‘90s kids had better tightly grip on to their stethoscopes for this one.
Disney+ has green-lit Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., the working title for a reboot of the popular ABC series Doogie Howser, which aired for four seasons between 1989 and 1993 and starred a fresh-faced Neil Patrick Harris as the titular teen doctor.
With Fresh Off the Boat and How I Met Your Mother's Kourtney Kang as its executive producer, the modern interpretation is unlike the original in that it'll follow a 16-year-old mixed-race girl named Lahela "Doogie" Kameāloha who indeed is a teenage doctor.
Yes, the show will take place in Hawaii (we're here for the views of paradise) and it'll find Lahela learning from and growing with her Irish mother, her supervisor at work, and her father, a Hawaiian local.
To make sure the series doesn't lose its original DNA, Dayna and Jesse Bochco, wife and son of Doogie Howser creator Steven Bochco, have been tapped as executive producers.
"Thirty years ago, a young medical prodigy took the world by storm and left a lasting impact on pop culture," Ricky Strauss, president of content and marketing at Disney+, said in a statement. "Kourtney and the team at 20th Television have created a very modern take on this beloved property which will resonate with our global Disney+ audience. We can't wait to introduce the world to the new Doogie!"
Neil Patrick Harris tells E! News, "Kourtney Kang is rad. As is Disney+. There's no doubt that Lahela and her family are in excellent hands. I wish them all a heartfelt ho'omaika'i ‘ana."
The new series is set to go into production later this year for a targeted 2021 premiere date.
And while casting decisions have not been revealed, wouldn't Auli'i Cravalho make for an excellent fit? The 19-year-old singer-actress not only lent her voice to the titular character in 2016's Moana (meaning she has that Disney connection), but also played Ariel in ABC's The Little Mermaid Live!
Oh, and as a Native Hawaiin, her heritage is rooted in the Big Island just like Lahela.
Fingers crossed for a standout selection.