Doogie Howser, M.D., ABC’s classic 1989 half-hour medical dramedy series, is making a comeback and getting a makeover. I have learned that Disney+ is developing Doogie Kealoha, M.D. (working title), a reboot of the Neil Patrick Harris-starring show with a female lead, which comes from How I Met Your Mother and Fresh Off the Boat alumna Kourtney Kang and 20th Century Fox TV.

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Set in Hawaii, Doogie Kealoha, M.D. centers on a 16-year-old half Asian, half white girl who works as a doctor. The lead character’s ethnicity reflects Hawaii-born Kang’s own background — she previously tapped into her experiences growing up in a mixed-race family in a comedy pilot for NBC.

The original series, which starred Harris as a teenage physician balancing the challenge of practicing medicine with the everyday problems of teenage life, was created by two of TV’s top showrunners of the past three decades, the late Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, and produced by Steven Bochco Prods. and 20th Century Fox TV.

Bochco’s widow, Dayna Bochco, and son, Jesse Bochco, executive produce the reboot alongside Kang as well as Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar. 20th Century Fox TV, where Kang, Kasdan and his producing partner Mar are overall deals, is the studio.

Kang served as co-executive producer on ABC/20th TV’s Fresh Off the Boat, which Kasdan and Mar executive produced. Prior to that Kang was one of the key writer-producers on CBS/20th TV’ How I Met Your Mother, which also starred harris. She was on the popular ensemble comedy for its entire nine-season run, rising from a staff writer to executive producer.

Doogie Howser, M.D., which ran for four seasons, has become a pop culture staple, with the title character’s name becoming a moniker used for any teen savants in medicine, politics and other areas.

This is the latest series reboot of a family-friendly movie or TV title at Disney+, joining Turner & Hooch, also from 20th TV, part of Disney TV Studios, The Mighty Ducks, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and a Beauty and the Beast spinoff in development.

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