Why did The Good Doctor become an instant hit for ABC?

Sometimes, it is difficult to project why exactly certain shows manage to take off and others do not. Yet, The Good Doctor on ABC was a hit many were able to see coming a mile away. Going into this first season, CarterMatt projected that this would be one of the bigger hits of the season — but we never thought it would be such a monster hit so fast. It’s become one of the most-popular shows on ABC, and when you factor in DVR viewing it’s decimating much of the scripted field out there.

So why is this happening? Medical dramas are hardly something new to the TV landscape in 2017. Yet, there is something to be said for a medical drama that executes so well that it cannot be ignored. This is, at least for now, what The Good Doctor is showing off.

With a show like this the praise has to start at the top, and the showrunner for The Good Doctor (David Shore) showed with House that he knows what he’s doing in this genre. This is a man who knows how to navigate the various odds and ends of this genre. He’s rather brilliant at it and there is very little reason to doubt his skills.

Beyond that, you can add in here an extremely capable lead in Freddie Highmore. He was coming onto this show after a successful and critically-acclaimed turn on Bates Motel. Even those out there who did not see that show probably heard from someone how good he is. He’s relatable, intense, heartbreaking, and then heartwarming. He’s worth the price of admission, and the same goes for the rest of the supporting cast.

There are two other things that we feel that The Good Doctor benefited from heavily so far.

1. The time-slot – The series has a pretty good lead-in courtesy of Dancing with the Stars, but to go along with that there’s no significant time-slot competition that is causing it some added trouble.

2. The promotion – Good job on ABC for really pushing the show and getting it out there for viewers to see. It has a title that is memorable, an interesting lead, and they’ve found the right tone that is optimistic — even if there are plenty of heartbreaking moments on the show itself.

Why do you think that The Good Doctor has shown itself to be such a hit for ABC? Sound off in the comments section below!

Be sure to also preview the next new episode of The Good Doctor while you’re at it! You can also like us on Facebook to get some more TV news from CarterMatt. (Photo: ABC.)