Doctor Odyssey Faces Cancellation Risk as Cast Deals Expire
ABC's Doctor Odyssey isn't officially dead, but things aren't looking good.
According to Deadline, the main cast's contract options — including Joshua Jackson, Phillipa Soo, Sean Teale, and Don Johnson — are set to expire on Monday, and ABC has no plans to renew them. That doesn't mean the show is cancelled outright, but it does mean that if Doctor Odyssey returns for Season 2, it won't be anytime soon — and the original cast might not be coming back.
To move forward, ABC and Ryan Murphy would need to strike a new deal, re-sign the actors, and somehow align their post-Odyssey schedules.
No small feat, especially since these are busy names and Murphy himself is juggling multiple projects.
Back in May, Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich said:
"Doctor Odyssey isn't currently on our schedule. Ryan's really busy. He's doing a lot with us — 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, All's Fair [for Hulu]. So we're just continuing that creative conversation with him."
Translation: ABC likes working with Murphy, but this show is not currently a priority.
The fate of the series, which wrapped its first season this spring, seems to rest entirely on Murphy's call. Eric Schrier, President of Disney TV Studios, previously said that the final decision would most likely come from Murphy himself. Many expected an update shortly after the season finale and before the cast's June deadline — but as of now, no renewal has been announced.