ABC has decided not to renew “Doctor Odyssey” for a second season, with the network allowing cast contracts to expire on Monday rather than picking up their options for another year. The Ryan Murphy-created medical drama, which starred Joshua Jackson as cruise ship doctor Max Bankman, concluded its first season without an official renewal despite developing a devoted cult following.
TVLine confirmed that while this represents a cancellation by default, the show hasn’t been formally canceled, leaving the door open for potential future revivals. The cast members, including Jackson, Don Johnson, Phillipa Soo, and Sean Teale, are now free to pursue other projects as their contracts have expired.
The series, which premiered last fall as a modern take on “The Love Boat” concept, combined medical drama with cruise ship glamour. Jackson’s character worked alongside nurses Avery (Soo) and Tristan (Teale) to handle various medical emergencies aboard The Odyssey, while Captain Massey (Johnson) helmed the luxurious vessel.
What Happened to the Show
“Doctor Odyssey” generated significant initial excitement and achieved impressive early metrics. According to Deadline, the series’ trailer set a record for a new broadcast series, garnering 77.8 million views in the first 48 hours, and the premiere episode attracted 13.6 million cross-platform viewers in its first week.
However, the show struggled to maintain its initial momentum throughout the season. TVLine reported that “Doctor Odyssey” Season 1 averaged 4.8 million weekly viewers with delayed playback, making it one of the lower-performing dramas in ABC’s lineup. Despite airing directly after the popular “9-1-1,” the series was unable to sustain the viewership levels necessary for automatic renewal.
The show experienced some ratings upticks during special episodes, including a crossover with fellow Murphy series “9-1-1,” which featured Angela Bassett reprising her role as Athena Grant-Nash. The finale also saw an improvement in viewership, suggesting that the series maintained audience interest among its dedicated fan base.
What’s Next
Despite the current cancellation, Ryan Murphy is reportedly considering options for continuing the series elsewhere. Deadline sources indicate that Murphy is “weighing creative options as to where he may want to take it next,” suggesting the producer hasn’t given up on the concept entirely.
The show performed well on streaming platforms, particularly on Hulu, where it developed a cult following. It also gained popularity on other streaming platforms and social media, indicating that the series found its audience, even if traditional linear ratings didn’t fully reflect this success.
Craig Erwich, President of Disney Television Group, addressed the show’s status last month, telling Deadline, “Doctor Odyssey isn’t currently on our schedule. Ryan’s really busy. He’s doing a lot with us. 9-1-1, 9-1-1 Nashville, All’s Fair [for Hulu]. So we’re just continuing that creative conversation with him.”
The series became notable for generating wild fan theories, including one suggesting the entire show was a fever dream experienced by Jackson’s character while recovering from COVID. Jackson himself acknowledged this theory, revealing that they “had a similar theory operating on set,” according to TVLine.
Eric Schrier, President of Disney TV Studios, expressed continued support for the concept, telling Deadline in May: “I really love Doctor Odyssey, I think it’s a wildly inventive show, and we’re doing everything we can to support it.”
While Doctor Odyssey won’t return to ABC’s schedule immediately, the combination of streaming success, cult following, and Murphy’s ongoing consideration of the property suggests this may not be the final word on the series’ future.
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