“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.,” a coming-of-age dramedy inspired by the hit 80s/90s medical series “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” will have its debut on Disney Plus on September 8, 2021.
Set in modern-day Hawaii, the show follows Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha, a 16-year-old prodigy juggling a budding medical career and life as a teenager.
With the support of her caring and comical ‘ohana (family) and friends, Lahela is determined to make the most of her teenage years and forge her own path.
Guiding and complicating things for Lahela is her career-driven mother Dr. Clara Hannon who’s also her supervisor at the hospital. She also is supported by her doting father Benny who helps keep her connected to what matters most, her free-spirited older brother Kai, her gregarious younger brother Brian Patrick, her best friend Steph, her surfer crush Walter and her fellow hospital colleagues, Dr. Lee, Charles and Noelani.
Peyton Elizabeth Lee (“Andi Mack”) stars as the title lead alongside a diverse and talented ensemble cast including Kathleen Rose Perkins (“Big Shot”) as Dr. Clara Hannon, Jason Scott Lee (“Mulan”) as Benny Kamealoha, Matthew Sato (“Hawaii Five-O”) as Kai Kamealoha, Wes Tian as Brian Patrick Kamealoha, Emma Meisel (“American Horror Story”) as Steph, Mapuana Makia (“Finding ‘Ohana”) as Noelani, and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (“UnREAL”) as Charles. Recurring stars include Alex Aiono (“Finding ‘Ohana”) as Walter, and Ronny Chieng (“Crazy Rich Asians”) as Dr. Lee.
You can get a feel for the new show, which is shot in Oahu, Hawaii, with a look at this opening title sequence supplied by Disney Plus. It features a new rendition of the iconic “Doogie Howser, M.D.” theme song re-imagined and performed by music composer Wendy Wang and world renown ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro.
The original “Doogie Houser, M.D.” starred Neil Patrick Harris in the title role. The show ran from 1989-1993 on ABC (prior to it being owned by Disney), and was created by legendary television creators Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley.