New Doctor in the house
Neal Justin reveals why you should be making an appointment with Freddy Highmore’s new drama.
Freddie Highmore has seen the light. After four years of playing a murderer-intraining on Bates Motel, the actor has slipped into the scrubs of Shaun Murphy, the most beloved TV character to carry a stethoscope since George Clooney’s Doug Ross was making rounds on ER.
‘‘It’s nice to save people after years of killing them,’’ Highmore says. Nice, indeed. The Good Doctor is averaging 17 million viewers a week in the US, making it network TV’s No 1 drama, ahead of This Is Us and NCIS ,an astounding accomplishment for a rookie series.
In many ways, Doctor isa routine medical series with cases straight from the files of Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
The twist: Murphy has autism, a mental condition that makes him socially awkward. Despite his superior diagnostic skills, the new surgical resident has many of his co-workers campaigning for him to be reassigned to the waiting room.
If his outsider status reminds you of Hugh Laurie’s prickly protagonist on House, that’s not a coincidence. Both shows were developed by David Shore.
‘‘There was speculation that House was on the spectrum, and we certainly didn’t shy away from that, but ultimately the characters couldn’t be more different,’’ Shore says. ‘‘ House, whom I loved, was asking questions from a somewhat cynical and a challenging point-of-view. Murphy, whom I also love, is asking them from an innocent, non-judgmental point of view.’’
Shore may be running the smash hit, but its greatest champion is actor Daniel Dae Kim, who has landed on his feet after famously leaving the cast of Hawaii Five-O earlier this year over a contract dispute.
Kim bought the rights to a South Korean series with the same theme four years ago and dedicated much of his off-screen time to developing an American version through his production company. Despite rejections from elsewhere, he was convinced US audiences would embrace Murphy.
‘‘In so many dramas today, we see people getting in their own way. Shaun is not one of those people,’’ Kim says, who is making his debut as an executive producer. ‘‘He’s trying to overcome his obstacles and overcome his challenges in a way that I could wholeheartedly root for.
‘‘I wanted him to succeed. I wanted him to be included. I think that’s a really positive message that is particularly resonant given these political times.’’
There’s also the relatability factor. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 68 children in the US has autism.
‘‘I think everyone knows somebody with autism, so there’s curiosity,’’ says Brenda Beukelman, vice-president of marketing for Fraser, Minnesota’s largest and mostexperienced provider of autism services. So far, Beukelman hasn’t missed an episode of the series.
‘‘I like how they delve into the emotional side of somebody with autism. Because they are often remote or don’t know how to say things, people think they don’t have feelings and that’s not true.’’
Murphy has his fair share of mood swings. He panics after losing a screwdriver in his apartment and beams when treated to a stack of pancakes. He’s not always huggable, recoiling at the very suggestion of having his body squeezed.
His confidence can grate on the nerves of his equally egotistical colleagues. His bedside manner also could use some work, whether he’s cheerfully reciting the odds of surviving surgery to a traumatised patient, or blowing an opportunity with a flirtatious neighbour after demanding she return the batteries she borrowed the night before.
Highmore, 25, a London-born actor who broke out as a child opposite Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was so taken with the complexities of the character that he signed on just three days after wrapping Bates Motel.
He praised Shore’s scripts for their ability to be both light and deep without ever coming across as melodramatic.
‘‘We won’t move away from the real struggles that Dr Murphy will experience because of his condition, but there will also be moments of joy and humour,’’ he says.
‘‘You’ll understand him as a fully-formed individual. I know it seems sort of silly having to say it, but I don’t think it has necessarily been done that way in the past.’’
Shore echoes that sentiment. While The Good Doctor may be getting accolades from the autism community, the last thing he wants to do is serve up a character that defines everyone on the spectrum.
‘‘He’s a very specific character,’’ Shore says. ‘‘He’s not there to represent autism. He’s there to represent Shaun Murphy.’’ - TNS
❚ The Good Doctor begins streaming on Lightbox from February 5.