Good Doctor

A man, who is an autistic savant, aspires to become a paediatrician. He overcomes societal discrimination and uses his exceptional abilities to achieve his dreams.

Good Doctor (2013) is a South Korean national-television medical drama series created by Park Jae-bum for KBS2. Its protagonist, Park Shi-on, is played by Joo Won, a young man with autism and savant-level medical gifts who aspires to become a paediatrician despite the discrimination he meets at every turn. Moon Chae-won plays Cha Yoon-seo, a colleague whose bond with him grows alongside his professional struggles, while Joo Sang-wook plays Kim Do-han, a rival surgeon whose ambitions collide with Shi-on's. Choi Ro-woon plays young Shi-on, and Kim Young-kwang and Kim Min-seo round out the hospital cast. The engine of the show is simple and affecting: a brilliant outsider must prove his skill to skeptical senior doctors, navigate ward politics, and earn the trust of patients and families, one diagnosis and one surgery at a time. Told as a single 20-episode limited series, it unfolds in a contemporary Korean teaching hospital with the warm, earnest pacing typical of a k-drama. The tone blends sincere medical stakes with gentle romance and an uplifting belief in perseverance. Fans of The Good Doctor, Hospital Playlist and Extraordinary Attorney Woo will find resonance in its mix of heart, underdog struggle and hospital intrigue.

Audiences widely praised the series for its warm, humane handling of autism and its lead performance, while its medical storytelling is treated as conventional.

• The Good Doctor (2017)shared hospital medical drama with a gifted outsider doctor facing workplace prejudice
• Hospital Playlistshared korean medical drama tone with romance and institutional hospital politics
• Extraordinary Attorney Wooshared heartfelt romance and disability-centered emotional drama

Created by

Park Jae-bum

Release Date

2013-08-05

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

7.9 / 10 (75)

What is Good Doctor about?

A gifted autistic savant fights societal discrimination to become a paediatric doctor in a Korean hospital.

What is Good Doctor like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Good Doctor as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Good Doctor violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Good Doctor.

What did critics think of Good Doctor?

Audiences widely praised the series for its warm, humane handling of autism and its lead performance, while its medical storytelling is treated as conventional.

Which shows are like Good Doctor?

Shows with a similar feel include The Good Doctor (2017), Hospital Playlist, and Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

How long is Good Doctor?

Good Doctor: 1 season, 20 episodes.

Is Good Doctor still running?

No, Good Doctor has ended.

Where can I watch Good Doctor?

In United States, Good Doctor streams on Rakuten Viki, OnDemandKorea.