For a full seven seasons, ABC’s The Good Doctor has been thriving alongside steep competition like Grey’s Anatomy and Netflix’s The Resident, but its time at the top may be over.
The series, which stars Freddie Highmore as the starkly intelligent but socially awkward Doctor Shaun Murphy, has received middle-of-the-road reviews, though more positive than negative, over its seven-season run. Its longevity proves its popularity among viewers, however, many of whom stick around for the show’s careful balance of emotion and drama — and for its ceaseless meme potential.
They may not have much more to enjoy, unfortunately, if rumors about the show’s impending conclusion are to be believed. Reports of The Good Doctor‘s cancellation are dividing viewers, many of whom would welcome several more seasons of the medical drama.
Is The Good Doctor gone for good?
Its always hard to say goodbye to a beloved series, but all good things must come to an end. Even The Good Doctor, which ABC recently announced will finish off its run with its recently-concluded seventh season.
Season 7 is The Good Doctor‘s last, polishing off the story just under seven years after its first episode landed on television screens. ABC announced, back in January of 2024, that no more of the series was incoming following the mid-May conclusion of season 7.
Its disappointing news for longtime fans of the series, but it was likely The Good Doctor‘s time. Reviews for the series have largely fallen off in recent seasons, indicating a gradual decline in interest, and it seems the series is running out of stories to tell. Sure, it could take a page out of Grey’s Anatomy‘s book and start inserting wild storylines with bomb threats, shooters, and plane crashes, but that really doesn’t suit the show’s vibe.
The series found new ground in its coverage of COVID-19 a few seasons back, and its recent expansion into fatherhood and family hurdles has kept the story fresh, but there’s only so many directions to take a series of this sort. Its a far better decision to cut the series short a touch too early than to let it stretch on until its a shadow of its former self, so it seems ABC made the right move in making season 7 The Good Doctor‘s final.