BY DANA JACKSON
Q:I read somewhere that “The Good Doctor” is going to have a spin-off series. I hope this doesn’t mean that this series is ending anytime soon. Who will be in the spin-off? -A.P.
A:”The Good Doctor,” which stars Freddie Highmore as a young autistic surgeon, is currently in its sixth season on ABC. It’s based on a series out of South Korea with the same title. Actor Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost,” “Hawaii Five-O”) bought the rights to the series and sold it to ABC here in the U.S. The show has been a hit for ABC, so I don’t see it going anywhere, unless Highmore and/or the show’s creators decide not to continue.
“The Good Lawyer,” the upcoming spin-off series, will premiere on March 6 on ABC. It stars Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”), Kennedy McMann (“Nancy Drew”) and Bethlehem Million (“Sick”). According to TVLine. com, Highmore’s character will appear in the first episode, as he “seeks legal representation to help him win a case and puts his faith in a promising young lawyer [played by McMann] who has obsessive compulsive disorder.”
Some wondered if Huffman’s acting career would ever recover after her involvement in the college admissions scandal, resulting in her serving a short jail sentence in 2019. That appears to be behind her, as it looks like she’ll soon be adding another hit show to her resume.
*** Q:
How is Michael J. Fox doing lately, and how many years has it been since he was
first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease? -- B.B.
A: In a new documentary for AppleTV+, Michael J. Fox discusses with filmmaker Davis Guggenheim that he first noticed symptoms in 1991 but kept his diagnosis hidden until 1998. Two of the biggest roles of his career came his way by luck, even though he was blessed with talent. First, when Matthew Broderick backed out of the sitcom “Family Ties,” Fox was cast as Alex P. Keaton, the role that ended up launching his career. Then, when Meredith Baxter-Birney, who played his onscreen mom, went on maternity leave, Fox was able to play Marty McFly in the blockbuster film “Back to the Future.”
His last major acting role was a two-episode guest appearance in “The Good Fight” as the character he portrayed for a recurring basis on “The Good Wife.”
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc. “The Last of Us” (TVMA) -- Twenty years after a mutated fungal infection incites a pandemic across the U.S., a post-apocalyptic version of the country remains. Those who are infected with the Cordyceps fungus turn into violent creatures, deemed the “Infected,” with initial symptoms occurring after two days. But 14-year-old Ellie discovers, after she’s been infected for weeks, that she’s somehow immune. A smuggler named Joel is then tasked with taking Ellie to a resistance group called the Fireflies so that they can study Ellie’s immunity further in order to actualize a vaccine. Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) and Bella Ramsey (“Game of Thrones”) star in this videogame-to-TV-series adaptation, which has received great acclaim by fans and critics since its release. The first three episodes are out now. (HBO Max) “Kaleidoscope” (TV-MA) -- Netflix continues to push the envelope when it comes to creating interactive and innovative viewing experiences for its subscribers. In this new series out now, Leo Pap (Giancarlo Esposito) and his heist crew take on their most high-stakes job yet -- robbing $7 billion from the secure vault in the headquarters of security firm SLS. For Leo, this job isn’t just business. Roger, the CEO of SLS, is his former partner-in-crime who once betrayed him, and Leo’s ready to watch Roger’s empire come crashing down. With eight total episodes shuffled in a unique order for each viewer, this series can be watched 5,040 different ways, but each order ends with the same episode, “White,” in which the nail-biting heist finally takes place. (Netflix)
“Wolf Pack” (NR) -- During a California wildfire, teens on a school bus are left terrified when the fire awakens a creature in the burning woods nearby. In the aftermath of the fire, four teens realize that they have bite marks on their bodies and begin to exhibit wolf-like characteristics. As they each grapple with these symptoms, Kristin Ramsey (Sarah Michelle Gellar) heads a task force that investigates these strange wildfires, inching closer to solving the mystery tying together the fires and the pack of teens scarred by them. The first episode of this supernatural drama is out on streaming now. (Paramount+)
(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.