'Young Sheldon' and 'The Good Doctor' Spectrum Geniuses Kick Off New Fall TV Season
Monday nights this fall on television will introduce two types of geniuses who are both under the spectrum: "Young Sheldon" on CBS and "The Good Doctor" on ABC. One is a comedy spinoff and the other is a drama series adapted from a South Korean original.
"Young Sheldon," the spinoff to "The Big Bang Theory" will feature the early life of the popular character Sheldon Cooper. Emmy winner Jim Parsons played the role for over a decade on the mother show.
The writers, however, never specifically identified Sheldon's condition despite speculations that he could have Asperger's syndrome or he's a high-functioning person with autism. It's unclear if this will be explicitly stated in the new series but "Young Sheldon" will highlight the character's challenges as a gifted child in a regular Texas family.
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"Young Sheldon," this time played by child actor Iain Armitage, is set in the late '80s as the boy enters high school at 9-years-old. Although a spinoff, the show is miles different from "The Big Bang Theory" in treatment and delivery.
"If you didn't know Big Bang at all, you could watch this show on its own," Parsons told Entertainment Weekly. "It's a family with three kids, one of which is very special."
"The Good Doctor" on ABC, on the other hand, acknowledges the main character's autism from the start. Freddie Highmore plays the surgical resident Shaun Murphy, who also has a neurodevelopmental disorder called savant syndrome.
"He could be the greatest surgeon because of his great strengths," showrunner David Shore said, adding that Shaun has a photographic memory and looks at everything differently than the average person. The show followed the concept of the 2013 version that aired in South Korea.
Shaun, however, will have to prove himself to his colleagues at the hospital who might see him more as a liability because of his condition. Season 1 will be about Shaun hurdling these challenges.
"Young Sheldon" debuts on Monday, Sept. 25, at 8:30 p.m. EST on CBS. "The Good Doctor" premieres on the same night at 10:00 p.m. EST on ABC.
