Doctor Odysseyhas received a nerve-wracking renewal update after a report claimed the medical drama is prepared to come to an early end. The recent report indicated thatDoctor Odysseycould end with season 1with both dwindling ratings and high production costs being key factors in its possible cancellation. It was also reported that, ifDoctor Odysseyis not renewed, then the season 1 finale could possibly be prepared to be a series finale instead. This would still mean a premature finale to the medical drama, though, even if it was prepared to close out.
Now,Varietyhas revealeda list of ABC shows getting renewed, withDoctor Odysseybeing notably absentfrom the list. While9-1-1,Grey’s Anatomy,The Rookie, and other major network shows have been brought back to life, the sea-faring procedural is still awaiting an update. This leaves the medical drama as the only TV show in ABC’s current lineup that has not been renewed. The only exception to this isThe Conners, which is currently airing its final season. As for the cruise ship-based drama, it seems a decision still has not been reached about its fate.
What Doctor Odyssey’s Uncertain Fate Means For Season 2
There’s A Real Possibility The Show Doesn’t Get Renewed
Doctor Odysseybeing the only TV show not to earn a renewal on ABC is concerning for its future. While the show’s ratings started relatively strong, with the pilot earning 4.23 million live viewers, subsequent weeks have not been as kind. The latest available ratings for season 1, episode 12, show it pulling 3.46 million live viewers, butprevious weeks have seen that number dip as low as 2.6 million. While it has seemed to retain viewers after its9-1-1season 8crossover hit 3.56 million, it’s unclear if that will hold up for the show moving forward.
Dr. Odyssey Cast & Character Guide
The cast of the newest medical drama, Doctor Odyssey, features a talented group of actors led by Joshua Jackson, who will play the leading Dr. Max.
The show was created by Ryan Murphy, creator of ABC’s9-1-1, which will be expanding with itsupcoming9-1-1: Nashvillespinofflater this year. While the series creator has an exceptional track record with the network, it cannot save his medical drama if not enough people are watching to justify its substantial costs. The network may be waiting to see if the show can retain viewership after its recent crossover episode with Murphy’s other series, as a boost would justify a renewal. For now, though, its final fate remains lost at sea.
Doctor Odyssey Has Not Impressed Viewers
Critics And Audiences Remain Generally Hesitant
It will be no great surprise ifDoctor Odysseyfails to secure a season 2 renewal, as critics and audiences have not been very excited about the show. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, itearned a Tomatometer score of just 63% and a Popcornmeter score of 44%,which explains the dwindling ratings. The average reviewer gave the show a 2.6 out of 5 rating, and the critics offered a similar mark of 5.2 out of 10.
Only ABC can decide if those rising ratings are enough to justify a second season.
While the reviewers did praise Joshua Jackson’s performance as the titular Dr. Max Bankman,they criticized the scriptingand the execution ofDoctor Odyssey’s various romances, especially in light of the throuple. The9-1-1crossover may have injected added viewership to the show, but it will need to impress audiences after a shaky start, if it hopes to retain them, and the audiences have generally not been receptive. The upcoming season 1 finale could generate renewed interest in the show, especially with concerns that it could be the season finale. However, only ABC can decide if those rising ratings are enough to justify a second season.
Our Take On Doctor Odyssey Not Getting Renewed Yet
The Show Could Drop Anchors For Good
With no confirmation that the series is going to come back, it sounds likeDoctor Odysseycould be setting sail for its last few trips in the coming weeks. While the show could still end up getting renewed for season 2 before season 1 ends, it seems less likely now thatnearlyevery other show on ABC’s slate is already confirmed to be coming back. For now, it seems like the ratings of its last few episodes could be a deciding factor, but even that does not guarantee the medical drama will continue to sail after its new episodes.
A cancelation is unfortunately likely, given the uncertainty about its future. ABC has taken risks with Murphy before, as9-1-1was originally a Fox show that was moved to ABC after an early cancellation in 2023, but these gambles can only be taken so far.Doctor Odysseyhas a high production value, which means similarly high costs, and that has been concerning. It needs to secure investment from audiences and high viewership, but it has not managed to maintain those viewers throughout its run, so this voyage may be ending soon.
New episodes ofDoctor Odysseyair Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
