Shaun. Yet he continues to overcome the barriers his autism presents, finding independence, a deeper empathy, healthy coping skills, and even love, in a series-long arc with his neighbor, Lea (Paige Spara), culminating in a series finale that is both heartwarming and earned.

‘The Good Doctor’ Turns Its Commonalities With ‘House’ Into Positives

There are unavoidable commonalities between The Good Doctor and House, which can be attributed to David Shore, who developed both series. Both protagonists are outsiders whose virtuosic medical diagnostic abilities are disarming to their peers. The Glassman/Shaun dynamic is highly similar to the Wilson/House one (played by Robert Sean Leonard and Hugh Laurie respectively). They even share images onscreen meant to visualize what their thought processes are.

But where House is decidedly more cynical, The Good Doctor leans into positives. People watch House because of the train wreck possibility, but they watch The Good Doctor because you can’t help but cheer for Dr. Shaun Murphy on his journey. It’s a testament to the abilities of Highmore, who has a knack for playing engaging eccentrics on TV (if you can make Norman Bates a sympathetic character, as he did in Bates Motel, what can’t you do?). Highmore embraces the character, making him sympathetic and easy to care about, without downplaying the effects of his autism, which, at least according to autistic motivational speaker Kerry Magro, are, by and large, realistic.

The pacing of the series feels natural, as do the tentative relationships that are built between Shaun and the diverse cast of supporting characters. Nothing feels forced, and while it shares the same criticisms of all hospital dramas – an unknown malady is treated and cured by the end of the episode, for example – the unique perspective and excellent writing make even those moments feel less like the tropes of the genre that they are. That’s not to say that if you love House you’ll love The Good Doctor, but you can guarantee you’ll feel a lot better about humanity after watching it.