‘The Good Doctor’ Spinoff ‘The Good Lawyer’ in the Works at ABC ko01
The Good Doctor could be getting a spinoff in The Good Lawyer, a legal drama reportedly in development at ABC. The Good Lawyer hails from The Good Doctor executive producers/co-showrunners David Shore and Liz Friedman and will feature a female lead
According to Deadline, the spinoff will get a backdoor pilot in The Good Doctor, just like the Niecy Nash-led The Rookie: Feds did in The Rookie. The backdoor pilot will reportedly be The Good Doctor Season 6 Episode 13. Season 6 premieres Monday, October 3 at 10/9c.
Like the premise of the original show, in which Freddie Highmore plays Shaun Murphy, a doctor with autism, The Good Lawyer will follow Joni, a brilliant 20-something lawyer living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Joni will be introduced as a defense attorney for Shaun after he finds himself in legal trouble.
Joni is described as “funny, eager, self-aware, and a bit anxious.” She got through law school and her bar exam with ease, but her OCD symptoms take a severe toll on her personal and professional life. Joni wishes not to be treated differently because of her OCD symptoms and often feels embarrassed by them. Despite being a great lawyer, she had to threaten to sue her firm for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act when they tried to fire her because of the behavior that stems from her symptoms.
If Joni is like Shaun, then The Good Lawyer‘s Janet is like Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff). Janet has a fierce intellect and a dry, rapier wit. She’s a highly regarded attorney and partner at Joni’s firm. Janet has represented Dr. Glassman in several legal matters over the course of 30 years, prompting Glassman to seek her services in aid of his protégé, Shaun.