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Doogie Howser, M.D.

  • TV Series
  • 1989–19931989–1993
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,892
18
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Neil Patrick Harris in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 1
Play trailer1:13
8 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Family

A teenage genius deals with the usual problems of growing up, on top of being a licensed physician in a difficult residency program.A teenage genius deals with the usual problems of growing up, on top of being a licensed physician in a difficult residency program.A teenage genius deals with the usual problems of growing up, on top of being a licensed physician in a difficult residency program.

IMDb RATING
6.5/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,892
18
  • Creators
    • Steven Bochco
    • David E. Kelley
  • Stars
    • Neil Patrick Harris
    • Max Casella
    • Belinda Montgomery
Top credits
  • Creators
    • Steven Bochco
    • David E. Kelley
  • Stars
    • Neil Patrick Harris
    • Max Casella
    • Belinda Montgomery
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 18User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 8 wins & 8 nominations total

    Episodes97

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos8

    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season One
    Clip 3:25
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season One
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season Two
    Clip 2:49
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season Two
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season Two
    Clip 2:01
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season Two
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 1
    Trailer 1:13
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 1
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 3
    Trailer 1:11
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 3
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 4
    Trailer 2:49
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 4
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 2
    Trailer 1:01
    Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season 2
    Post "Roseanne" Revival Ideas
    Video 2:57
    Post "Roseanne" Revival Ideas

    Photos131

    Neil Patrick Harris, Mitchell Anderson, Max Casella, Kathryn Layng, Belinda Montgomery, Lawrence Pressman, and James Sikking in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Max Casella in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris and Lawrence Pressman in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Belinda Montgomery in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Dean Ryan in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris and Belinda Montgomery in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Lawrence Pressman in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris and Max Casella in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)
    Neil Patrick Harris, Mitchell Anderson, Kathryn Layng, and Lawrence Pressman in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Neil Patrick Harris
    Neil Patrick Harris
    • Dr. Doogie Howseras Dr. Doogie Howser
    97 episodes97 eps • 1989–1993
    Max Casella
    Max Casella
    • Vinnie Delpinoas Vinnie Delpino
    97 episodes97 eps • 1989–1993
    Belinda Montgomery
    Belinda Montgomery
    • Katherine Howseras Katherine Howser
    97 episodes97 eps • 1989–1993
    Lawrence Pressman
    Lawrence Pressman
    • Dr. Benjamin Canfieldas Dr. Benjamin Canfield
    97 episodes97 eps • 1989–1993
    Kathryn Layng
    Kathryn Layng
    • Nurse Curly Spauldingas Nurse Curly Spaulding
    97 episodes97 eps • 1989–1993
    James Sikking
    James Sikking
    • Dr. David Howseras Dr. David Howser
    97 episodes97 eps • 1989–1993
    Markus Redmond
    Markus Redmond
    • Raymond Alexanderas Raymond Alexander
    71 episodes71 eps • 1990–1993
    Lucy Boryer
    Lucy Boryer
    • Janine Stewartas Janine Stewart
    61 episodes61 eps • 1989–1993
    Mitchell Anderson
    Mitchell Anderson
    • Dr. Jack McGuireas Dr. Jack McGuire
    51 episodes51 eps • 1989–1991
    Lisa Dean Ryan
    Lisa Dean Ryan
    • Wanda Plennas Wanda Plenn
    46 episodes46 eps • 1989–1992
    Rif Hutton
    Rif Hutton
    • Dr. Ron Welchas Dr. Ron Welch
    17 episodes17 eps • 1989–1993
    Robyn Lively
    Robyn Lively
    • Nurse Michele Faberas Nurse Michele Faber
    6 episodes6 eps • 1991–1993
    Lainey Hashorva
    • Nurseas Nurse…
    5 episodes5 eps • 1989–1993
    Linda Klein
    • Nurse Kleinas Nurse Klein…
    5 episodes5 eps • 1989–1992
    Carlease Burke
    Carlease Burke
    • Paramedicas Paramedic…
    5 episodes5 eps • 1991–1993
    James Hong
    James Hong
    • Mr. Chenas Mr. Chen…
    4 episodes4 eps • 1991–1992
    Huck Liggett
    • Dr. Lucasas Dr. Lucas
    3 episodes3 eps • 1989
    Sami Chester
    • Alvinas Alvin…
    3 episodes3 eps • 1989–1990
    • Creators
      • Steven Bochco
      • David E. Kelley
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A teenage genius deals with the usual problems of growing up: hanging out with his best friend, going to parties, finding his style, and finding and having a girlfriend--all on top of being a licensed physician in a difficult residency program. —Phil Fernando
    • brilliant mind
    • character name as series title
    • neil patrick harris character
    • medical drama
    • teen drama
    • 44 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Family
    • Certificate
      • TV-PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Actor Neil Patrick Harris reportedly drew inspiration from watching Robert Young in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969). Learning that Young was ill and pondering death, Harris visited Young with tapes of this show and helped cheer him up.
    • Goofs
      In the opening credits a newspaper clipping is shown, stating that Doogie Howser graduated from high school at the age of 12, but in the next newspaper clipping it says that he graduated from Princeton at age 10. It's not possible to graduate from college before graduating high school. This was not changed until season 3.
    • Connections
      Featured in Stay Tuned (1992)

    User reviews18

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Interesting and unique show that quickly flat-lined
    When it first came out, "Doogie Howser M.D." was one of the more unique shows to grace the airwaves. It centered around a 16-year old child prodigy, Douglas "Doogie" Howser, who was a doctor at a Los Angeles area hospital. He lived with his parents and had a girlfriend, Wanda, and an obnoxious best friend who often came into his house via a window. Each episode ended with Doogie typing up an entry in his personal computer diary. The entry was usually a wise proverb from a lesson learned in the episode.

    The show was developed by Steven Bochco who created ground-breaking shows like "L.A. Law" and "Hill Street Blues". Although not nearly as acclaimed as those two shows (the only Emmy awards it was nominated for were for Sound Mixing and Cinematography), it had a satisfying blend of comedy and drama that kept the show interesting but not too serious. Since the two main characters were both teenagers, this lead many people to dismiss it as a kid's show. However, it was much deeper than a kid's show as most of the episodes centered on adult themes such as AIDS, death, and racism. The acting was also very solid. Long before he gained recognition for the show "How I Met Your Mother", I always felt that Neil Patrick Harris was a very underrated actor. Very few teenage actors could have pulled off playing a child prodigy the way he did. It would be hard to imagine anyone else playing the Doogie Howser role.

    The first and second season were terrific as they focused around Doogie's struggles to be a normal teenager despite the demands of his job. A common theme was discrimination as he was often discriminated based on his age by patients and even other doctors. He was not afraid, though, to express his views, even if it meant clashing with more seasoned and respected doctors. By the third or fourth season, the show had lost some of its novelty as Doogie was no longer a child prodigy but just a very smart adult. This must have really made it hard for the writers to come up with interesting story lines and it showed. The show began to focus more on Doogie's personal life and Vinnie quirky adventures and less on the hospital. By this time, Doogie had moved out of his parent's house to live in an apartment which meant that less time was devoted to his parents who were an integral part of the show. The ratings declined and a show that seemed like it would be on the air for many years was canceled after only four.
    helpful•22
    3
    • steve-575
    • Mar 23, 2008

    FAQ1

    • Where can one purchase the complete 4 season set of Doogie Howser, M.D?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 19, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Doogie Howser
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 18, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • 20th Century Fox Television
      • Steven Bochco Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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    ‘Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.’ Renewed for Season 2 at Disney Plus
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