Honolulu has a starring role in Disney+ series ‘Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.’
The new Disney+ original series “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” began filming in Honolulu on Feb. 1, 2021, updating the popular ’90s Neil Patrick Harris series with the spirit of Aloha.
Created by Hawaii-born Kourtney Kang, the reboot of “Doogie Howser M.D.” is scheduled to debut on Disney+ later this year. The 10-episode series stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee as teen doctor Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha, Kathleen Rose Perkins as her Irish mother (and hospital chief of staff), and Jason Scott Lee as her Hawaiian father, who gives up his career on the mainland to spend more time with his kids. Considering that Kang served as executive producer on Harris’ hit series “How I Met Your Mother,” there’s speculation the original Doogie might even visit the islands himself.
Several Oahu locations will be used for the series, including the entire third floor of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, which has been transformed into a fictional hospital set. In addition to the UH Cancer Center set, the series will also film in the center’s exterior spaces and other areas on the campus located in the Kakaako area of Honolulu.
“We’re so pleased that the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and its team are working on this series, showcasing how the collaboration of community and production can work together to the benefit of economic recovery while creating a medical series, which will deliver a new perspective for viewers that embraces our island home,” said Mike McCartney, director of the department of business, economic development, and tourism. McCartney also noted that the series will add to the “resiliency of our state’s economy while sharing our aloha spirit with the world.”
To mark the first day of filming, a traditional Hawaiian blessing was held in Waimanalo, a Honolulu neighborhood that serves as one of several island locations for the series.
“The excitement has been building for the ‘Doogie Kamealoha, M.D’ series,” said Hawaii State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson. “We are so thrilled that […] Kourtney Kang is using her love of Hawaii, its culture, and its people to create a powerful and humorous Hawaiian-infused story with talented multi-cultural characters and a strong female lead.”
Check out this local news story about the show:
