Season 1

The first season of the American television series The Good Doctor was ordered in May 2017 and premiered on September 25, 2017 on ABC and in Canada on CTV. The series was a put pilot in October 2016. The first screening prior to the official airing was on September 9, 2017.^[2]

Synopsis[]

Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), a young autistic surgeon, who relocates from a quiet country life to join the prestigious St. Bonaventure hospital's surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, his only advocate, Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff), challenges the skepticism and prejudices of the hospital's board and staff when he brings him in to join the team. Shaun will need to work harder than he ever has before, as he navigates his new environment and relationships to prove to his colleagues that his extraordinary medical gifts will save lives.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy (18/18)
Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neil Melendez (18/18)
Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne (18/18)
Chuku Modu as Dr. Jared Kalu (18/18)
Beau Garrett as Jessica Preston (13/18)
Irene Keng as Dr. Elle McLean* (1/18)
Tamlyn Tomita as Allegra Aoki** (11/18)
Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews (15/18)
Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman (17/18)

Note: "*" denotes only credited as starring in "Burnt Food".
Note: "**" denotes credited as starring as of "Mount Rushmore".

Guest Starring[]

Christina Chang as Dr. Audrey Lim (7/18)
Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo (6/18)
Graham Verchere as Young Shaun Murphy (5/18)
Fiona Gubelmann as Dr. Morgan Reznick (5/18)
Dylan Kingwell as Steve Murphy (4/18) and Evan Gallico (1/18)
Chris D'Elia as Kenny (4/18)
Will Yun Lee as Dr. Alex Park (4/18)
Jasika Nicole as Carly (3/18)
Marsha Thomason as Dr. Isabel Barnes (3/18)
Eve Gordon as Nurse Fryday (2/18)
Kari Coleman as Nurse Farrar (2/18)
Kandyse McClure as Celez (2/18)
Catherine Lough Haggquist as Dr. Mohan (2/18)
Eric Winter as Dr. Matt Coyle (2/18)
Necar Zadegan as Dr. Jordan Ko (2/18)
Kerry Sandomirsky as Mrs. Kunkler (2/18)
Emily Hinkler as Jenny Kunkler (2/18)
Elizabeth Hinkler as Katie Kunkler (2/18)

Co-Starring[]

Teryl Rothery as Jan Lancaster (11/18)
Orlando Lucas as Adam (1/18)
Miranda Edwards as Bonnie (1/18)
Matthew Mandzij as Carl (1/18)
Roman Podhora as Callum Reilly (1/18)
Rebecca Husain as Marcie Murphy (2/18)
Kirby Morrow as Ethan Murphy (2/18)
Arielle Tuliao as Assistant (1/18)
Sam Vincent as Doctor (1/18)
Tim Zhang as EMT #1 (1/18)
Dalias Blake as Hospital Security Guard (1/18)
Mike Li as Nurse (1/18)
Gavin Cooke as TSA Officer (1/18)
Chance Moore as Soccer Kid (1/18)
Carson Sanca as Soccer Kid #1 (1/18)
Cassius Morrison as Soccer Kid #2 (1/18)
Zachary Choe as Soccer Kid #3 (1/18)

Episodes[]

No.	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original Airdate	Viewers (million)
1	"Burnt Food"	Seth Gordon	David Shore	September 25, 2017	11.22^[3]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join the prestigious St. Bonaventure Hospital's surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, his only advocate, Dr. Aaron Glassman, challenges the skepticism and prejudices of the hospital's board and staff when he brings him in to join the team. Shaun will need to work harder than he ever has before, as he navigates his new environment and relationships to prove to his colleagues that his extraordinary medical gifts will save lives.
2	"Mount Rushmore"	Mike Listo	David Shore	October 2, 2017	10.93^[4]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy's attention to detail complicates his first day at St. Bonaventure Hospital. Meanwhile, Dr. Claire Browne learns a valuable lesson about honesty when confronted with a difficult diagnosis for her patient.
3	"Oliver"	John Dahl	William L. Rotko	October 9, 2017	10.69^[5]
		Dr. Neil Melendez and Dr. Jared Unger discover their patient isn't being completely honest with them which may cost him his chance at a life-saving surgery. Meanwhile, Dr. Claire Browne must learn to communicate with Dr. Shaun Murphy as they race back to St. Bonaventure Hospital with a donated organ.
4	"Pipes"	Steven DePaul	Thomas L. Moran	October 16, 2017	10.60^[6]
		Dr. Neil Melendez and the team have to wade through legal waters when a husband and wife have to make a life-changing decision about their unborn child. Meanwhile, Dr. Shaun Murphy struggles to adjust to his new environment at home and makes a huge step forward with his colleagues.
5	"Point Three Percent"	Larry Teng	David Hoselton	October 23, 2017	10.39^[7]
		While in the exam area of St. Bonaventure Hospital, Dr. Shaun Murphy encounters a young patient who looks eerily similar to his deceased brother, Steve. After discovering his parents have hidden his diagnosis from him, Shaun struggles to understand why he doesn't deserve to hear the truth about his own health. Meanwhile, the team can't figure out what keeps triggering their patients' increasingly severe allergic reactions and races to find the cause before the next one kills another patient.
6	"Not Fake"	Michael Patrick Jann	Simran Baidwan	October 30, 2017	10.60^[8]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy and Dr. Claire Browne devise an experimental procedure that can save the leg and life of a young groom, that is if his bride-to-be and parents can learn to work together. Meanwhile, Jared struggles to emotionally connect with his patient whose scars may prove too deep to overcome.
7	"22 Steps"	David Straiton	Johanna Lee	November 13, 2017	10.14^[9]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy has to confront prejudice from an unlikely source when he takes on the case of a patient with autism, and Dr. Jared Kalu has to learn to accept his limitations as a surgeon.
8	"Apple"	Nestor Carbonell	David Renaud	November 20, 2017	9.97^[10]
		During a robbery at the grocery mart Dr. Shaun Murphy is shopping at, his communication limitations puts lives at risk. Meanwhile, after Shaun’s traumatic day, Dr. Aaron Glassman worries that he isn’t doing enough to help Shaun.
9	"Intangibles"	Bronwen Hughes	Karen Struck	November 27, 2017	9.25^[11]
		As part of St. Bonaventure Hospital’s international humanitarian program, the team takes on the case of a young boy from the Congo who has severe congenital heart anomalies. Dr. Neil Melendez has doubts about the safety of the procedure, while Dr. Shaun Murphy works out the best course of action. Meanwhile, Murphy’s latest encounter with his neighbor Lea has him confused.
10	"Sacrifice"	Michael Patrick Jann	Lloyd Gilyard Jr.	December 4, 2017	9.03^[12]
		Members of the hospital’s surgical team are initially impressed with a charming young doctor, but his true character puts one of them in an awkward position at work. Meanwhile, Dr. Glassman feels Dr. Shaun Murphy needs a little more support with his personal life and suggests he meet with a therapist. However, Shaun is determined to show him that he can do it on his own.
11	"Islands: Part One"^[13]	Bill D'Elia	Thomas L. Moran & William Rotko	January 8, 2018	8.30^[14]
		Dr. Marcus Andrews enlists Dr. Neil Melendez on a very sensitive kidney transplant between a pair of twins whose lives intersect in more ways than one. Meanwhile, overwhelmed by Dr. Aaron Glassman's attempts to have him meet with a therapist and the demands at work, Dr. Shaun Murphy decides to take an impromptu trip with his friend Lea and leave everything behind.
12	"Islands: Part Two"^[13]	Cherie Nowlan	Thomas L. Moran	January 15, 2018	9.33^[15]
		The twins suffer complications from their surgery forcing the team at San Jose Boneventure Hospital to make a life-changing decision. Meanwhile, Dr. Shaun Murphy returns to the hospital after his trip with Lea and decides he needs a more permanent change and gives Dr. Aaron Glassman his two weeks’ notice.
13	"Seven Reasons"^[13]	Mike Listo	David Shore & David Hoselton	January 22, 2018	9.61^[16]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy suspects his patient is lying about the reason for her injury and makes a controversial assumption about her motives. Meanwhile, Dr. Neil Melendez's personal life could be affecting his work and, ultimately, his patients lives.
14	"She"^[13]	Seth Gordon	Simran Baidwan	February 5, 2018	9.63^[17]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy is surprised to learn that his young cancer patient identifies as a girl while being biologically male. Shaun must quickly learn to understand his patient, her medical needs and how to work with her family, who all feel they know what is best for her
15	"Heartfelt"^[13]	Regina King	Thomas L. Moran & Johanna Lee	February 26, 2018	7.82^[18]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy’s teenage patient has been confined to her home her entire life due to a rare heart condition. Despite her condition, she has cultivated a large group of friends online and hopes that the surgical team can find a way to give her the life she has always dreamed of having. Meanwhile, a young patient’s perfectly matched organ donor is causing a moral dilemma for the parents and the patient
16	"Pain"^[13]	Allison Liddi	William L. Rotko & David Renaud	March 12, 2018	9.88^[19]
		When the team treats a patient who has to decide between a dangerous surgery that could change his life or remain the same, he asks Dr. Shaun Murphy what he would if he had that same choice
17	"Smile"^[13]	Bill D’Elia	David Hoselton & Karen Struck	March 19, 2018	9.03^[20]
		Dr. Shaun Murphy questions the need for an elective surgery that will allow his young patient to smile for the first time. Meanwhile, Dr. Claire Browne and Dr. Morgan Reznick discover that their patient lied about her identity.
18	"More"^[13]	Mike Listo	David Shore & Lloyd Gilyard, Jr.	March 26, 2018	9.39^[21]
		The team at St. Bonaventure needs to quickly discover the truth behind a young college student’s unexplained injuries before his condition worsens. Meanwhile, after losing his most prized possession, Shaun’s distraction during a surgical procedure may end up risking more than just his job.

Airdates[]

Canada: September 25, 2017 - March 26, 2018
United Kingdom & Ireland:^[22] October 27, 2017^[23] - TBA
Australia:^[24] October 31, 2017^[25] - April 16, 2018
Japan:^[26] April 2018^[27] - TBA
Netherlands: January 29, 2018^[28] - TBA

Trivia[]

After the first season's success, it was officially picked up for a full season of 18 episodes on October 3, 2017.^[29]
On April 14, 2021, Daniel Dae Kim revealed that he wanted an Asian lead when he first developed the series. But the studio eventually came in with Freddie Highmore, whom they both absolutely loved. And so it eventually shifted the focus to creating a diverse ensemble.^[30]