Doogie Howser, M.D. is an Americanmedicalsitcom that ran for four seasons onABC from September 19, 1989, to March 24, 1993, totaling97 episodes. Created bySteven Bochco andDavid E. Kelley, the show starsNeil 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]
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 pediatricleukemia[2] after his father—afamily physician—discovered suspicious bruising. The experience contributed to the younger Howser's desire to enter medicine.
Possessing agenius intellect and aphotographic memory,[3] Doogie participates in alongitudinal study of child prodigies until his 18th birthday.[4] He earned a perfect score on theSAT at the age of six, completed high school in nine weeks,[5] graduated fromPrinceton 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' openingtitle sequence) stated, he "can't buy beer... [but] can prescribe drugs".
The series begins on Doogie's 16th birthday; thecold open of thepilot episode shows him stopping his field test for hisdriver's license to help an injured person at the scene of a traffic accident. Doogie is a second-year resident surgeon[7] at Eastman Medical Center inLos Angeles, and still livesat home[8] with his parents. Doogie's best friend and neighbor, Vinnie Delpino (Max Casella), is a more typical teenager who often climbs through Doogie's bedroom window to visit and connects him to life outside of medicine. Doogie has kept adiary on his computer since 1979;[9] episodes typically end with him making an entry in it, writing observations about the situations or lessons he had experienced or learned in the episode.
Doogie 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'svirginity are topics, along with aging, body issues, and friendship.
Doogie initially has a girlfriend, Wanda Plenn (Lisa Dean Ryan), but they break up after she leaves for college; he also begins atrauma surgeryfellowship 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 thefinal episode.
The weekly, half-hour dramedy was created bySteven Bochco. He originated the concept and askedDavid 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 duringtest screenings, ABCgreenlit the show.[11]
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
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 afilm director.
Belinda Montgomery as Katherine Howser, Doogie Howser's mother. Originally a housewife, she later returns to work as apatient 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]
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 theSchool 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 adepartment 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 anorderly.[20]
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.
In the United States, reruns ofDoogie Howser, M.D. ran in syndication between September 1994 and September 1996. Repeats of the show aired on cable on theOdyssey 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.Antenna TV aired reruns from January 5, 2015 to January 1, 2018.[25]
Anchor Bay Entertainment released all four seasons ofDoogie Howser, M.D. on DVD in Region 1 (United States and Canada) between 2005 and 2006.[26][27][28][29] AComplete Collection release was announced on August 28, 2008, but was eventually canceled.[30] All 4 seasons had been available to stream onHulu, but expired on that service on June 27, 2023. The series was made available internationally onStar onDisney+ beginning March 15, 2023.[31]
According toMetacritic,Marvin Kitman ofNewsday gave season 1 ofDoogie 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 ofDVD 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 theBangor 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]
Joe Kenworthy(production sound mixer) Bill Thiederman(re-recording mixer) Dean Okrand(re-recording mixer) Mike Getlin(re-recording mixer) (for the episode "Doogenstein")
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")
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")
Neil Patrick Harris has satirized his years playing a teenage medical doctor several times:
In an episode ofRoseanne, Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) has a dream after having undergonebreast 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.
In the 2004 comedyHarold & 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. InHarold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Harris remarks, after taking psychotropic mushrooms, "Dude, I was able to perform anappendectomy at 14, I think I can handle a few 'shrooms".
In 2008, Harris appeared in commercials forOld Spice deodorant, claiming to be an expert because he "used to be a doctor for pretends".
During the opening of the 2009TV Land Awards, Harris, who hosted the show, travels through "The TV Land Zone" (a spoof ofThe 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 theDoogie 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 ofSaturday Night Live, an "SNL Digital Short" featured Harris, the episode's guest host, leading a full orchestra version of theDoogie Howser theme. When the song concludes, he turns toward the camera and sheds a tear.[36]
On the March 14, 2011 episode ofJimmy Kimmel Live!, a "real doctor" played by Harris endorses Kimmel's Jim-Miracle Diet, as theDoogie Howser theme plays.[37]
Harris in 2017 joined other actors from medical television shows inCigna's "TV Doctors of America" advertising campaign for annualcheckups.[38]
Smart mice obtained by genetic engineering have been named "Doogie mice" in honor of Harris's character.[41][42]
In 2025 after it was announced that Harris was portrayingDeadpool in Deadpool VR,Ryan Reynolds posted an advertisement for the game where he pretended to portray Doogie Howser and write in his computer diary joking about Neil taking his role. Robyn Lively, Ryan's sister-in-law, also makes an appearance.[43]
Sho Yano, who became the youngest student to attain an M.D. from theUniversity of Chicago at 21 years old, has also been called a real-life Doogie Howser.[45]
Doogie Howser has been used as a moniker for several people involved in politics. In 2009, 13-year-old author and speakerJonathan Krohn was nicknamed "Doogie Howser GOP".[46][47] 17-year-old Evan Draim, the youngest delegate at the2012 Republican National Convention, was referred to as a "Doogie Howser of the GOP".[48][49] Republican congressmanAaron Schock has been referred to as a Doogie Howser for being theyoungest member of Congress in 2009 at 27 years old.[50][51] In 2015,Jon Stewart called Schock a "Doogie Howser wannabe" for his travel expenses and activities while still in office.[52][53]
Some teenagers who have impersonated physicians are often referred to as Doogie Howser.[54][55][56] Others who have excelled at a young age have been called Doogie Howser.[57][58]
In April 2020, it was announced that a reboot titledDoogie Kameāloha, M.D., was in development forDisney+ 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 seenDoogie Howser, M.D.. Disney+ gave the series a 10-episode straight-to-series order in September 2020.[59][60]
Quotations related toDoogie Howser, M.D. at Wikiquote
