Yep, Doctor Odyssey's Fate Is Still TBD — ABC Boss Explains Hold-Up

When it comes to whether Doctor Odyssey will set sail for a second season, it sounds like all interested parties are waiting on the ABC series' captain.

Season 1 of the seafaring sudser has been averaging 4.8 million total viewers (with delayed playback), right on par with what Grey's Anatomy did in the Thursday hammock spot last year, and ranking No. 5 out of the 7 dramas ABC has aired this TV season.

In the coveted 18-49 demo, Doctor Odyssey does not rank amongst broadcast TV's Top 20 shows.

Ahead of the series' freshman finale (airing this Thursday at 9/8c), TVLine asked Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich where things stand with the network's renewal/cancellation decision, and when fans might expect one.

As seen with the unveiling of ABC's game plan for the 2025-26 TV season, "Doctor Odyssey is not on our schedule currently," Erwich said. With an eye on the future, "We're in talks with [series creator] Ryan [Murphy], and we really look to him about what the next chapter might be."

Thing is, the Odyssey is not the only ship in the super-prolific Murphy's fleet.

"Ryan's extremely busy," Erwich noted, with "9-1-1, [the upcoming spinoff] 9-1-1: Nashville... he's doing All's Fair [for Hulu], I know he's working on a bunch of shows for FX that they're really excited about, too...."

Disney TV Studios Chief Eric Schrier, in a recent interview with our sister site Deadline, similarly indicated that Murphy himself is the best person to offer a prognosis for Doctor Odyssey.

"That decision ultimately lies with Ryan Murphy," Schrier said, "whether Ryan wants to continue to do it, and he feels like there's stories to tell that he feels confident in."

Will this Thursday's finale leave viewers satisfied, should it wind up serving as a series finale? That is the buzz, though Erwich would not confirm as much when asked by TVLine.

"The [Season 1] stories we're really satisfying the way that Ryan drew them out," Erwich said, "but again, it's not on our schedule right now and we're continuing conversations [with Murphy]."