CBS Passed On This Medical Drama That Became A Major Hit For ABC
CBS passed not once but twice on a medical drama developed by Daniel Dae Kim, only for ABC to pick it up instead and turn it into a major hit.
In 2013, Daniel Dae Kim, who was starring in the CBS reboot of Hawaii Five-0, witnessed the success of the South Korean medical drama The Good Doctor. Intrigued by its potential, Kim secured the rights for an American adaptation through his production company and developed the series for CBS. Despite CBS ordering a script from Kim, they ultimately declined to greenlight a pilot, passing on the show twice, according to Kim.
This decision saddened Kim, as CBS was his home studio and he wanted to bring something back to them. Kim then bought back the rights from CBS and partnered with House creator David Shore through Sony. The resulting version of The Good Doctor caught the attention of ABC, which premiered the show in 2017, making it a major hit that ranked ninth overall (fifth in scripted shows) in the broadcast rankings that season.
Daniel Dae Kim had high hopes for the show, but his relationship with CBS may have ended sourly after they decided not to make the series. Kim's departure from Hawaii Five-0 was rumored to be due to differing financial offers compared to his white costars. CBS lost out on a hugely successful show when they passed on The Good Doctor, while ABC turned the series into a hit.
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