Why Doctor Odyssey deserves a second season, explained 

Doctor Odyssey is ABC’s new medical drama from creators Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken. Premiering in September 2024, the series follows Dr. Max Bankman, a talented but troubled physician who joins the medical team aboard a luxury cruise ship called The Odyssey.

With an unconventional setting, rotating emergencies and a mix of romance and mystery, the show offers a fresh take on the procedural drama. It features a main cast including Phillipa Soo, Sean Teale and Don Johnson and boasts an extensive lineup of guest stars throughout the season.

Each episode embraces a unique theme week, balancing medical cases with emotional arcs and the unfolding love triangle between Max, Avery and Tristan. Despite early hype, strong multi-platform ratings and a record-breaking trailer launch, Doctor Odyssey remains the only ABC drama on the renewal bubble.

The show deserves a second season because it has outperformed several already renewed series in viewership and brings a fresh storytelling approach to network television.

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Doctor Odyssey: Strong ratings and viewer interest support the renewal

Despite being the only ABC drama awaiting renewal, Doctor Odyssey has demonstrated an impressive performance that justifies a second season.

As reported by ScreenRant, April 7, 2025, the premiere of the series gained 13.6 million viewers across platforms within the first week, which is ABC's most-watched drama debut in four years. The total rose to 16.5 million viewers after 35 days, a 299% spike from its live viewership.

Apart from robust premiere ratings, it has held a firm average of 3.175 million live viewers per episode, performing better than well-established shows like Grey's Anatomy, which has an average of 2.258 million viewers. It has also been listed 32 times in the first 35 days on Hulu's Top 15 Today.

With these ratings and continued viewer interest, the series has demonstrated its worth in ABC's schedule. Renewing the series would ride its current wave and continue to provide viewers with the distinctive combination of medical drama and cruise ship escapades.

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ABC is making creative decisions about Doctor Odyssey

ABC seems to be taking its time with Doctor Odyssey to make deliberate creative choices that could shape the show’s future.

While the series debuted to strong viewership, the network hasn't rushed into a renewal, suggesting they could be exploring ways to refine the show's direction. It could involve deepening character development or adjusting the pacing elements to boost long-term appeal.

There's also a viable reason for the network to decide against a renewal. The series has a high production value and costs more than many other ABC series. So, the budget can play a part in the series' continuation.

Speaking to Variety on April 3, 2025, Craig Erwich, the President of Disney Television Group, said about the network's plan for the show:

"We love Doctor Odyssey. We’re still having creative conversations about the show with Ryan and evaluating. Ryan is very busy. He is working on a ton with us right now: “9-1-1,” which continues to be one of the No. 1 shows on television. We just gave an expanded order to 9-1-1: Nashville."

He continued:

"We have Chris O’Donnell in that. I think it’s a really unique setting for our flagship franchise. We just launched Mid-Century Modern. So, as he should be, he’s quite busy doing excellent work for us. Ultimately, we’re going to take our lead from Ryan about what that next chapter of Doctor Odysseyolooks like. But we’re having creative conversations about it right now. He’s an amazing partner."

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