ABC is closing in on another franchise.
Deadline revealed Monday that a spinoff of the hit series The Good Doctor is in development.
Characters from the planned series will appear in an episode of The Good Doctor Season 6.
The potential series will center on Joni, “a twentysomething woman who battles obsessive compulsive disorder but is a brilliant lawyer,” according to the outlet.
Joni will be introduced to The Good Doctor (universe?) when she is hired as a defense attorney for Freddie Highmore’s Dr. Shaun Murphy.
“Relatively new to her upscale law firm, Joni, who is funny, eager, self-aware and a bit anxious, is part of Shaun’s legal defense team,” the logline teases.
“Despite breezing through law school and her Bar exam, Joni’s OCD symptoms take a severe toll on her personal and professional life. Living with OCD, Joni has never wanted to be treated differently and is often embarrassed of her symptoms.”
“She is a great lawyer but was forced to threaten to sue the firm (for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act) when they tried to fire her because of her peculiar behaviors.”
The backdoor pilot will also introduce Janet.
“Armed with a fierce intellect and a dry, rapier wit, Janet is a highly regarded attorney and partner at the firm,” according to the description.
“A seasoned veteran, Janet has represented Dr. Glassman in several legal matters over the course of 30 years, so Glassman turns to her to represent his protégé Shaun.”
News of the spinoff is a surprise, but the series has been a strong performer for ABC since its debut.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to launch new IP, so networks are looking to proven franchises to mine new hits from.
ABC will launch The Rookie Feds this fall. The show is headlined by Niecy Nash, who was introduced in a backdoor pilot earlier this year.
The Good Doctor returns for its sixth season in the fall.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
