Doctor Odyssey is officially off the schedule. ABC has canceled Ryan Murphy’s ocean-bound medical drama after just one season, marking another high-profile loss for the network’s 2024–2025 slate.
The glossy, camp-forward series starred Joshua Jackson, Don Johnson, Phillipa Soo, and Sean Teale as elite medical professionals working aboard a luxury cruise ship hospital. Combining high-stakes emergencies with soapy twists and an intentionally over-the-top tone, the show was marketed as “sexy ER on a boat”—and leaned all the way into that energy.
The cancellation comes as ABC has begun making firm decisions about its upcoming season. Though there was speculation for weeks about Doctor Odyssey’s fate, especially as cast contracts neared expiration, the verdict is now clear: the show will not return. The cast’s options expired on June 23, the elaborate ship-set was dismantled, and the series was left off ABC’s 2025–2026 schedule.
Despite strong early buzz—its trailer racked up a record-breaking 77.8 million views in just 48 hours—and an impressive 13.6 million cross-platform viewers for its premiere, the show struggled to maintain momentum on linear TV. Ratings dipped midseason, even with a 9-1-1 crossover boost, and the show’s high production costs made it harder to justify moving forward. On top of that, the series became the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three former crew members, which added more weight to an already complicated renewal discussion.
Still, the show had its defenders—most notably Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, who slammed ABC on-air for not renewing it. “It’s The Pitt with sharks. It’s got— and I’m not even gonna try and beat their tagline—‘big deck energy,’” Oliver said, calling the network “a disgrace” for benching one of the boldest new series of the season.
The series was produced by 20th Television with Murphy, Jackson, Johnson, Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken, Paris Barclay, and others serving as executive producers. Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich previously said the door remained open for creator Ryan Murphy to revisit the series if he had a new idea. However, Murphy is currently focused on 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, and Hulu’s All’s Fair.
With its season finale offering a clean wrap-up, Doctor Odyssey now joins the list of canceled 2024–2025 shows. It’s also the only new ABC series from the 2024–2025 slate not moving forward.
And it’s not alone—NBC also just officially canceled Grosse Pointe Garden Society after one season, making it the sixth NBC series to be axed this year. (Suits: L.A., The Irrational, Found, Lopez vs. Lopez, and Night Court were all previously cut.) As broadcast networks pivot and tighten budgets, even shows with streaming traction and cult buzz aren’t safe.
Whether Doctor Odyssey will resurface on Hulu or remain a one-season cult curiosity is still unknown. But for now, it’s officially been pulled from the air—and off the boat.