On this day in history, September 19, 1989, 'Doogie Howser, MD', starring Neil Patrick Harris as a teenage physician, debuts on ABC
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Medical drama sitcom 'Doogie Howser, MD', which was first shown on ABC on September 19, 1989, was about a young genius who practices medicine and catapulted Neil Patrick Harris, who was 16 at the time, into the public eye.
Fans followed Dr Douglas "Doogie" Howser's journey for four seasons, from being inspired to become a doctor after twice beating leukemia to being the nation's youngest licensed doctor.
The popular dramedy aired on ABC for four seasons, from September 19, 1989, to March 24, 1993, totaling 97 episodes. Today, we look back at the intriguing role that made Neil Patrick Harris famous.
Who created 'Doogie Howser, MD'?
Steven Bochco and David E Kelley created 'Doogie Howser, MD'. It was directed by Rick Wallace.
Neil Patrick Harris plays the title character, an adolescent physician who combines the challenges of practicing medicine with the ordinary issues of adolescence.
It was filmed in Los Angeles, California, and aired on ABC for four years.
Harris once discussed how the program changed his life. "I look back on that with fondness," Harris stated. "That was a very remarkably wonderful chapter for somebody who had never really been in the entertainment business before," per USA Today.
What is the plot of 'Doogie Howser, MD'?
Dr Douglas "Doogie" Howser, played by Harris, is the son of David Howser (James B Sikking) and Katherine Howser (Belinda Montgomery), and the center of the story.
He twice beat early-stage pediatric leukemia as a child after his family doctor noticed worrisome bruises. This incident influenced the younger Howser's decision to pursue a career in medicine.
Howser, who has a photographic memory and a genius brain, takes part in a long-term study of child prodigies until he turns 18 years old.
At the age of six, he received a perfect SAT score. He finished high school in nine weeks. At the age of ten, he graduated from Princeton University in 1983 and completed medical school four years later.
Per the story, Howser was the youngest licensed doctor in the nation when he was 14 years old.
How old was Neil Patrick Harris in the first episode of 'Doogie Howser'?
Neil Patrick Harris was 16 years old when he was cast as the main character in the first episode of 'Doogie Howser, MD'.
The series starts on Howser's 16th birthday, and the pilot episode's cold open depicts him interrupting his field test for his driver's license to aid a victim of a car accident.
Howser still resides with his parents and is a second-year resident surgeon at the Eastman Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Vinnie Delpino (Max Casella), his best friend and next-door neighbor, introduces him to life outside of medicine and is a more average teenager who visits by scaling Howser's bedroom window.
Howser is shown to have kept a computerized diary since 1979; episodes usually end with him adding a note to it, offering notes about the events he had encountered or things he had learned.
The cast of 'Doogie Howser'
The main cast of ‘Doogie Howser, MD’ includes Neil Patrick Harris as Dr Douglas “Doogie” Howser, Max Casella as Vincent “Vinnie” Salvatore Delpino, Belinda Montgomery as Katherine Howser, Lawrence Pressman as Dr Benjamin Canfield, Kathryn Layng as Nurse Curly Spaulding, James Sikking as Dr David Howser, Markus Redmond as Raymond Alexander, Lucy Boryer as Janine Stewart, Mitchell Anderson as Dr Jack McGuire, and Lisa Dean Ryan as Wanda Plenn.
These actors helped to make the show a standout in the history of television by bringing the characters to life.