Here’s Why The Good Doctor U.S Remake Failed So Miserably After the K-Drama Success

Summary:

• Good Doctor is a 2013 South Korean series that follows the career and interpersonal struggles of an autistic medical prodigy.
• In 2017, ABC premiered an American remake of the show, which lasted for 7 seasons before being canceled in 2024.
• Although the show was able to continue for 7 seasons, many viewers believe that the Korean version is superior to the American version.

One thing about remakes that just about everyone can agree on is that they are rarely as good as the original. Of course, there are some exceptions, like Denis Villeneuve's Dune, but the majority of cinematic remakes are considered unnecessary, if not an insult to the original story.

The same rule applies to TV series. While there are more quality remakes on television than on the big screen, there are also more failures. The most recent and notorious example is Netflix 's attempt to give a second chance to the 2007 teen hit Gossip Girl, which was canceled after 2 seasons. ABC’s procedural The Good Doctor is another infamous example.

Is The Good Doctor Worth Watching?

If you are a fan of the U.S. version of The Good Doctor and decide to dip your toes into the original series, you are in for a fun one-season ride. However, if you only watched the K-drama and are now curious about ABC's remake, tune in at your own risk. Chances are you will be disappointed very soon.

Although it's not the fault of the brilliant cast, led by Freddie Highmore as the autistic Dr. Shaun Murphy, pretty much every character stops being interesting or exciting in any way before season 4. The first season, fueled by the K-drama storyline, is just as great, the second season also matches in quality, but everything after that fails to impress the viewer.

While the writers of the ABC remake were able to grasp the concept and adapt it for the American audience, the more freedom they got from the original source, the more predictable and nonsensical the storylines became. It all ended with The Good Doctor, an essentially interesting and important show, ending up as a meme.

Season 7, the final one currently airing on ABC, isn't all that different from the rest. The only thing that has changed is the cast, with several new characters introduced for the final chapter. Although the fans' opinions about the newcomers are split down the middle, in reality they don't play too much of a role in the production.

The Good Doctor will air its final episode on May 21. Until then, be sure to tune in every Tuesday on ABC to catch the conclusion of Dr. Shaun Murphy's story.