David Shore, the creator of Hugh Laurie-led House, is back with another medicine-themed drama and it has us riveted. The series follows the life and times of Shaun Murphy, a young pediatric surgeon who suffers from autism. Based on the 2013 South Korean series of the same name and co-produced by former Hawaii Five-O actor Daniel Dae Kim, The Good Doctor was an instant hit when it released because of the way the story follows the doctor and presents his exploits.
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With the fall season upon us, here is a quick look at three promising TV pilots.
The Good Doctor
David Shore, the creator of Hugh Laurie-led House, is back with another medicine-themed drama and it has us riveted. The series follows the life and times of Shaun Murphy, a young pediatric surgeon who suffers from autism. Based on the 2013 South Korean series of the same name and co-produced by former Hawaii Five-O actor Daniel Dae Kim, The Good Doctor was an instant hit when it released because of the way the story follows the doctor and presents his exploits.
The series takes us into the past and present life of Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) who is a young pediatric surgeon (with autism and savant syndrome) at a fictional teaching hospital.
As the story unravels, we learn that his childhood was troubled and he ran away from home with his brother, whom he later lost in an accident.
Shaun overcomes several obstacles to become a phenomenal surgeon and uses his savant abilities such as keen observational skills, near-photographic memory, and quick thinking to help patients who consider these doctors their last hope.
There is one catch. To get Shaun a job at the hospital, Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff), the President of the Hospital promises to quit if Shaun can’t handle the pressure of being a doctor like everybody else on staff. Thankfully, in the few episodes we’ve seen so far, he has saved more lives than all the other doctors combined working at the hospital. Yes, the series does take you back to the days of House but like House, the more you watch The Good Doctor, the more you want to watch.
Young Sheldon
If you haven’t heard of Dr. Sheldon Cooper, you are seriously missing out. The most popular character from the hit comedy TV series, The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper now has two avatars. While the older one is found in The Big Bang Theory, it’s the younger version who is the premise of this piece and the newest entrant to the comedy world. Since audiences adore Sheldon, a series based on young Sheldon has also been unveiled. Created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, the series follows the life and times of 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper who is in the same class as his elder brother because of his intellect level. He knows that he is in the school as a formality and that pisses off all others. The teachers, the students, and his father (who works at the same school) – none of them seem to understand his problem because he wants teachers to show him credentials and the students to adhere to the school rule book. His father is more supportive of his star footballer brother than him. The spin-off has the same touch of Sheldon-ism as The Big Bang Theory where the adult Sheldon pisses everyone off.
Iain Armitage makes the role of young Sheldon his own. Jim Parsons – the adult Sheldon – narrates the series in his usual way. So far, just the pilot has aired but it is so impressive than one yearns for more. After all, everyone is interested to learn just how Sheldon came up with his version of Rock, Paper, and Scissors and so much more.
The Gifted
Mutants are no longer restricted to the big screen. With Marvel Comics’ The Gifted, you can now find a mutant on the small screen as well. The show takes place in an alternate reality where the X-Men have disappeared and the Government is tightening the noose around Mutants by claiming that they are bad for human beings. But there are many who defy the government including the series protagonist since they are parents of mutant children. Oppression forces them to join the rebellious underground community of mutants to save their offspring.
The Gifted features a number of mutants who are forced to fight for their survival. These include Marcos Diaz aka Eclipse (Sean Teale) who can absorb and manipulate photons, Clarice Fong aka Blink (Jamie Chung) who has teleportation powers, John Proudstar aka Thunderbird (Blair Redford) who is the leader of the underground community and the Strucker children who find their powers during the pilot.
So far, in the two episodes that have aired, the Mutants are finding it hard to adjust with their non-mutant members who have two children with special powers. The show is a treat for fans of Marvel Comics because there is a strong balance of humor and darkness. It is also adventurous in many ways and one hopes that as the series progresses, more mutants join the fight and make it more interesting.
– Omair Alavi is a freelance broadcast journalist and can be contacted at omair78@gmail.com
