Good Doctor (South Korean TV series)

Good Doctor (Korean굿 닥터; RRGut Dakteo) is a 2013 South Korean medical drama television series starring Joo Won, Moon Chae-won, Joo Sang-wook, Kim Min-seo, Chun Ho-jin, Kwak Do-won, and Ko Chang-seok. It aired on KBS2 from August 5 to October 8, 2013, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.[1] The early working title was Green Scalpel (Korean그린 메스; RRGeurin Meseu; lit. "Green Mes"[2]).[3][4]

Good Doctor
Promotional poster
Hangul
굿 닥터
GenreMedical drama
Romance
Comedy
Created byPark Jae-beom
Directed byKi Min-soo
Kim Jin-woo
Starring
ComposerChoi Cheol-ho
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes20
Production
Executive producersKim Sung-geun
Lee Jang-soo
Yoo Hong-gu
ProducersLee Jae-hoon
Park Woo-ram
CinematographyKim Jae-hwan
Kim Yong-soo
EditorKim Mi-kyung
Production companyLogos Film
Original release
NetworkKBS2
ReleaseAugust 5 (2013-08-05) –
October 8, 2013 (2013-10-08)
Related
The Good Doctor (US)
Good Doctor (Japan)
Mucize Doktor (Turkey)
Life After Death (Hong Kong)

Synopsis

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Park Si-on (Joo Won) is a savant on the autism spectrum who was sent to a specialized care center as a child, where he was discovered to have a genius-level memory and keen spatial skills. He eventually enters the field of pediatric surgery as a resident, where he is given six months to prove himself capable. However, due to his atypical mental and emotional condition, Si-on faces conflict from his peers and patients, who view him as childlike and unreliable. Most critical is the hotheaded surgeon Kim Do-han (Joo Sang-wook). Do-han was requested by the young surgeon's mentor, Choi Woo-seok (Chun Ho-jin), who is also a director of the hospital, to guide him but is unwilling to do so, as he labels him a soulless robot of a doctor who can only rely heavily on his photographic memory instead of feeling what the patient needs. Despite help from understanding and fair colleagues like Cha Yoon-seo (Moon Chae-won) and Han Jin-wook (Kim Young-kwang), the hospital is a fierce and competitive world, and the challenges Si-on faces become only greater when he falls in love with Yoon-seo, a fellow doctor at the hospital.

Cast

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Main

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Supporting

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Sungwon University Hospital officials

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Department of Pediatric Surgery

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A warm and friendly fourth-year resident, who first approaches Park Shi-on when he is shunned by the others.
  • Yoon Park as Woo Il-kyu, second-year resident
  • Yoon Bong-gil as Hong Gil-nam, second-year resident
  • Wang Ji-won as Kim Sun-joo, intern

Nursing division

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  • Ko Chang-seok as Jo Jung-mi, senior nurse
  • Jin Kyung as Nam Joo-yeon, head nurse
  • Lee Ah-rin as Ga-kyung
  • Ha Kyu-won as Hye-jin

Children's ward

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Others

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Special appearances

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Ratings

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Good Doctor made a strong debut on the TV ratings chart.[18] It maintained the number one spot in its timeslot for most of its run, with an average viewership rating of 18.0% (AGB Nielsen) and 17.4% (TNmS).

Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
Nielsen Korea[19] TNmS Ratings[20]
Nationwide Seoul Nationwide Seoul
1 August 5, 2013 10.9% 11.6% 10.5% 10.3%
2 August 6, 2013 14.0% 15.1% 13.6% 14.6%
3 August 12, 2013 15.3% 16.2% 13.8% 14.6%
4 August 13, 2013 15.8% 15.8% 15.9% 16.9%
5 August 19, 2013 18.0% 18.5% 16.5% 17.6%
6 August 20, 2013 19.0% 20.0% 18.4% 20.4%
7 August 26, 2013 17.4% 18.2% 17.2% 18.1%
8 August 27, 2013 18.4% 18.5% 17.5% 19.0%
9 September 2, 2013 17.4% 17.4% 17.0% 18.3%
10 September 3, 2013 18.4% 18.3% 18.5% 20.5%
11 September 9, 2013 18.3% 18.7% 18.3% 20.2%
12 September 10, 2013 19.4% 19.4% 20.0% 22.2%
13 September 16, 2013 17.9% 18.4% 17.5% 19.3%
14 September 17, 2013 18.6% 19.3% 18.9% 20.3%
15 September 23, 2013 19.6% 20.3% 18.5% 20.2%
16 September 24, 2013 21.5% 22.8% 20.9% 22.7%
17 September 30, 2013 20.3% 21.1% 18.0% 20.5%
18 October 1, 2013 20.6% 21.5% 19.0% 21.4%
19 October 7, 2013 19.0% 20.0% 17.6% 20.1%
20 October 8, 2013 19.2% 19.5% 19.5% 22.4%
Average 18.0% 18.5% 17.4% 18.9%

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Recipient Result
2013
26th Grimae Awards
Best Drama Good Doctor Won
Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actor Joo Won Nominated
Joo Sang-wook Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actress Moon Chae-won Nominated
Best Writer Park Jae-bum Won
Top Excellence Award, Actor Joo Won Nominated
Excellence Award, Actor Joo Sang-wook Nominated
Excellence Award, Actress Moon Chae-won Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actor Joo Won Won
Actor of the Year (selected by directors) Won
Top Excellence Award, Actress Moon Chae-won Nominated
Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama Joo Sang-wook Won
Joo Won Nominated
Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama Moon Chae-won Won
Best Supporting Actor Jo Hee-bong Nominated
Ko Chang-seok Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Jin Kyung Nominated
Kim Min-seo Nominated
Best New Actor Kim Young-kwang Nominated
Best Young Actor Jung Yun-seok Nominated
Best Young Actress Kim Hyun-soo Nominated
Best Couple Award Joo Won and Moon Chae-won Won
Netizen Award, Actor Joo Won Won
Popularity Award, Actress Moon Chae-won Won
2014 Best Drama Good Doctor Won
Best Performer Joo Won Won
Best Drama Good Doctor Won
Best Director Ki Min-soo Nominated
Best Actor Joo Won Nominated
Best Serial Drama Good Doctor Won
Korea Broadcasting Awards[25]
Best Drama Won
Best Mini-series Runner-up

In November 2013, the Korea Association of the Welfare Institutes for the Disabled gave the series a plaque of recognition for creating awareness about autism and how socially challenged individuals can contribute to society.[27] In December 2013, Good Doctor also received an award from the Disability Awareness Campaign Headquarters and was designated as a "Good Program" by the Korea Communications Standards Commission.[28][29]

International adaptations

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American

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An American remake of the same name, produced by Daniel Dae Kim, debuted in late September 2017 on ABC. The story of a surgeon with autism is set in San Jose, California, airing during fall of 2017.[30][31][32]

Japanese

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A Japanese remake of the same name starred Kento Yamazaki, Juri Ueno, and Naohito Fujiki aired from July 12 to September 13, 2018, on Fuji TV.

Turkish

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A Turkish remake called Mucize Doktor produced by Asena Bülbüloğlu debuted on September 12, 2019, on Fox Turkey.

Hong Kong

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Dr. Koo Hei-sun is a character inspired by Park Si-on in Life After Death, produced by Kwan Shu-ming and Kwan Man-sum. It debuted on June 8, 2020, on TVB.

Thailand

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A Thailand remake of the same name, produced by True4U, TrueVisions, and True CJ Creations, debuted in October 2024 on the True ID application, and True Asian More channel 120/239 for TrueVisions subscribers. This version Sarun Naraprasertkul and Chayanit Chansangavej take the lead roles as Dr. Shone and Dr. Preem.

References

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  1. ^ Kim, Gwang-kuk (5 August 2013). "PREVIEW: KBS Mon/Tue Drama Good Doctor". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  2. ^ "Mes" is derived from the Dutch word for knife, and is commonly used in Korea/Japan to refer to a scalpel.
  3. ^ Choi, Eun-hwa (28 May 2013). "Joo Won Cast as Lead of KBS2's Green Scalpel". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  4. ^ Kang, Jung-yeon (29 May 2013). "Joo Won to Turn Doctor in Medical Drama". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  5. ^ Lee, Hye-ji (31 July 2013). "Joo Won Ready to Become Good Doctor". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  6. ^ Choi, Eun-hwa (3 August 2013). "Joo Won Says He'll Showcase a Different Type of Autistic Character". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  7. ^ Han, Jae-hee (20 August 2013). "Unusual doctor in spotlight". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
  8. ^ Jeon, Su-mi (5 June 2013). "Moon Chae Won Cast in Green Scalpel as Joo Won's Costar". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  9. ^ Choi, Eun-hwa (3 August 2013). "Moon Chae Won Says She Aims to be More Professional Than Pretty". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  10. ^ "Moon Chae-Won Scores Another Hit with Medical Drama". HanCinema. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-09-08.
  11. ^ Kang, Jung-yeon (4 June 2013). "Joo Sang-uk Joins Medical Drama". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  12. ^ "Joo Sang-wook ready to play doctor". KBS Global. 22 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  13. ^ Choi, Eun-hwa (3 August 2013). "Joo Sang Wook was So Stressed about Good Doctor That He Nearly Went Bald". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  14. ^ An, So-hyoun (24 June 2013). "Kim Young Kwang Cast for Good Doctor". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  15. ^ Hong, Grace Danbi (4 September 2013). "Good Doctor Delivers Meaningful Cameos". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
  16. ^ "Park Ki Woong Compliments Joo Won's Acting in Good Doctor". Soompi. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-01.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Good Doctor the final Cameo is Park Gi-Woong". Innolife. 10 October 2013. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  18. ^ Lee, Eun-ah (7 August 2013). "Good Doctor makes strong debut on TV charts". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  19. ^ "AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  20. ^ "TNMS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". TNMS Ratings (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  21. ^ Lee, Cory (2 January 2014). "Kim Hye-soo Reclaims Glory, Good Doctor, Secret Love Win Big at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  22. ^ "한국PD대상 수상자들, 세월호 실종자 무사 귀환 기도 배우 주원 "진도에서 기적이 일어나길 바란다"". PD Journal (in Korean). 17 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  23. ^ Hong, Grace Danbi (28 May 2014). "Jun Ji Hyun and Song Kang Ho Receive Highest Honors at the Baeksang Arts Awards". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 2014-05-29. Retrieved 2014-05-28.
  24. ^ "Rockie Awards Category Winners Announced". 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  25. ^ "Winners from 41st Korea Broadcasting Awards". Beatus Corner. 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  26. ^ Lee, Min-ji (5 September 2014). "You Who Came From the Stars Wins Four Awards at Seoul International Drama Awards". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  27. ^ 드라마 '굿닥터' 제작진에 감사패 전달. Able News (in Korean). 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  28. ^ "'KBS 굿닥터', 장애인먼저실천상 대상". Able News (in Korean). 10 December 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  29. ^ "10월 이달의 좋은프로그램상에 KBS '의궤,8일간의 축제'". KBS News (in Korean). 17 December 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  30. ^ Lee, Hyo-won (22 May 2014). "Daniel Dae Kim Wants to Bring North Korean Defector Story to Screen (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  31. ^ "Daniel Dae Kim to remake Good Doctor for CBS". The Korea Times. 31 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  32. ^ Lee, Sun-min (1 September 2014). "Good Doctor to be adapted". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
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