'Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.' First Look And Opening Titles: 'Doogie Howser' Reboot Premieres On Disney+ This September
Disney has decided that the world needs more child doctors, which, admittedly, might not sound like a great idea, but they found the perfect girl for the job. Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is coming to Dinsey+ this September, combining the trials and tribulations of being a teenager with maintaining a medical career.
Yes, really.
If the premise sounds familiar, that's because it's based on Neil Patrick Harris' breakout role in Doogie Howser, M.D., a medical drama about a child prodigy physician. The upcoming reboot reimagines the story for a new audience, updating it with a biracial female lead and giving her the beautiful backdrop of Hawaii. Though we haven't seen a trailer for the new series, Disney just released the opening title sequence.
Check out the opening title sequence for Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. below!
What To Expect From Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.
Lahela "Doogie" Kamealoha (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) is struggling to find that perfect work-life balance. As if it isn't hard enough for adults to manage, Lahela has the more dramatic issues of being a teenager in an adult world. Lee recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about her excitement for the upcoming series, sharing that she feels a specific connection to her character, saying:
"I definitely relate to her in a lot of ways. I'm not a doctor, obviously, but I do spend a lot of my time in a professional setting with adults, and having adult expectations placed on you and living that double life of being a professional and then also being a teenager. As the series progresses we see Lahela navigating that and balancing those two worlds."
Every episode has both a medical storyline and one that's more personal to Lahela, meaning the show will jump between her adult and teenage worlds. Like your average teen, Lahela has a best friend (Steph, played by Emma Meisel) to share all her secrets and critical coming-of-age moments with. But she also has a bunch of co-workers and responsibilities that Steph can't relate to.
In the opening credits, we see glimpses of Lahela's past, learning that she got a perfect SAT score at 6 years old and finished high school in a mere 9 weeks. She graduated college at 10 and med school at 14 (not unlike another child prodigy), which means she won't be spending her time in high school classrooms with Steph. Even if those differences complicate their relationship, it won't be enough to tear them apart. Lee teased that Steph "sees Lahela as her best friend instead of this famous child doctor."
The series comes from Hawaii-born Kourtney Kang. As the show's creator and executive producer, Kang put special care into infusing these stories with her own experiences of growing up, giving the show its emotional core. Kang previously worked with Doogie Howser himself, Neil Patrick Harris, as a writer on How I Met Your Mother and was an executive producer on Fresh Off The Boat.
The series also stars Kathleen Rose Perkins, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Jason Scott Lee, Mapuana Makia, Matthew Sato, and Ronny Chieng.
Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is set to premiere on Disney+ on September 8.