Shortly after NBC axed its last remaining drama in limbo, ABC seemingly is one major step closer to ending Doctor Odyssey for good after one season and star Joshua Jackson’s recent five-word update about the future. The seas are stormy ahead, but that doesn’t mean the primetime soap is going to capsize before getting a second season. Read on for the bad news out of ABC, as well as why there’s hope for more than just boat-related puns ahead. Don’t bow (or stern) out just yet!
The Bad News
The options for the cast of Doctor Odyssey are expiring on Monday, June 30, according to Deadline, which further reports that those options are not going to be picked up. That’s technically not an active and confirmed cancellation by ABC, but simply means that the stars will be free to pursue other projects while the weeks pass without a decision about their ocean-faring series.
Ryan Murphy project (which was solidified with a crossover with 9-1-1 in the spring) means that crew members often move from one Murphy project to another. Notably, ABC did order 9-1-1: Nashville to series for the fall, with NCIS: LA alum Chris O’Donnell in the lead role. The Nashville-set spinoff will be taking Doctor Odyssey‘s previous 9 p.m. ET time slot on ABC Thursdays between 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy.
John Oliver after his comments about “Sexy ER On A Boat”), but not necessarily doom and gloom. The show might might come back; just not necessarily soon.
Why There’s Hope For Doctor Odyssey
The same Deadline report that revealed the expiration of cast options also states that Doctor Odyssey hasn’t officially been cancelled. Ryan Murphy is reportedly considering what creative options are available for where the cruise ship could go next. New deals with cast members will have to be made if there is a future, but possible new deals sound a lot better than confirmation of no deals.
Doctor Odyssey reportedly does well on streaming among viewers with a Hulu subscription, so it’d be interesting if the show doesn’t return to ABC but moves over to becoming a streaming original like what NBC did with Law & Order: Organized Crime. As it stands, ABC is not going for a full night of Ryan Murphy action with two 9-1-1 shows and Doctor Odyssey, keeping Grey’s Anatomy in its longtime home of Thursday nights.
For now, you can always keep streaming the first season of Doctor Odyssey on Hulu. Fans who were upset by the Season 1 finale likely aren’t feeling any better now with the news about the cast being free to pursue other jobs, and confirmation about the future of Doctor Odyssey continues to be a waiting game. Anchors away to the cast for now, but fans don’t have to abandon ship!