#The Good Doctor: Season Seven; ABC Series EP On Why the Medical Drama Is Ending

(Photo: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

The Good Doctor will return for its seventh and final season next week, and executive producer David Shore recently spoke about the decision to end the ABC medical drama.

Starring Freddie Highmore,  Richard Schiff, Christina Chang, Fiona Gubelmann, Will Yun Lee, Bria Samoné Henderson, Noah Galvin, and Paige Spara, The Good Doctor follows Shaun Murphy (Highmore), a young autistic savant and surgeon, and the staff that work around him at the fictional San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital.

According to Shore, the decision to end the series was made by both the network and those behind the show. Per Deadline, he said the following:

“Years ago when I was doing another show, someone asked, ‘do you know how the show is going to end.’ [He said] Yes, I know exactly how this show will end. One day I will get a call from the network.

On that show and this show, we’ve been lucky enough to plan the ending we want to do. This has been a weird year. Only doing 10 episodes is unfortunate. [They originally planned for 13]. But being able to go out on your own terms is a blessing.

“I know that for the rest of my life I am going to have situations where I go, ‘damn, I wish I had Dr. Murphy to write for right now. There is something about that moment I would want to share with people. I love that character. You want to throw him into any situation and see what he has to say about the rest of us. We always talk about that. When you live with the character as we’ve had, it does make you a better person. I hope so.”

EP Liz Friedman added, “We get to plan a great finale and do something the fans will love.”

The Good Doctor returns to ABC for its final season on February 20th.

What do you think? Will you be sad to see this Monday night series end? Would you have watched an eighth season?