Is The Good Lawyer on the Verge of a Flatline? Good Doctor Spinoff in Trouble
It's all in ABC's hands.
When ABC viewers first saw Kennedy McMann as Joni DeGroot in a backdoor pilot episode of The Good Doctor Season 6, they were thrilled. The Good Doctor universe was expanding, introducing a compelling character and concept.
Just as Dr. Shaun Murphy's savant syndrome enables him to manage even the most intricate surgical cases, Joni DeGroot's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) allows her to approach legal cases from a unique perspective. That, coupled with Joni's fantastic rapport with her boss and mentor, Felicity Huffman's Janet Stewart, hinted that the spinoff would be a hit. But, regrettably, as you can see, I'm using the past tense here.
No, The Good Lawyer hasn't been cancelled yet. However, without ABC's season order, it's hanging in the balance. In the best-case scenario, we'll see the season premiere after a significant delay.
The network announced The Good Lawyer a year ago, and everything was on track until the Hollywood strikes intervened. The backdoor pilot, penned by co-showrunners David Shore and Liz Friedman, aired in March of this year, receiving positive reviews and good ratings.
In that episode, Shaun sought legal assistance from Janet Stewart's law firm at the urging of Dr. Aaron Glassman, who happened to be an old client of Stewart's. Shaun, though, was keen on having the promising newbie Joni handle his case, regardless of her limited experience and OCD. Naturally, the young lawyer's meticulousness and eye for detail resulted in a win for Shaun. The audience was left wanting more.
However, the WGA strike broke out in May, and by July, the actors joined the writers on the picket lines. Deadline reported earlier this week that while the cast and crew are striking, the show's casting options have lapsed. That means the actors' original contracts are now null and void, and they aren't legally bound to join The Good Lawyer if it resumes production.
Not all is lost, though. According to industry rules, The Good Lawyer's cast holding period is extended for the duration of the work stoppage. Thus, the decision to renew the show post-strike lies squarely with ABC. Executives are reportedly fond of the idea of a Good Doctor spinoff, but the show's feasibility diminishes with each passing day.
Source: Deadline.