ABC has ordered a law-themed and female-led spinoff series of The Good Doctor titled The Good Lawyer, Deadline reports. The new show will include original production executives from The Good Doctor, including David Shore and Liz Friedman. The news comes not long after the spin-off of fellow hit ABC series, The Rookie, was announced.
The Good Doctor stars Freddie Highmore as surgeon Dr. Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgical resident with savant abilities. With encouragement, he eventually decides to move to the city to work under the tutelage of Dr. Aaron Glassman at the well-regarded St. Bonaventure Hospital. With skepticism from his colleagues regarding his ability to do the job, the young doctor must find a way to connect with those around him and prove his skills to the rest of the surgical team. The show explores what it’s like to have an invisible disability and how that affects people in their professional and personal lives.
The Good Lawyer will follow a somewhat similar character with Joni, a lawyer hired onto the law firm that represents Dr. Glassman and Dr. Murphy. As an eager young lawyer with OCD tendencies that affect every aspect of her life, Joni faces discrimination in the workplace and must fight to keep her job. Her cynical boss and seasoned lawyer, Janet, is hesitant to trust her due to her disorder. Though similar on the surface, the relationship between Joni and Janet will be very different from the dynamic between Murphy and Glassman in The Good Doctor and will more than likely make for a much different take on disabilities in the workplace.
The series news comes nearly a year later after Sony TV Studios’ former president Jeff Frost discussed the possibility of a spinoff of The Good Doctor last year, saying “it was always a possibility,” and it was something the studio would “love to see happen.” He then mentioned not wanting to create anything that would “impact the mothership” but there was definitely potential for a spinoff.
The spinoff is based on an original idea, as the Korean series which The Good Doctor is based on did not have a spinoff. Friedman will serve as executive producer along with Shore and Eric Gunn, who will executive produce for Shore Z Prods. Sony Pictures TV will also produce the series alongside Shore Z.
Until more news on the spinoff, check out the trailer for Season 5 of The Good Doctor in the video below: