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{{Short description|American medical comedy-drama television series (1989–1993)}}
{{Infobox Television |
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
| show_name = Doogie Howser M.D.
{{Infobox television
| image = [[Image:Doogie_Howser_MD.jpg|189px]]
| caption = Doogie Howser Season 2 DVD
| image = Doogie Howser, M.D. intertitle.jpg
| format = [[Drama]]/[[Sitcom]]
| genre = [[Medical drama]]<br>[[Sitcom]]
| creator = {{Plain list|
| runtime = 24 minutes
| creator = [[Steven Bochco]]<br>[[David E. Kelley]]
*[[Steven Bochco]]
*[[David E. Kelley]]
}}
| starring = [[Neil Patrick Harris]]<br>[[Max Casella]]<br>[[Lisa Dean Ryan]]<br>[[Belinda Montgomery]]<br>[[James Sikking]]<br>[[Markus Redmond]]<br>[[Lawrence Pressman]]<br>[[Mitchell Anderson]]<br>[[Robyn Lively]]<br>[[Kathryn Layng]]
| starring = {{Plain list|
| country = {{USA}}
*[[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
*[[Max Casella]]
| first_aired = [[September 19]], [[1989]]
*[[Belinda Montgomery]]
| last_aired = [[March 24]], [[1993]]
*[[Lawrence Pressman]]
| num_episodes = 97
*[[Mitchell Anderson]]
| imdb_id = 0096569
*[[Kathryn Layng]]
| tv_com_id = 171
*[[Lisa Dean Ryan]]
|}}
*[[Lucy Boryer]]
*[[Markus Redmond]]
*[[James B. Sikking]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = [[Mike Post]]
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Mike Post
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 4
| num_episodes = 97
| list_episodes = List of Doogie Howser, M.D. episodes
| executive_producer = {{Plain list|
*Steven Bochco
*[[Linda Morris]] {{small|(seasons 3–4)}}
*[[Vic Rauseo]] {{small|(seasons 3–4)}}
}}
| producer = {{Plain list|
*Nat Bernstein
*Joe Ann Fogle
*[[Scott Goldstein]]
*Jill Gordon
*Nick Harding
*Mark Horowitz
*Mitchel Lee Katlin
*Phil Kellard
*Tom Moore
*Linda Morris
*Vic Rauseo
}}
| location =
| camera = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| runtime = 21–23 minutes
| company = {{Plain list|
*[[Steven Bochco|Steven Bochco Productions]]
*[[20th Century Fox Television]]
}}
| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1989|09|19}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1993|03|24}}
| related = ''[[Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.]]''
}}
'''''Doogie Howser, M.D.''''' is an American [[medical drama|medical]] [[sitcom]] that ran for four seasons on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from September 19, 1989, to March 24, 1993, totaling [[List of Doogie Howser, M.D. episodes|97 episodes]]. Created by [[Steven Bochco]] and [[David E. Kelley]], the show stars a young [[Neil Patrick Harris]] in the title role as a teenage physician who balances the challenge of practicing medicine with the everyday problems of teenage life.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/d/doogiehowsermd_1299000964.shtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205054829/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/d/doogiehowsermd_1299000964.shtml | archive-date=December 5, 2004 | title=BBC - Comedy Guide - Doogie Howser, MD }}</ref>


==Plot==
The television show '''''Doogie Howser, M.D.''''' ([[1989]]&ndash;[[1993]]) starred [[Neil Patrick Harris]] as a brilliant teenaged doctor who was also faced with the problems of being a normal teenager, despite having graduated from [[Princeton University]] at age 10<ref>[http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=249332 All Movie Guide</] by Hal Erickson, at the ''[[New York Times]]'':"Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, the weekly, half-hour "dramedy" Doogie Howser, M.D. starred Neil Patrick Harris as Douglas "Doogie" Howser, a child prodigy who after completing high school in nine weeks, graduating from Princeton at age 10 and finishing medical school four years later, became at the tender age of 14 the youngest practicing physician in the country.".</ref>. The show was set in [[Los Angeles]] and ran for four years on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. It was created by [[Steven Bochco]] and [[David E. Kelley]]. The soundtrack of the series is by [[Mike Post]] and uses Post's trademark mid to late 1980s [[Yamaha (manufacturer)|Yamaha]] [[DX-7]] [[synthesizer]]. The concept for the show was allegedly inspired by the story of Dr. [[Howard A. Zucker]] who became an MD at age 22 and had a cousin who worked in programming at ABC at the time.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
Dr. Douglas "Doogie" Howser ([[Neil Patrick Harris|Harris]]) is the son of David ([[James B. Sikking]]) and Katherine Howser ([[Belinda Montgomery]]). As a child, he twice survived early-stage pediatric [[leukemia]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Pilot (at 15:00 mark)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/105/doogie-howser-md-pilot|publisher=[[Hulu]]}}</ref> after his father—a [[family physician]]—discovered suspicious bruising. The experience contributed to the younger Howser's desire to enter medicine.


Possessing a [[genius]] intellect and a [[eidetic memory|photographic memory]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Grass Ain't Always Greener – Season 1, episode 25 (April 25, 1990) |url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/90/doogie-howser-md-the-grass-aint-always-greener|work=Steven Bochco Productions/[[20th Century Fox Television]]|publisher=Hulu|quote=I can't help it. I remember everything I read.}}</ref> Howser participates in a [[longitudinal study]] of child prodigies until his 18th birthday.<ref name="summer">{{cite web|title=The Summer of '91 – Season 3, episode 1 (September 25, 1991)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30193/doogie-howser-md-the-summer-of-91|department=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> He earned a perfect score on the [[Scholastic Aptitude Test|SAT]] at the age of six, completed high school in nine weeks,<ref>{{cite web|title=Doogstruck – Season 3, episode 8 (November 20, 1991)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30198/doogie-howser-md-doogstruck|department=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> graduated from [[Princeton University]] in 1983<ref name="couric">Courie, Katie. {{cite web|title='Give something back – you're graduating from Princeton!' (Princeton University Class Day address on June 1, 2009)|url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2009/07/15/pages/7894/index.xml|work=Princeton Alumni Weekly|date=July 15, 2009}}</ref> at age 10, and finished medical school four years later. At age 14, Howser was the youngest licensed physician in the country. As a newspaper article (one of several noting some of Doogie's aforementioned accomplishments that are shown in the series' opening [[title sequence]]) stated, he "can't buy beer... [but] can prescribe drugs".
Trademarks of the show include Doogie's best friend, the fast-talking and mischievous Vinnie Delpino, played by [[Max Casella]], climbing in through his window, and Doogie writing in his [[diary]] on his computer at the end of each episode.


The series begins on Howser's 16th birthday; the [[cold open]] of the [[pilot episode]] shows him stopping his field test for his [[driver's license]] to help an injured person at the scene of a traffic accident. Howser is a second-year resident surgeon<ref>He began his residency in September 1988, a year before the pilot. {{cite web|title= Every Dog Has His Doogie – Season 1, episode 12 (November 29, 1989)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/54/doogie-howser-md-every-dog-has-his-doogie|department=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> at Eastman Medical Center in [[Los Angeles]], and still lives [[Pacific Palisades, California|at home]]<ref>1782 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. {{cite web|title=Lonesome Doog – Season 3, episode 6 (October 30, 1991)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30173/doogie-howser-md-lonesome-doog |department=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> with his parents. His best friend and neighbor, Vinnie Delpino ([[Max Casella]]), is a more typical teenager—climbing through Howser's bedroom window to visit—and connects him to life outside of medicine. Howser has kept a [[diary]] on his computer since 1979;<ref>{{cite web|title=Thanks for the Memories – Season 3, episode 23 (May 6, 1992)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30211|department=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> episodes typically end with him making an entry in it, making observations about the situations he had experienced or learned in the episode.
The show characterized the genius Howser as a normal teenager, rather than having the stereotypical traits of TV "nerds" like [[Screech Powers]] (from ''[[Saved by the Bell]]'') or [[Steve Urkel]] (from ''[[Family Matters (TV series)|Family Matters]]''). Steven Bochco revealed that the show's cancellation came abruptly at the hands of ABC executives--before he and the show's staff had a chance to complete the story line.<ref>''Doogie Howser M.D., Season 1 DVD''</ref>


Howser seeks acceptance both from children his age and from his professional colleagues. Many episodes also deal with wider social problems: [[AIDS]] awareness, [[racism]], [[antisemitism]], [[homophobia]], [[sexism]], [[Gang#Gang violence|gang violence]], access to quality medical care, and losing one's [[virginity]] are topics, along with aging, body issues, and friendship.
==''Doogie Howser'' in Popular Culture==
* ''[[Veronica Mars]]'': In the episode 'Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner' Veronica includes in an e-mail to Wallace the sentence; "You really have to start replying to my e-mails this is getting way too 'Doogie Howser's Journal'."


Howser initially has a girlfriend, Wanda Plenn ([[Lisa Dean Ryan]]), but they break up after she leaves for college; he also begins a [[trauma surgery]] [[fellowship (medicine)|fellowship]] and moves into his own apartment. Bochco intended to end the show with a "season-long story arc for Doogie where he becomes disaffected with the practice of medicine and quits medicine to become a writer".<ref>''Doogie Howser M.D.'', Season 1 DVD</ref> ABC abruptly canceled the show due to low ratings, preventing Bochco and the show's writers from implementing that storyline, other than Howser's resignation from Eastman and departure for Europe in the [[List of Doogie Howser, M.D. episodes#Season 4 (1992–1993)|final episode]].
* ''[[Friends]]'': The characters on ''Friends'' have used the term "Doogie" to refer (somewhat disparagingly) to someone they feel is not old enough to handle the job they claim they're prepared for.


==Production==
*''[[Saved By The Bell]] '': When the gang is in "The Max", and they all open their SAT scores, Screech says, after Zach scores a 1500 compared to that of Jessie Spano's 1205, "Wow...Zach is even smarter than Doogie Howser."
The weekly, half-hour dramedy was created by [[Steven Bochco]]. He originated the concept and asked [[David E. Kelley]] to help write the pilot, earning Kelley a "created by" credit. Harris was the first actor the show's staff had found that could convincingly play a teenage doctor, but ABC executives opposed his casting. Bochco's contract required that the network pay an [[Television pilot#Put pilot|"enormous" penalty]] if it canceled the project, so ABC was forced to let him film the pilot. The network still opposed Harris's casting and disliked the pilot, but after positive reception during [[test screening]]s, ABC [[greenlit]] the show.<ref name="adalian20110321">{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/03/david_e_kelley_interview_wonde.html|title=The Vulture Transcript: Prolific TV Creator David E. Kelley on His Career Hits and Misses|access-date=March 21, 2011|author=Adalian, Josef|date=March 21, 2011|work=Vulture|publisher=New York}}</ref>


==Cast==
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': [[Willow Rosenberg]] implies she writes "''Doogie Howser'' [[fan fiction]]"
[[File:Doogie Howser Cast Photo.gif|thumb|180px|right|From left to right, Lawrence Pressman as Dr. Canfield, Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser, Mitchell Anderson as Dr. McGuire and Kathryn Layng as Nurse Spaulding.]]
===Main cast===
* [[Neil Patrick Harris]] as Dr. Douglas "Doogie" Howser, the show's protagonist.
* [[Max Casella]] as Vincent "Vinnie" Salvatore Delpino, Doogie's best friend since they were five years old.<ref name="video">{{cite web|title=Vinnie Video Vici (October 25, 1989)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/95/doogie-howser-md-vinnie-video-vici#s-p4-n1-so-i0|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> A typical girl-crazy teenager, Vinnie resists his father's demands to join the family business and instead attends film school to pursue a career as a [[film director]].
* [[Belinda Montgomery]] as Katherine Howser, Doogie Howser's mother. Originally a housewife, she later returns to work as a [[patient advocate]] at her son's hospital.<ref name="herson">{{cite web|title=The Doctor, the Wife, her Son and the Job – Season 2, episode 21 (March 13, 1991)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/14507/doogie-howser-md-the-doctor-the-wife-her-son-and-the-job#s-p1-n2-so-i0|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref>
* [[Lawrence Pressman]] as Dr. Benjamin Canfield, head of Eastman Medical. Canfield is an old friend and classmate of David Howser, and persuades him to join the hospital to run its family practice.<ref name="tough">{{cite web|title=It's a Tough Job...But Why Does My Father Have to Do It? – Season 4, episode 13 (January 13, 1993)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30225/doogie-howser-md-its-a-tough-jobbut-why-does-my-father-have-to-do-it|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref>
* [[Mitchell Anderson]] (seasons 1–2) as Dr. Jack McGuire, a resident at Eastman and Doogie's friendly rival. A visit to rural Mexico inspires him to leave the hospital to serve the poor overseas.<ref name="dateless">{{cite web|title=Planet of the Dateless – Season 2, episode 22 (March 20, 1991)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/14519/doogie-howser-md-planet-of-the-dateless|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref>
* [[Kathryn Layng]] as Mary Margaret "Curly" Spaulding, a nurse at Eastman. Spaulding occasionally dates McGuire and, briefly, both Canfield<ref name="young">{{cite web|title=Oh Very Young – Season 2, 11 (November 28, 1990)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/14520/doogie-howser-md-oh-very-young|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> and Howser.<ref name="whatyousee">{{cite web|title=What You See Ain't Necessarily What You Get – Season 3, episode 18 (March 11, 1992)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30158/doogie-howser-md-what-you-see-aint-necessarily-what-you-get#x-0,vepisode,1,0|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref>
* [[James B. Sikking]] as Dr. David Howser, Doogie Howser's father. He's a [[Vietnam War]] [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|MASH]] veteran with a [[family practice]].
* [[Lisa Dean Ryan]] (seasons 1–2, recurring in season 3) as Wanda Plenn, Vinnie's high-school classmate and Doogie's girlfriend. After her mother dies in an automobile accident, Wanda's relationship with Doogie suffers. After she leaves for the [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]] they end their relationship.
* [[Lucy Boryer]] (seasons 1–3, two episodes in season 4) as Janine Stewart, Vinnie's girlfriend and Wanda's best friend. She drops out of college<ref name="educating">{{cite web|title=Educating Janine – Season 3, episode 13 (April 1, 1992)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/30217/doogie-howser-md-educating-janine#x-0,vepisode,1,0|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> and becomes a buyer for a [[department store]].
* [[Markus Redmond]] (seasons 2–4, guest star in season 1) as Raymond Alexander, an orderly (and later an EMT) at Eastman. While he was a gang member, Alexander meets Doogie after taking him hostage during a convenience-store robbery;<ref name="slurpy">{{cite web|title=Use a Slurpy, Go to Jail – Season 1, episode 20 (February 28, 1990)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/67/doogie-howser-md-use-a-slurpy-go-to-jail|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref> after finishing his sentence, Doogie helps him get a job at the hospital as an [[orderly]].<ref name="guess">{{cite web|title=Guess Who's Coming to Doogie's – Season 2, episode 2 (September 19, 1990)|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/14522/doogie-howser-md-guess-whos-coming-to-doogies|work=Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television|publisher=Hulu}}</ref>


===Recurring cast===
* ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'': Hilary mentions she had dinner with "Doogie Howser's manager".
* [[Rif Hutton]] as Dr. Ron Welch, a fellow doctor who is also friends with Howser.
* [[Robyn Lively]] as Michele Faber (seasons 2 and 4), a nursing student. She becomes Howser's girlfriend shortly before he decides to leave Eastman and go to Europe.
* [[Barry Livingston]] as Dr. Bob Rickett (seasons 2–4), a fellow doctor working at Eastman.


==Episodes==
* [[Roseanne (TV series)|''Roseanne'']]: Roseanne is put to sleep for breast surgery and has a dream the doctor gives her a breast enlargement instead of the intended breast reduction. Doogie Howser makes a guest appearance as the doctor in the dream.
{{Main|List of Doogie Howser, M.D. episodes}}
{{:List of Doogie Howser, M.D. episodes}}


==Syndication==
* ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'': [[Ryan Stiles]] has been compared to Neil Patrick Harris and Doogie Howser several times, by himself and [[Drew Carey]].
In the United States, reruns of ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' ran in syndication between September 1994 and September 1996. Repeats of the show aired on cable on the [[Odyssey Network]] (now Hallmark Channel) from 1999 to 2001.<ref>{{cite news | title = Odyssey, Other Networks Set Fall Slates | url = https://www.nexttv.com/news/odyssey-other-networks-set-fall-slates-157707| date = September 5, 1999 | website = Next Tv | access-date = November 1, 2022}}</ref> [[Discovery Family|The Hub]] began airing reruns of the show on October 11, 2010<ref>{{cite news | title = Doogie Howser M.D.', 'Wonder Years' et. al to Join New Lineup for The Hub Network | url = https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Doogie-Howser-MD-Wonder-Years-et-al-to-Join-New-Lineup-for-The-Hub-Network-20100806| date = August 6, 2010 | website = Broadway World | access-date = November 4, 2022}}</ref> lasting until May 26, 2013.


==Home media==
* ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'': When Tanna reveals that she is 15, turning 16 years old, Lorelai says "Happy birthday Doogie", because most [[Yale University|Yale]] freshmen are about 18–19 years old.
[[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] released all four seasons of ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' on DVD in Region 1 (United States and Canada) between 2005 and 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. - We've Got Dr. Doogie's DVD Cover Art!|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/2864#ixzz1XUVS1Ujl|author=David Lambert|date=February 4, 2005|work=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020140852/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/2864#ixzz1XUVS1Ujl|archive-date=October 20, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. - Take a look at the front cover for Season 2!|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/3811#ixzz1XUVvNTQP|author=David Lambert|date=August 2, 2005|work=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020140907/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/3811#ixzz1XUVvNTQP|archive-date=October 20, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. - Doogie's Getting Kissed On The 3rd Season Set's Cover|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/4424#ixzz1XUWCoPgU|author=David Lambert|date=November 2, 2005|work=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020140951/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/4424#ixzz1XUWCoPgU|archive-date=October 20, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. - Package Art For Doogie's Final Season|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/5138#ixzz1XUWMVwEQ|author=David Lambert|date=February 16, 2006|work=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020141032/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD/5138#ixzz1XUWMVwEQ|archive-date=October 20, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> A ''Complete Collection'' release was announced on August 28, 2008, but was eventually canceled.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. - Anchor Bay Preps for Surgery: New Complete Collection Cuts Out in May|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD-Complete-Collection/9269#ixzz1XVcEtaYf|author=David Lambert|date=March 28, 2008|work=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118015847/http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doogie-Howser-MD-Complete-Collection/9269#ixzz1XVcEtaYf|archive-date=November 18, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> All 4 seasons had been available to stream on [[Hulu]], but expired on that service on June 27, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D.|url=https://www.hulu.com/series/doogie-howser-md-484763ed-4bf4-44b6-a018-0c1957aa1384|access-date=2021-10-15|website=Hulu|language=en-US}}</ref> The series was made available internationally on [[Star (Disney+)|Star]] on [[Disney+]] beginning March 15, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/abbott-elementary-janelle-james-host-wga-awards-1235525423/|title='Abbott Elementary' Star Janelle James to Host Writers Guild Awards (TV News Roundup)|publisher=Variety|first1=Julia|first2=Katie|first3=Charna|last1=MacCary|last2=Reul|last3=Flam|date=February 16, 2023}}</ref>


==Reception==
* ''[[Rugrats]]'': In an episode Angelica "broke" her leg and went to a doctor named Hogie Dooser.


===Critical reception===
* ''[[Family Guy]]'': In an episode where the Griffin family is the subject of a new reality show, the episode ends with Meg writing to her diary in a fashion similar to that used in ''Doogie Howser''.
According to [[Metacritic]], [[Marvin Kitman]] of ''[[Newsday]]'' gave season 1 of ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' a 40/100 score and commented: "What a wasted childhood my kids have had, I got to thinking while watching this otherwise normal Doogie Howser. It makes you look at your kids differently. What lazy bums they must be, still in high school at 16."<ref name="Metacritic; Season 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/doogie-howser-md|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. - Season 1 Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=30 December 2014}}</ref> Scott Weinberg of [[DVD Talk]] recommended season two: "It's not high art, but it's a heckuva lot better than what generally passes for your average weeknight sitcom."<ref name="DVD Talk 2005-09-25">{{cite web|title=Doogie Howser, M.D. -- Season Two : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/17880/doogie-howser-md-season-two/|author=Scott Weinberg|date=September 25, 2005|publisher=[[DVD Talk]]|access-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> Christopher Smith of the ''[[Bangor Daily News]]'' gave season three a "C" grade and commented: "No classic, this series. [...T]he show has become gratingly cute, particularly in the episodes “Doogiesomething,” “Double Doogie with Cheese,” and “Lonesome Doog.” Doog, I'm Dooged out."<ref name="BDN 2006-01-28">{{cite news|title=DVD corner|url=http://archive.bangordailynews.com/2006/01/28/dvd-corner-27/|author=Christopher Smith|newspaper=[[Bangor Daily News]]|date=28 January 2006|access-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref>


===Awards and nominations===
* ''[[The Simpsons]]'': In the episode "[[Little Girl in the Big Ten]]", [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] justifies herself spending time at college by comparing herself to Doogie Howser. [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] is not impressed, announcing Doogie went to college "against my wishes".
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Result
! Category
! Recipient
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| rowspan=6|1990 || [[People's Choice Award]] || '''Won''' || Favorite New TV Comedy Series ||
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Viewers for Quality Television|Viewers for Quality Television Award]] || rowspan=2|'''Nominated''' || Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series || Neil Patrick Harris
|-
| Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series || Max Casella
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| rowspan=3|[[Young Artist Award]] || '''Won''' || Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series || Neil Patrick Harris
|-
| rowspan=2|'''Nominated''' || Best New Television Series ||
|-
| Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series || [[Michael Bacall]]
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| rowspan=4|1991 || [[Primetime Emmy Award]] || '''Won''' || Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special || Joe Kenworthy {{small|(production sound mixer)}}<br />Bill Thiederman {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />Dean Okrand {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />Mike Getlin {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />{{small|(for the episode "Doogenstein")}}
|-
| [[Humanitas Prize]] || '''Nominated''' || 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television || Nat Bernstein<br />Mitchel Katlin<br />{{small|(for the episode "To Live and Die in Brentwood")}}
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| rowspan=2|Young Artist Awards || rowspan=2|'''Won''' || Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series || [[Christopher Pettiet]]
|-
| Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series || Neil Patrick Harris
|-
| rowspan=5|1992 || rowspan=2|Primetime Emmy Award || '''Won''' || Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special || Joe Kenworthy {{small|(production sound mixer)}}<br />Bill Thiederman {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />Dean Okrand {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />Mike Getlin {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />{{small|(for the episode "Lonesome Doog")}}
|-
| '''Nominated''' || Outstanding Cinematography for a Series || Michael D. O'Shea<br />{{small|(for the episode "Summer Of '91")}}
|-
| Golden Globe Award || '''Nominated''' || Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical || rowspan=2|Neil Patrick Harris
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| rowspan=2|Young Artist Award || '''Won''' || Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series
|-
| '''Nominated''' || Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Television Series || Lisa Dean Ryan
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| 1993 || Primetime Emmy Award || '''Won''' || Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special || Joe Kenworthy {{small|(production sound mixer)}}<br />Mike Getlin {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />Dean Okrand {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />Bill Thiederman {{small|(re-recording mixer)}}<br />{{small|(for the episode "Doogie Got a Gun")}}
|}


==Cultural influence==
* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'': In an episode hosted by [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]], one skit involved a group of perverts attending a [[seminar]] about [[MySpace]]. One of the perverts ([[Horatio Sanz]]) chooses the [[screenname]] "9thgrade-[[Sk8er Boi]]", claiming it was his [[fraternity]] nickname and then claims he went to college early, like "Doogie Howser".
<!--Please don't put every random mention of Doogie Howser here. If Harris satirizes his own character, or an entire episode of some TV show ever satirizes ''Doogie Howser'', that's all right. But no one cares if Willow in season five of ''Buffy'' called Xander "Doogie." And don't bother to enter ''Robot Chicken'' or ''Family Guy'' skits, please; those shows satirize so many things that they'd end up appearing in the article for half the TV shows and movies ever created!-->
* Neil Patrick Harris has satirized his years playing a teenage medical doctor several times:
** In an episode of ''[[Roseanne]]'', Roseanne Conner ([[Roseanne Barr]]) has a dream after having undergone [[breast reduction]] surgery. She goes to the mirror and realizes that her breasts are comically larger than before. Doogie Howser (Harris) comes in and asks an upset Roseanne if they were supposed to be bigger than they are in the dream. Roseanne screams, but then is woken up by her husband Dan. To make sure she was dreaming, she looks under her bedsheet, sees the surgery went as planned, and sighs, "Way to go, Doogie!"
** [[Barney Stinson]] (also played by Harris) writes in his [[blog|computerized diary]] at the end of the ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' episode "[[The Bracket]]," while the ''Doogie Howser'' theme music plays.<ref>{{cite web|title=HIMYM, "The Bracket": No bets, just slaps|url=http://blog.nj.com/alltv/2008/03/himym_the_bracket_no_bets_just.html|author=Alan Sepinwall|publisher=blog.nj.com|newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]]|date=March 31, 2008}}</ref> In the later episode "[[The Stinsons]]," he also comments, "Call me crazy but child actors were way better in the '80s".
** In the 2004 comedy ''[[Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle]]'', Harris – playing a fictionalized version of himself – claims to have "humped every piece of ass ever on that show" (except the hot nurse, over whom he expresses regret). Harris is referred to as "Doogie Howser" while stealing Harold ([[John Cho]])'s car from the convenience store. In ''[[Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay]]'', Harris remarks, after taking psychotropic mushrooms, "Dude, I was able to perform an [[appendectomy]] at 14, I think I can handle a few 'shrooms".
** In 2008, Harris appeared in commercials for [[Old Spice]] deodorant, claiming to be an expert because he "used to be a doctor for pretends".<!--not "pretend"-->
** During the opening of the 2009 ''[[TV Land Awards]]'', Harris, who hosted the show, travels through "The TV Land Zone" (a spoof of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]''), where he finds himself the star of TV classics. At one point, Harris walks into a doctor's office, dressed as Doogie, while the ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' theme plays. After realizing where he is, he storms out, saying, "No no no, not gonna happen! Check my contract!"
** On the January 10, 2009 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', an "[[SNL Digital Short]]" featured Harris, the episode's guest host, leading a full orchestra version of the ''Doogie Howser'' theme. When the song concludes, he turns toward the camera and sheds a tear.<ref>{{cite web|title=Digital Short: 'Doogie Howser' Theme|url=http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/digital-short-doogie-howser-theme/1037181/|work=Saturday Night Live ([[SNL Studios]]/[[Broadway Video]])|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705001253/http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/digital-short-doogie-howser-theme/1037181/|archive-date=July 5, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
** On the March 14, 2011 episode of ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'', a "real doctor" played by Harris endorses Kimmel's Jim-Miracle Diet, as the ''Doogie Howser'' theme plays.<ref name="kimmel">{{cite video|title=The Hottie Body Jim-Miracle Diet|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoKoKI_2NlQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/YoKoKI_2NlQ |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|people=Jimmy Kimmel, Neil Patrick Harris|publisher=YouTube|date=March 14, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
** Harris in 2017 joined other actors from medical television shows in [[Cigna]]'s "TV Doctors of America" advertising campaign for annual [[checkup]]s.<ref name="holub20170915">{{Cite magazine |last=Holub |first=Christian |date=2017-09-15 |title=Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Walsh Join TV Doctors of America For New Video |url=http://ew.com/tv/2017/09/15/neil-patrick-harris-kate-walsh-tv-doctors-of-america-ad/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Neil Patrick Harris played Doogie Howser in ''[[The Earth Day Special]]'' in 1990. In the special, Doogie, along with two other doctors (played by [[Dana Delany]] and [[James Brolin]]), are informed by the ''[[Back to the Future (franchise)|Back to the Future trilogy]]'' scientist [[Emmett L. Brown]] (played by [[Christopher Lloyd]]) on how to save [[Mother Nature]] (played by [[Bette Midler]]).<ref>''A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon'' Page 125</ref>
* In [[Anthony Bourdain]]'s book ''[[Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly]]'', any blond, good-looking waiter working in his restaurant is immediately nicknamed "Doogie Howser".<ref>{{cite web|title=Anthony Bourdain 'Kitchen Confidential'|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/2277375/Anthony-Bourdain-Kitchen-Confidential|author=Anthony Bourdain|work=Kitchen Confidential|year=2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925133625/http://www.scribd.com/doc/2277375/Anthony-Bourdain-Kitchen-Confidential|archive-date=September 25, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Smart mice obtained by genetic engineering have been named "[[Doogie mice]]" in honor of Harris's character.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Next Fifty Years" (Ed. J. Brockman)|chapter=Swappable Minds|author=Marc D. Hauser|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2001}}</ref><ref name="pmid10485705">{{cite journal|title=Genetic enhancement of learning and memory in mice|doi=10.1038/43432|vauthors=Tang YP, Shimizu E, Dube GR, Rampon C, Kerchner GA, Zhuo M, Liu G, Tsien JZ |journal=Nature|volume=401|pages=63–69|year=1999|pmid=10485705|issue=6748|bibcode=1999Natur.401...63T|s2cid=481884}}</ref>


==Real life comparisons==
* ''[[Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle]]'': Harold and Kumar recognize Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser when they pick him up as a hitchhiker.
[[Balamurali Ambati]] graduated from the [[Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai|Mount Sinai School of Medicine]] and obtained his medical license when he was only 17 years old, a [[Guinness World Record]], and has been compared to the fictional Doogie Howser, though Ambati himself disliked the association.<ref>{{cite web|title=Teen doctor: 'Just don't call me Doogie'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19950517&id=hihSAAAAIBAJ&pg=5261,2890857|newspaper=[[The Victoria Advocate]]|date=May 17, 1995|access-date=April 2, 2013}}</ref>


[[Sho Yano]], who became the youngest student to attain an M.D. from the [[University of Chicago]] at 21 years old, has also been called a real-life Doogie Howser.<ref>{{cite news|title=M.D. at 21, Sho Yano Is Real-Life 'Doogie Howser'|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/m-d-at-21-sho-yano-is-real-life-doogie-howser/|author=Enjoli Francis|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=June 4, 2012|access-date=April 2, 2013}}</ref>
* In the [[View Askew]] comic [[Chasing Dogma]], [[Jay & Silent Bob]] are involved in the filming of a hospital themed [[pornographic film]] directed by Neil Patrick Harris called "Doogie Nights"


Doogie Howser has been used as a moniker for several people involved in politics. In 2009, 13-year-old author and speaker [[Jonathan Krohn]] was nicknamed "Doogie Howser GOP".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/fashion/the-growing-pains-of-jonathan-krohn.html|title=The Growing Pains of Jonathan Krohn|first=Susan|last=Chumsky|work=The New York Times |date=April 26, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alabamahomeschooling.com/2010/12/homeschooler-jonathan-krohn.html|title=Homeschooler: Jonathan Krohn|website=www.alabamahomeschooling.com}}</ref> 17-year-old Evan Draim, the youngest delegate at the [[2012 Republican National Convention]], was referred to as a "Doogie Howser of the GOP".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localkicks.com/politics/local_politics/meet-evan-draim-of-alexandria-the-doogie-howser-of-the-gop|title=Meet Evan Draim of Alexandria, the 'Doogie Howser' of the GOP - Alexandria Virginia News - LocalKicks|website=www.localkicks.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-29/news/wgntv-evan-draim-youngest-delegate-at-rnc-20120829_1_youngest-delegate-republican-convention-rnc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413043744/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-29/news/wgntv-evan-draim-youngest-delegate-at-rnc-20120829_1_youngest-delegate-republican-convention-rnc|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 13, 2018|title=Evan Draim: 17-year-old delegate at RNC|website=orlandosentinel.com}}</ref> Republican congressman [[Aaron Schock]] has been referred to as a Doogie Howser for being the [[List of youngest members of the United States Congress|youngest member of Congress]] in 2009 at 27 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/27/aaron-schock-hottest-fres_n_170609.html|title=Aaron Schock, "Hottest Freshman," Talks Doogie Howser And Dating On "Today Show" (VIDEO)|first=Anya|last=Strzemien|date=March 30, 2009|via=Huff Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/March-2009/Young-Gun/|title=Young Gun|website=chicagomag.com}}</ref> In 2015, [[Jon Stewart]] called Schock a "Doogie Howser wannabe" for his travel expenses and activities while still in office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/jon-stewart-rips-fallen-gop-rep-aaron-schock-doogie-howser-wannabe-video/|title=Jon Stewart Rips Fallen GOP Rep. Aaron Schock: 'Doogie Howser Wannabe' (Video)|date=March 19, 2015|website=thewrap.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jon-stewart-rips-fallen-gop-rep-aaron-schock-152332897.html|title=Jon Stewart Rips Fallen GOP Rep. Aaron Schock: 'Doogie Howser Wannabe' (Video)|website=yahoo.com|date=March 19, 2015 }}</ref>


Some teenagers who have impersonated physicians are often referred to as Doogie Howser.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/doogie-howser-wannabe-busted-786450|title=Doogie Howser Wannabe Busted At Hospital|date=January 16, 2015|website=The Smoking Gun}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-teen-arrested-performing-exam-fake-doctor-own-offices-authorities-n519676|title=Florida Teen Arrested for Posing as a Licensed Doctor: Authorities|website=nbcnews.com|date=February 17, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/03/doogie-howser-gone-wrong-teen-arrested-for-impersonating-a-doctor/|title=Doogie Howser Gone Wrong: Teen Arrested for Impersonating a Doctor|first=Ollie|last=John|magazine=Time|date=February 3, 2013|via=newsfeed.time.com}}</ref> Others who have excelled at a young age have been called Doogie Howser.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtnh.com/news/ansonia-teen-hailed-a-genius-after-perfect-score-on-ap-chemistry-exam_20180403103741535/1097735461|title=Ansonia teen hailed a "genius" after perfect score on AP chemistry exam|first=Mario|last= Boone|date=March 28, 2018|website=wtnh.com|access-date=April 12, 2018|archive-date=April 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413161032/http://www.wtnh.com/news/ansonia-teen-hailed-a-genius-after-perfect-score-on-ap-chemistry-exam_20180403103741535/1097735461|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.findlaw.com/greedy_associates/2015/09/20-year-old-prosecutor-young-cooley-grad-sworn-into-florida-bar.html|title=20-Year-Old Prosecutor: Young Cooley Grad Sworn Into Florida Bar|website=findlaw.com|date=September 28, 2015}}</ref>


==Reboot==
== '''[Tribute Acts]''' ==
{{main article|Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.}}
In April 2020, it was announced that a reboot titled ''Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.'', was in development for [[Disney+]] with Kourtney Kang writing and co-executive producing with Melvin Mar, [[Jake Kasdan]], and Bochco's wife, Dayna Bochco and son, [[Jesse Bochco]]. The new series focuses on Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha ([[Peyton Elizabeth Lee]]), a female 16-year-old doctor in Hawaii given her nickname by others who have seen ''Doogie Howser, M.D.''. Disney+ gave the series a 10-episode straight-to-series order in September 2020.<ref>{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title='Doogie Howser' Female-Led Reboot 'Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.' Picked Up To Series By Disney+|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/doogie-kamealoha-md-doogie-howser-female-led-reboot-picked-up-series-disney-plus-1234574289/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=September 11, 2020|date=September 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Goldberg|first1=Lesley|title=Andi Mack' star Peyton Elizabeth Lee will take on the role that Neil Patrick Harris originally made famous three decades ago.|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/doogie-howser-reboot-at-disney-casts-its-lead|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 14, 2021}}</ref>


== Notes ==
* A number of ''[[professional tribute acts]]'': have sprung up around the world, one of the most famous of whom is Matt "Doogie" Towser MD who is available for hire for ''[[Parties]]'', ''[[Weddings]]'' and ''[[Bar Mitzvahs]]'' in the London Metropolitan area.
{{notelist}}


== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}


== External links ==
*{{wikiquote-inline|Doogie Howser, M.D.|''Doogie Howser, M.D.''}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0096569}}


{{Steven Bochco}}
{{David E. Kelley}}
{{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy}}


{{Portal bar|Medicine|Television|United States|1980s|1990s}}


[[Category:1980s American comedy-drama television series]]

[[Category:1980s American medical drama television series]]

[[Category:1980s American single-camera sitcoms]]
[[Image:DoogieTowser.jpg]]
[[Category:1980s American teen drama television series]]

[[Category:1980s American teen sitcoms]]
==References==
[[Category:1980s American workplace comedy television series]]
<div class="references-small">
[[Category:1989 American television series debuts]]
<references/>
[[Category:1993 American television series endings]]
</div>
[[Category:1990s American comedy-drama television series]]

[[Category:1990s American medical drama television series]]
==See also==
[[Category:1990s American single-camera sitcoms]]
* [[Balamurali Ambati]], who in [[1995]] became the world's youngest doctor at the age of 17.
[[Category:1990s American teen drama television series]]
* [[Akrit Jaswal]]
[[Category:1990s American teen sitcoms]]
* [[Sho Yano]], who matriculated in the University of Chicago's [[Medical Scientist Training Program]] (M.D./Ph.D.) at the age of 12
[[Category:1990s American workplace comedy television series]]

[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
==External links==
[[Category:Television series about families]]
* {{imdb title|id=0096569|title=Doogie Howser, M.D.}}
[[Category:American television series about teenagers]]
* [http://epguides.com/DoogieHowserMD/ Episode list at epguides.com]
[[Category:Television series by 20th Century Fox Television]]
* [http://www.jumptheshark.com/d/doogiehowsermd.htm Doogie at jumptheshark.com]
[[Category:Television series created by David E. Kelley]]
* [http://phys.strath.ac.uk/information/people/people.php?staffID=137&staffstatusid=]
[[Category:Television series created by Steven Bochco]]

[[Category:1989 television program debuts]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:1993 television program cancellations]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]
[[Category:1980s American television series]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company television dramas]]
[[Category:1990s American television series]]
[[Category:ABC network shows]]
[[Category:David E. Kelley television programs]]
[[Category:Medical television series]]
[[Category:Fictional doctors|Howser, Doogie]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios|Howser, Doogie]]

[[de:Doogie Howser, M.D.]]
[[es:Doogie Howser, M.D.]]
[[fr:Docteur Doogie]]
[[ja:天才少年ドギー・ハウザー]]
[[pt:Doogie Howser, M.D.]]

Latest revision as of 20:35, 12 December 2024

Doogie Howser, M.D.
GenreMedical drama
Sitcom
Created by
Starring
Theme music composerMike Post
ComposerMike Post
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes97 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Nat Bernstein
  • Joe Ann Fogle
  • Scott Goldstein
  • Jill Gordon
  • Nick Harding
  • Mark Horowitz
  • Mitchel Lee Katlin
  • Phil Kellard
  • Tom Moore
  • Linda Morris
  • Vic Rauseo
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time21–23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 19, 1989 (1989-09-19) –
March 24, 1993 (1993-03-24)
Related
Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.

Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American medical sitcom that ran for four seasons on ABC from September 19, 1989, to March 24, 1993, totaling 97 episodes. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, the show stars a young Neil Patrick Harris in the title role as a teenage physician who balances the challenge of practicing medicine with the everyday problems of teenage life.[1]

Plot

[edit]

Dr. Douglas "Doogie" Howser (Harris) is the son of David (James B. Sikking) and Katherine Howser (Belinda Montgomery). As a child, he twice survived early-stage pediatric leukemia[2] after his father—a family physician—discovered suspicious bruising. The experience contributed to the younger Howser's desire to enter medicine.

Possessing a genius intellect and a photographic memory,[3] Howser participates in a longitudinal study of child prodigies until his 18th birthday.[4] He earned a perfect score on the SAT at the age of six, completed high school in nine weeks,[5] graduated from Princeton University in 1983[6] at age 10, and finished medical school four years later. At age 14, Howser was the youngest licensed physician in the country. As a newspaper article (one of several noting some of Doogie's aforementioned accomplishments that are shown in the series' opening title sequence) stated, he "can't buy beer... [but] can prescribe drugs".

The series begins on Howser's 16th birthday; the cold open of the pilot episode shows him stopping his field test for his driver's license to help an injured person at the scene of a traffic accident. Howser is a second-year resident surgeon[7] at Eastman Medical Center in Los Angeles, and still lives at home[8] with his parents. His best friend and neighbor, Vinnie Delpino (Max Casella), is a more typical teenager—climbing through Howser's bedroom window to visit—and connects him to life outside of medicine. Howser has kept a diary on his computer since 1979;[9] episodes typically end with him making an entry in it, making observations about the situations he had experienced or learned in the episode.

Howser seeks acceptance both from children his age and from his professional colleagues. Many episodes also deal with wider social problems: AIDS awareness, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, sexism, gang violence, access to quality medical care, and losing one's virginity are topics, along with aging, body issues, and friendship.

Howser initially has a girlfriend, Wanda Plenn (Lisa Dean Ryan), but they break up after she leaves for college; he also begins a trauma surgery fellowship and moves into his own apartment. Bochco intended to end the show with a "season-long story arc for Doogie where he becomes disaffected with the practice of medicine and quits medicine to become a writer".[10] ABC abruptly canceled the show due to low ratings, preventing Bochco and the show's writers from implementing that storyline, other than Howser's resignation from Eastman and departure for Europe in the final episode.

Production

[edit]

The weekly, half-hour dramedy was created by Steven Bochco. He originated the concept and asked David E. Kelley to help write the pilot, earning Kelley a "created by" credit. Harris was the first actor the show's staff had found that could convincingly play a teenage doctor, but ABC executives opposed his casting. Bochco's contract required that the network pay an "enormous" penalty if it canceled the project, so ABC was forced to let him film the pilot. The network still opposed Harris's casting and disliked the pilot, but after positive reception during test screenings, ABC greenlit the show.[11]

Cast

[edit]
From left to right, Lawrence Pressman as Dr. Canfield, Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser, Mitchell Anderson as Dr. McGuire and Kathryn Layng as Nurse Spaulding.

Main cast

[edit]
  • Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Douglas "Doogie" Howser, the show's protagonist.
  • Max Casella as Vincent "Vinnie" Salvatore Delpino, Doogie's best friend since they were five years old.[12] A typical girl-crazy teenager, Vinnie resists his father's demands to join the family business and instead attends film school to pursue a career as a film director.
  • Belinda Montgomery as Katherine Howser, Doogie Howser's mother. Originally a housewife, she later returns to work as a patient advocate at her son's hospital.[13]
  • Lawrence Pressman as Dr. Benjamin Canfield, head of Eastman Medical. Canfield is an old friend and classmate of David Howser, and persuades him to join the hospital to run its family practice.[14]
  • Mitchell Anderson (seasons 1–2) as Dr. Jack McGuire, a resident at Eastman and Doogie's friendly rival. A visit to rural Mexico inspires him to leave the hospital to serve the poor overseas.[15]
  • Kathryn Layng as Mary Margaret "Curly" Spaulding, a nurse at Eastman. Spaulding occasionally dates McGuire and, briefly, both Canfield[16] and Howser.[17]
  • James B. Sikking as Dr. David Howser, Doogie Howser's father. He's a Vietnam War MASH veteran with a family practice.
  • Lisa Dean Ryan (seasons 1–2, recurring in season 3) as Wanda Plenn, Vinnie's high-school classmate and Doogie's girlfriend. After her mother dies in an automobile accident, Wanda's relationship with Doogie suffers. After she leaves for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago they end their relationship.
  • Lucy Boryer (seasons 1–3, two episodes in season 4) as Janine Stewart, Vinnie's girlfriend and Wanda's best friend. She drops out of college[18] and becomes a buyer for a department store.
  • Markus Redmond (seasons 2–4, guest star in season 1) as Raymond Alexander, an orderly (and later an EMT) at Eastman. While he was a gang member, Alexander meets Doogie after taking him hostage during a convenience-store robbery;[19] after finishing his sentence, Doogie helps him get a job at the hospital as an orderly.[20]

Recurring cast

[edit]
  • Rif Hutton as Dr. Ron Welch, a fellow doctor who is also friends with Howser.
  • Robyn Lively as Michele Faber (seasons 2 and 4), a nursing student. She becomes Howser's girlfriend shortly before he decides to leave Eastman and go to Europe.
  • Barry Livingston as Dr. Bob Rickett (seasons 2–4), a fellow doctor working at Eastman.

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of Doogie Howser, M.D. episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankRating
First airedLast aired
126September 19, 1989 (1989-09-19)May 2, 1990 (1990-05-02)2814.5[a]
225September 12, 1990 (1990-09-12)May 1, 1991 (1991-05-01)2414.7
324September 25, 1991 (1991-09-25)May 13, 1992 (1992-05-13)34[21]12.9[21]
422September 23, 1992 (1992-09-23)March 24, 1993 (1993-03-24)57[22]10.2[22]

Syndication

[edit]

In the United States, reruns of Doogie Howser, M.D. ran in syndication between September 1994 and September 1996. Repeats of the show aired on cable on the Odyssey Network (now Hallmark Channel) from 1999 to 2001.[23] The Hub began airing reruns of the show on October 11, 2010[24] lasting until May 26, 2013.

Home media

[edit]

Anchor Bay Entertainment released all four seasons of Doogie Howser, M.D. on DVD in Region 1 (United States and Canada) between 2005 and 2006.[25][26][27][28] A Complete Collection release was announced on August 28, 2008, but was eventually canceled.[29] All 4 seasons had been available to stream on Hulu, but expired on that service on June 27, 2023.[30] The series was made available internationally on Star on Disney+ beginning March 15, 2023.[31]

Reception

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]

According to Metacritic, Marvin Kitman of Newsday gave season 1 of Doogie Howser, M.D. a 40/100 score and commented: "What a wasted childhood my kids have had, I got to thinking while watching this otherwise normal Doogie Howser. It makes you look at your kids differently. What lazy bums they must be, still in high school at 16."[32] Scott Weinberg of DVD Talk recommended season two: "It's not high art, but it's a heckuva lot better than what generally passes for your average weeknight sitcom."[33] Christopher Smith of the Bangor Daily News gave season three a "C" grade and commented: "No classic, this series. [...T]he show has become gratingly cute, particularly in the episodes “Doogiesomething,” “Double Doogie with Cheese,” and “Lonesome Doog.” Doog, I'm Dooged out."[34]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Result Category Recipient
1990 People's Choice Award Won Favorite New TV Comedy Series
Viewers for Quality Television Award Nominated Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris
Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series Max Casella
Young Artist Award Won Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series Neil Patrick Harris
Nominated Best New Television Series
Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series Michael Bacall
1991 Primetime Emmy Award Won Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special Joe Kenworthy (production sound mixer)
Bill Thiederman (re-recording mixer)
Dean Okrand (re-recording mixer)
Mike Getlin (re-recording mixer)
(for the episode "Doogenstein")
Humanitas Prize Nominated 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television Nat Bernstein
Mitchel Katlin
(for the episode "To Live and Die in Brentwood")
Young Artist Awards Won Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series Christopher Pettiet
Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series Neil Patrick Harris
1992 Primetime Emmy Award Won Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special Joe Kenworthy (production sound mixer)
Bill Thiederman (re-recording mixer)
Dean Okrand (re-recording mixer)
Mike Getlin (re-recording mixer)
(for the episode "Lonesome Doog")
Nominated Outstanding Cinematography for a Series Michael D. O'Shea
(for the episode "Summer Of '91")
Golden Globe Award Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical Neil Patrick Harris
Young Artist Award Won Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series
Nominated Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Television Series Lisa Dean Ryan
1993 Primetime Emmy Award Won Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special Joe Kenworthy (production sound mixer)
Mike Getlin (re-recording mixer)
Dean Okrand (re-recording mixer)
Bill Thiederman (re-recording mixer)
(for the episode "Doogie Got a Gun")

Cultural influence

[edit]
  • Neil Patrick Harris has satirized his years playing a teenage medical doctor several times:
    • In an episode of Roseanne, Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) has a dream after having undergone breast reduction surgery. She goes to the mirror and realizes that her breasts are comically larger than before. Doogie Howser (Harris) comes in and asks an upset Roseanne if they were supposed to be bigger than they are in the dream. Roseanne screams, but then is woken up by her husband Dan. To make sure she was dreaming, she looks under her bedsheet, sees the surgery went as planned, and sighs, "Way to go, Doogie!"
    • Barney Stinson (also played by Harris) writes in his computerized diary at the end of the How I Met Your Mother episode "The Bracket," while the Doogie Howser theme music plays.[35] In the later episode "The Stinsons," he also comments, "Call me crazy but child actors were way better in the '80s".
    • In the 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Harris – playing a fictionalized version of himself – claims to have "humped every piece of ass ever on that show" (except the hot nurse, over whom he expresses regret). Harris is referred to as "Doogie Howser" while stealing Harold (John Cho)'s car from the convenience store. In Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Harris remarks, after taking psychotropic mushrooms, "Dude, I was able to perform an appendectomy at 14, I think I can handle a few 'shrooms".
    • In 2008, Harris appeared in commercials for Old Spice deodorant, claiming to be an expert because he "used to be a doctor for pretends".
    • During the opening of the 2009 TV Land Awards, Harris, who hosted the show, travels through "The TV Land Zone" (a spoof of The Twilight Zone), where he finds himself the star of TV classics. At one point, Harris walks into a doctor's office, dressed as Doogie, while the Doogie Howser, M.D. theme plays. After realizing where he is, he storms out, saying, "No no no, not gonna happen! Check my contract!"
    • On the January 10, 2009 episode of Saturday Night Live, an "SNL Digital Short" featured Harris, the episode's guest host, leading a full orchestra version of the Doogie Howser theme. When the song concludes, he turns toward the camera and sheds a tear.[36]
    • On the March 14, 2011 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a "real doctor" played by Harris endorses Kimmel's Jim-Miracle Diet, as the Doogie Howser theme plays.[37]
    • Harris in 2017 joined other actors from medical television shows in Cigna's "TV Doctors of America" advertising campaign for annual checkups.[38]
  • Neil Patrick Harris played Doogie Howser in The Earth Day Special in 1990. In the special, Doogie, along with two other doctors (played by Dana Delany and James Brolin), are informed by the Back to the Future trilogy scientist Emmett L. Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) on how to save Mother Nature (played by Bette Midler).[39]
  • In Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, any blond, good-looking waiter working in his restaurant is immediately nicknamed "Doogie Howser".[40]
  • Smart mice obtained by genetic engineering have been named "Doogie mice" in honor of Harris's character.[41][42]

Real life comparisons

[edit]

Balamurali Ambati graduated from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and obtained his medical license when he was only 17 years old, a Guinness World Record, and has been compared to the fictional Doogie Howser, though Ambati himself disliked the association.[43]

Sho Yano, who became the youngest student to attain an M.D. from the University of Chicago at 21 years old, has also been called a real-life Doogie Howser.[44]

Doogie Howser has been used as a moniker for several people involved in politics. In 2009, 13-year-old author and speaker Jonathan Krohn was nicknamed "Doogie Howser GOP".[45][46] 17-year-old Evan Draim, the youngest delegate at the 2012 Republican National Convention, was referred to as a "Doogie Howser of the GOP".[47][48] Republican congressman Aaron Schock has been referred to as a Doogie Howser for being the youngest member of Congress in 2009 at 27 years old.[49][50] In 2015, Jon Stewart called Schock a "Doogie Howser wannabe" for his travel expenses and activities while still in office.[51][52]

Some teenagers who have impersonated physicians are often referred to as Doogie Howser.[53][54][55] Others who have excelled at a young age have been called Doogie Howser.[56][57]

Reboot

[edit]
Main article: Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.

In April 2020, it was announced that a reboot titled Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., was in development for Disney+ with Kourtney Kang writing and co-executive producing with Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan, and Bochco's wife, Dayna Bochco and son, Jesse Bochco. The new series focuses on Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), a female 16-year-old doctor in Hawaii given her nickname by others who have seen Doogie Howser, M.D.. Disney+ gave the series a 10-episode straight-to-series order in September 2020.[58][59]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Tied with The Simpsons and Night Court

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BBC - Comedy Guide - Doogie Howser, MD". Archived from the original on December 5, 2004.
  2. ^ "Pilot (at 15:00 mark)". Hulu.
  3. ^ "The Grass Ain't Always Greener – Season 1, episode 25 (April 25, 1990)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu. I can't help it. I remember everything I read.
  4. ^ "The Summer of '91 – Season 3, episode 1 (September 25, 1991)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  5. ^ "Doogstruck – Season 3, episode 8 (November 20, 1991)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  6. ^ Courie, Katie. "'Give something back – you're graduating from Princeton!' (Princeton University Class Day address on June 1, 2009)". Princeton Alumni Weekly. July 15, 2009.
  7. ^ He began his residency in September 1988, a year before the pilot. "Every Dog Has His Doogie – Season 1, episode 12 (November 29, 1989)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  8. ^ 1782 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. "Lonesome Doog – Season 3, episode 6 (October 30, 1991)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  9. ^ "Thanks for the Memories – Season 3, episode 23 (May 6, 1992)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  10. ^ Doogie Howser M.D., Season 1 DVD
  11. ^ Adalian, Josef (March 21, 2011). "The Vulture Transcript: Prolific TV Creator David E. Kelley on His Career Hits and Misses". Vulture. New York. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  12. ^ "Vinnie Video Vici (October 25, 1989)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  13. ^ "The Doctor, the Wife, her Son and the Job – Season 2, episode 21 (March 13, 1991)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  14. ^ "It's a Tough Job...But Why Does My Father Have to Do It? – Season 4, episode 13 (January 13, 1993)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  15. ^ "Planet of the Dateless – Season 2, episode 22 (March 20, 1991)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  16. ^ "Oh Very Young – Season 2, 11 (November 28, 1990)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  17. ^ "What You See Ain't Necessarily What You Get – Season 3, episode 18 (March 11, 1992)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  18. ^ "Educating Janine – Season 3, episode 13 (April 1, 1992)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  19. ^ "Use a Slurpy, Go to Jail – Season 1, episode 20 (February 28, 1990)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  20. ^ "Guess Who's Coming to Doogie's – Season 2, episode 2 (September 19, 1990)". Steven Bochco Productions/20th Century Fox Television. Hulu.
  21. ^ a b "The 1991-92 Season FULL Nielsen Ratings...and other interesting tidbits - Sitcoms Online Message Boards - Forums". www.sitcomsonline.com.
  22. ^ a b "The TV Ratings Guide: 1992-93 Ratings History".
  23. ^ "Odyssey, Other Networks Set Fall Slates". Next Tv. September 5, 1999. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Doogie Howser M.D.', 'Wonder Years' et. al to Join New Lineup for The Hub Network". Broadway World. August 6, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  25. ^ David Lambert (February 4, 2005). "Doogie Howser, M.D. - We've Got Dr. Doogie's DVD Cover Art!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  26. ^ David Lambert (August 2, 2005). "Doogie Howser, M.D. - Take a look at the front cover for Season 2!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  27. ^ David Lambert (November 2, 2005). "Doogie Howser, M.D. - Doogie's Getting Kissed On The 3rd Season Set's Cover". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  28. ^ David Lambert (February 16, 2006). "Doogie Howser, M.D. - Package Art For Doogie's Final Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  29. ^ David Lambert (March 28, 2008). "Doogie Howser, M.D. - Anchor Bay Preps for Surgery: New Complete Collection Cuts Out in May". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011.
  30. ^ "Doogie Howser, M.D." Hulu. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  31. ^ MacCary, Julia; Reul, Katie; Flam, Charna (February 16, 2023). "'Abbott Elementary' Star Janelle James to Host Writers Guild Awards (TV News Roundup)". Variety.
  32. ^ "Doogie Howser, M.D. - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  33. ^ Scott Weinberg (September 25, 2005). "Doogie Howser, M.D. -- Season Two : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". DVD Talk. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  34. ^ Christopher Smith (January 28, 2006). "DVD corner". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  35. ^ Alan Sepinwall (March 31, 2008). "HIMYM, "The Bracket": No bets, just slaps". The Star-Ledger. blog.nj.com.
  36. ^ "Digital Short: 'Doogie Howser' Theme". Saturday Night Live (SNL Studios/Broadway Video). Archived from the original on July 5, 2009.
  37. ^ Jimmy Kimmel, Neil Patrick Harris (March 14, 2011). The Hottie Body Jim-Miracle Diet. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021.
  38. ^ Holub, Christian (September 15, 2017). "Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Walsh Join TV Doctors of America For New Video". Entertainment Weekly.
  39. ^ A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon Page 125
  40. ^ Anthony Bourdain (2000). "Anthony Bourdain 'Kitchen Confidential'". Kitchen Confidential. Archived from the original on September 25, 2013.
  41. ^ Marc D. Hauser (2001). "Swappable Minds". The Next Fifty Years" (Ed. J. Brockman). Vintage Books.
  42. ^ Tang YP, Shimizu E, Dube GR, Rampon C, Kerchner GA, Zhuo M, Liu G, Tsien JZ (1999). "Genetic enhancement of learning and memory in mice". Nature. 401 (6748): 63–69. Bibcode:1999Natur.401...63T. doi:10.1038/43432. PMID 10485705. S2CID 481884.
  43. ^ "Teen doctor: 'Just don't call me Doogie'". The Victoria Advocate. May 17, 1995. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  44. ^ Enjoli Francis (June 4, 2012). "M.D. at 21, Sho Yano Is Real-Life 'Doogie Howser'". ABC News. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  45. ^ Chumsky, Susan (April 26, 2013). "The Growing Pains of Jonathan Krohn". The New York Times.
  46. ^ "Homeschooler: Jonathan Krohn". www.alabamahomeschooling.com.
  47. ^ "Meet Evan Draim of Alexandria, the 'Doogie Howser' of the GOP - Alexandria Virginia News - LocalKicks". www.localkicks.com.
  48. ^ "Evan Draim: 17-year-old delegate at RNC". orlandosentinel.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018.
  49. ^ Strzemien, Anya (March 30, 2009). "Aaron Schock, "Hottest Freshman," Talks Doogie Howser And Dating On "Today Show" (VIDEO)" – via Huff Post.
  50. ^ "Young Gun". chicagomag.com.
  51. ^ "Jon Stewart Rips Fallen GOP Rep. Aaron Schock: 'Doogie Howser Wannabe' (Video)". thewrap.com. March 19, 2015.
  52. ^ "Jon Stewart Rips Fallen GOP Rep. Aaron Schock: 'Doogie Howser Wannabe' (Video)". yahoo.com. March 19, 2015.
  53. ^ "Doogie Howser Wannabe Busted At Hospital". The Smoking Gun. January 16, 2015.
  54. ^ "Florida Teen Arrested for Posing as a Licensed Doctor: Authorities". nbcnews.com. February 17, 2016.
  55. ^ John, Ollie (February 3, 2013). "Doogie Howser Gone Wrong: Teen Arrested for Impersonating a Doctor". Time – via newsfeed.time.com.
  56. ^ Boone, Mario (March 28, 2018). "Ansonia teen hailed a "genius" after perfect score on AP chemistry exam". wtnh.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  57. ^ "20-Year-Old Prosecutor: Young Cooley Grad Sworn Into Florida Bar". findlaw.com. September 28, 2015.
  58. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 10, 2020). "'Doogie Howser' Female-Led Reboot 'Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.' Picked Up To Series By Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  59. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 14, 2021). "Andi Mack' star Peyton Elizabeth Lee will take on the role that Neil Patrick Harris originally made famous three decades ago". The Hollywood Reporter.
[edit]
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