'Doogie Kamealoha, MD': Here's why Neil Patrick Harris won't be part of Season 1
Calling all '80s and '90s sitcom fans! Get ready for a wave of nostalgia as 'Doogie Kamealoha, M D' makes its way to Disney+. And, if you're wondering, yes, it is a reboot of none other than 'Doogie Howser M D'! The series follows the life of Lee Lahela 'Doogie' Kamealoha, a child prodigy who goes on to become a doctor while still a teen.
Between her demanding job and trying to enjoy her life as a teen, Lee Lahela's life is often all sorts of topsy tervy. If you're looking for reboot series, you might want to consider - 'Fantasy Island', 'Gossip Girl' and 'MacGyver'.
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In the trailer, the characters of 'Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.' reference the original series, stating that Lee Lahela's nickname, 'Doogie', is because she is not too different from the young genius Neil Patrick Harris portrayed on 'Doogie Howser M.D.'. This leads us to the most obvious question -- will the original 'Doogie' be a part of the show? Turns out, the answer is both yes and no.
Kourtney Kang, the creator of the series, was also the executive producer of the sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother', on which Harris played the iconic character of Barney Stinson. As reported by The Wrap, she opened up about having Harris and Lee interact on the reboot.
"We need to connect Peyton and Neil! And yes, we have been in touch, with Neil," she said, during virtual panel at the Television Critics Association's press tour. "I worked with him for nine years on 'How I Met Your Mother.' He is so wonderful. And as soon as this all started coming together, we reached out and he has been so supportive of this project and so lovely." she explained.
But before you get your hopes up, it turns out; there are many moving parts to this situation. "And we were trying to get him to come out in Season 1 and do something with us and with the pandemic, and Neil has a family in New York, and so many things going on, bandwidth-wise, it didn't work out." she added.
But all hope isn't lost just yet, as Harris is open to the idea of being a part of Season 2, should the series get renewed. "But he was like, 'Season 2, if there's a Season 2, I would love to come out. I would love to figure it out.' And so we would love to have him come Season 2. The writers get so excited thinking about all the possibilities of what that could be. And so, knock on wood. Hopefully we get to do a second season and hopefully we get to bring Neil out to Hawaii and finally have Neil and Peyton meet." she added.
Till then, we have our fingers crossed!
'Doogie Kamealoha, M D' premieres on Disney+ on September 8, 2021.