Audiences got a first look at the highly anticipated, female-led reboot of “Doogie Howser, M.D.” with the release of the show’s opening title sequence.
Due out Sept. 8 on Disney+, “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” follows 16-year-old physician Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha (played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee), who juggles a budding career in medicine with the typical challenges of being a teenager.
On Tuesday, Disney+ unveiled the opening sequence, for which composer Wendy Wang and ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro have produced a reimagined take on the “Doogie Howser” theme song that befits the new show’s Hawaiian setting.
The original “Doogie Howser” debuted in 1989 starring Neil Patrick Harris as the titular teen prodigy. The ABC series ran for four seasons and left a lasting imprint on pop culture, tackling of-the-moment subjects such as racism, body positivity and HIV/AIDS.
Watch the opening sequence of “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” below.
Lee, who previously starred in the Disney Channel series “Andi Mack,” told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Tuesday that “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” features “nods to the original but also feels very modern.”
“One of the really cool parts about this reimagining is that we take this iconic story and bring it into the world we’re living in now,” she explained. “So it’s a female lead instead of a male, and she is biracial, and it’s in Hawaii so we have this beautiful backdrop.”
“She has so many responsibilities,” the actor said of her character, “and her parents are always there to remind her that she is a 16-year-old girl and 16-year-old girls make mistakes and have crushes on boys and have troubles with their friends.”
In an appearance on the “Just for Variety” podcast in February, Harris said he was “so happy” about Disney’s plans to reboot the show.
“I think setting it with a female protagonist is a great call,” he said. “I feel like it’s a passion project for many, and I can’t wait to watch it.”
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