IlluMyFi

After thanking the cast and crew for seven "remarkable" seasons, Freddie Highmore wrote, "With love from Vancouver ... tequila, stat!" Fans will soon see the last of Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy on The Good Doctor. On Thursday, ABC announced that the medical drama, which premieres on Feb, 20, would be concluding with its upcoming seventh season. "The Good Doctor has been a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it's time to say goodbye," co-showrunners David Shore and Liz Friedman and fellow executive producer Erin Gunn said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "We are incredibly proud of the work we've done and the message we've been privileged to be a part of. We look forward to giving our fantastic fans, the truly extraordinary Freddie Highmore, the rest of our talented actors (and friends), and the best crew in the business the series ending that you all deserve. Thank you, Sony; thank you, ABC; thank you all." Related: Freddie Highmore Says He Was Once Forced to Hide in a Broom Closet to Avoid Being Seen by a Demanding TV Host Highmore, who not only stars but also serves as an executive producer, paid tribute to his time on the fan-favorite series in a statement of his own. "Playing Dr. Shaun Murphy has been an immense privilege and one of the most remarkable and rewarding experiences of my life," he gushed. "I will always be grateful to David, Liz, and Erin as well as the hugely talented -- and lovely -- cast, writers, and crew who made this show possible. Caring deeply is what got us here." He concluded with a note of gratitude, adding, "Thank you to Sony and ABC, and to everyone who has watched along at home. With love from Vancouver ... tequila, stat!" The Good Doctor, which premiered on ABC in 2013, follows Highmore's Dr. Shaun Murphy -- a young autistic surgeon working at the fictional San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. The medical drama has been a consistent performer for the network in its six previous seasons. Last year, the medical drama averaged 6.24 million viewers in Nielsen's seven-day ratings from 2022 to 2023, per the outlet. The show's streaming ratings alone added 30 to 40 percent more viewers to the network's linear total over seven days. Related: ABC Announces Return Dates for Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelor, Abbott Elementary and More Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich also issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, celebrating the drama's run on ABC. "Thanks to David Shore and Liz Friedman's creative direction and anchored by Freddie Highmore's performance, The Good Doctor has captivated audiences, who have deeply connected with Dr. Shaun Murphy and the staff at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital," he said. "As we prepare to finish this beloved story, words cannot express our gratitude for the incredible cast, crew and our partners at Sony and ABC Signature for the lasting impact they've made."

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13.01.24 07:11

by ca.sports.yahoo.com

'The White Lotus' Drops Huge New Cast List For Season 3, Including Parker Posey

The White Lotus must have the best PR team in the hospitality business: In spite of an ongoing string of murders at the resort collection's luxury hotels, guests are still booking additional stays. Before The White Lotus season 2 even reached its conclusion, HBO greenlit a third season -- and there's at least some chance Jennifer Coolidge's character could make an appearance from beyond the grave. The season 2 finale saw the end of Tanya McQuoid-Hunt thanks to a twisted combination of failed assassination attempt, concussion, and drowning, but showrunner Mike White remains as attached as ever to Coolidge's character. The award-winning show received a slew of nominations this award season, including Emmys for outstanding drama series, outstanding supporting actor in a drama series (F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Theo James, and Will Sharpe), outstanding supporting actress in a drama series (Jennifer Coolidge, Maghann Fahy, Sabrina Impacciatore, Audrey Plaza, and Simona Tabasco), outstanding directing for a drama series, and outstanding writing for a drama series. At the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the show got nine nominations, and won outstanding casting for a drama series, outstanding contemporary hairstyling, outstanding music composition for a series, and outstanding music supervision. There's little we know about season 3, leaving plenty of room for speculation. Let's break down the breadcrumbs we have so far. Production for season 3 was delayed due to the writers and actors' strikes. The season "probably would have been [released in] 2024," chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said during an HBO and Max presentation on November 2, but it's now "pushing into 2025" given the pause. Indeed, the network confirmed in a sizzle reel a month later that The White Lotus season 3 will premiere in 2025. Not long after the actors' strike lifted on November 9, the team released a list of new characters and began casting for the new season. Production is slated to start early February in Thailand, Deadline reports. For reference, season 1 debuted in July 2021, and season 2 arrived in October 2022. Death is likely to trail The White Lotus guests across international borders, but don't expect that to stop them from stamping their passports. Season 3 will reportedly be set in Thailand, multiple sources told Variety, though HBO has not yet confirmed the news. Showrunner Mike White had already hinted that season 3 would branch out from previous locales -- Hawaii and Sicily, respectively -- for an entirely new spot. "We just turned in our last episode to the network yesterday, so it's hard to think about the next race," White told Deadline in October 2022. "But if we did, I think it'd be fun to maybe go to a whole different continent. You know, we did Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun." It had seemed, initially, that the show might be eyeing Tokyo as its next spot. (Johnny Knoxville almost revealed the season 3 filming location back in February. He told Vultur...