NBC wrapped one of its medical dramas back in early 2023 with the series finale of New Amsterdam, starring Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin. The show ended with a two-hour finale event after five seasons, but two hours weren't enough to answer every single question about the characters and their futures. Now, a sequel series is in the works, and the premise leaves me wondering if New Amsterdam fans could get to see the footage that didn't make it into the finale in 2023.
New Amsterdam's Potential Sequel Series
The potential sequel in the works at NBC is tentatively titled New Amsterdam: Tomorrow and would center on Luna Goodwin, according to Deadline, set three decades after the main events of the original series. The premise makes sense with how the original show ended, as the final scene was actually a flash-forward with Luna as a doctor who fully embraces her dad's "How can I help?" approach to medicine and role as New Amsterdam medical director.
If ordered to series, the project would reportedly explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the medical industry. New Amsterdam creator, executive producer, and showrunner David Schulner is developing the project for NBC, with fellow New Amsterdam alum Peter Horton on board as director and executive producer. Molly Griggs of Dr. Death and Prodigal Son played adult Luna in the original show; it's not clear if she'd reprise the role for the sequel.
It remains to be seen if New Amsterdam: Tomorrow will get a series order and a slot later in the 2024 TV schedule, but this is encouraging news for fans of the original who weren't quite ready to say a permanent goodbye to that world. It was clear pretty quickly after the show ended that there was still interest, as the medical drama was quickly trending on Netflix.
The Scene Cut From The Series Finale
I spoke with New Amsterdam executive producers David Schulner and Peter Horton for the finale back in 2023, including how Max ultimately chose to prioritize Luna over a relationship with Wilder or any lingering feelings about Helen. The episode left the door open about whether he and Wilder reunited at some point between his departure for a new job in Geneva and the time jump ahead to adult Luna, and Schulner revealed that the footage answering that question had been shot. He shared:
We actually shot an ending that pointed the arrow more directly at one conclusion or the other, but it's so much better with the audience being able to participate in it.
At the time, David Schulner had no regrets about not filling in that blank canonically and leaving it for fans to decide what they think happened. While a series set 30 years after the original show wouldn't necessarily have an organic way to incorporate old footage – particularly since Ryan Eggold is reportedly not attached to the sequel – it seems fairly likely that the project would at least have to answer the question about what Max decided.
For his part, Peter Horton shared another reason why the open ending was a good fit for the New Amsterdam series finale:
It's also a little subtle message to the network, if you ever want to bring it back. [laughs]
I don't want to say that Peter Horton manifested NBC wanting to bring the world of New Amsterdam back, but a potential sequel going into development more than a year after the original show's finale definitely seems like the stars aligning!
In all seriousness, the wait is on for word on whether NBC moves forward with New Amsterdam: Tomorrow. For now, you can always find New Amsterdam streaming both via Netflix subscription and Peacock Premium subscription.
