ABC’s cruise-ship medical drama Doctor Odyssey will not return for a second season, bringing the Ryan Murphy–backed series to an end after one year on the network. Multiple outlets reported that ABC did not renew the show and allowed the main cast’s options to expire at the end of June 2025, effectively closing the door on a standard Season 2 pickup.
The series, which premiered in September 2024, followed Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) and a small medical team handling high-stakes cases aboard a luxury cruise ship, with Don Johnson and Phillipa Soo among the leads.
What ABC did (and didn’t) say
The way the show ended is a bit unusual: reporting from Variety and Deadline characterized the outcome as a cancellation tied to contract timing—cast agreements were set to expire with no move to lock them in for next season.
At the same time, The Hollywood Reporter noted ABC avoided definitively labeling the series “canceled,” even as the cast was about to become free to take other jobs, which makes a near-term continuation difficult without renegotiating deals.
Why the show’s “options expiring” matters
In TV terms, “options expiring” is a practical breaking point. If a network doesn’t renew in time, key actors can sign onto other projects—and bringing everyone back usually means higher costs and scheduling headaches. That’s why the coverage framed the outcome as “over for now” even if, in theory, the show could be revisited later with new contracts.
What happened in the Season 1 finale
Season 1 concluded in May 2025 and wrapped up several core story threads, including the central relationship triangle involving Jackson and Soo’s characters, according to People’s recap of the finale and its aftermath.
Off-screen controversy also entered the conversation
Entertainment Weekly’s cancellation coverage also pointed to a lawsuit filed by three former props crew members against Disney and 20th Television. The companies involved had not commented in EW’s report, and the allegations remain allegations in ongoing legal proceedings.
It’s important not to overreach here: none of the credible reporting says “this lawsuit is why it ended.” What is documented is that the show wasn’t renewed and that the cast options expired, with the lawsuit occurring in the same general timeframe.
What’s next for the cast and the series
Joshua Jackson later addressed the show’s fate in interviews, describing disappointment while also emphasizing that he enjoyed making it—comments that align with the broader “not renewed / options expired” picture rather than a dramatic behind-the-scenes blow-up.
For viewers, the cleanest takeaway is this: Doctor Odyssey ran for one season on ABC, and while the network didn’t fully lean into a formal “we canceled it” messaging campaign, the show is not currently moving forward in ABC’s lineup.
