The premiere of Doctor Odyssey—ABC’s newest series starring Joshua Jackson—can’t come soon enough. Created by Ryan Murphy (Feud, AHS, 9-1-1, Glee, and more), the procedural takes place on a luxury cruise ship, features lots of hot people, and can best be described as Below Deck meets Grey’s Anatomy meets The Love Boat. It’s also premiering in the coveted Thursday night time slot between two of ABC’s hottest shows (9-1-1 and Grey’s), which makes total sense, since this show has BDE (Big deck energy, people!).
Speaking of The Love Boat, which featured a rotating group of high-profile guest stars back in the day (Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, Kathy Bates, etc.), Doctor Odyssey is leaning into that same winning formula. On Monday, August 26, ABC announced that Grammy-winning country/pop superstar Shania Twain will be a featured guest star in the second episode of the season (the show premieres on Thursday, September 26—Twain’s appearance will be on Thursday, October 3). No character details have been announced, but she certainly looks the part of the luxury liner’s rich clientele.
Then, on Tuesday, September 17, ABC announced that several high profile alums from Ryan Murphy’s most popular shows will also be making guest appearances. Those include John Stamos (Glee), Chord Overstreet (Glee), Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), and Laura Harrier (Hollywood). In addition, music superstar Kelsea Ballerini, Gina Gershon, Stephanie Suganami, and Justin Jedlica will also guest star.
All eight guest stars can be seen in the official trailer, which ABC released just released. Take a look:
We’ll be at the premiere this Wednesday night, September 18, so follow along here for some fun BTS coverage. In the meantime, check out the latest new photos from the series:
Previous post: In a new teaser, set to “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys, Twain’s character is seen dancing with Don Johnson’s Captain Robert Massey. Take a look:
This follows the previous teaser, which Glamour exclusively revealed on August 19. Maybe we’re biased, but we think this one is the most scintillating—and, frankly, NSFW—one yet. Just warning you now…
Meanwhile, ABC has also released new key art, this time featuring the entire cast. They sure know how to get us excited for this show.
While we wait for the official trailer to drop, we’ll just be rewatching the above for the next few weeks. And clearing our schedules for September 26.
Want more? Of course you do. Here’s everything else we know about the drama series, and who’s playing who.
What is Doctor Odyssey about?
Here’s the official description, per ABC publicity: “From the brilliant mind of Ryan Murphy comes high-octane procedural, Doctor Odyssey. Max (Joshua Jackson) is the new on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship where the staff works hard and plays harder. It’s all-hands-on-deck as Max and his small but mighty medical team navigate unique medical crises and each other, miles from shore.”
When does it air?
Thursday, September 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, 8 p.m. CT on ABC. It will be streaming the next day on Hulu. It’s already being primed for success, sandwiched between 9-1-1 (at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT) and Grey’s Anatomy (at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT).
Who stars in Doctor Odyssey?
Joshua Jackson stars as Dr. Max Bankman on Odyssey. He’s also an executive producer on the series. He recently starred in the Paramount+ drama series Fatal Attraction, and the Peacock drama series Dr. Death. Jackson is also filming Karate Kid for Sony Pictures. He’s of course best known as fan-favorite Pacey Witter from Dawson’s Creek. Additional credits include Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere as Reese Witherspoon’s husband, and Netflix’s When They See Us from Ava DuVernay. You can follow Jackson on Instagram here.
Tony Award nominee Phillipa Soo, best known for originating the role of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton in Broadway’s critically acclaimed Hamilton, plays Nurse Avery Morgan on Doctor Odyssey. Not much is known about the character yet, except there seems to be something brewing between her and Dr. Bankman (Jackson). Soo most recently starred in One True Loves opposite Simu Liu and Luke Bracey, and played Guenevere in Aaron Sorkin’s revival of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot on Broadway. You can follow Soo on Instagram here.
London-born actor Sean Teale first appeared in the drama Skins, starring Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel, Kaya Scodelario, Jack O’Connell, and Daniel Kaluuya. Other credits include Netflix’s Mother of the Bride (as the son of Benjamin Bratt’s character), Dario in Disney+/Hulu’s Rosaline, and much more. You can follow him on Instagram here.
And finally, Emmy nominee Don Johnson plays the Odyssey’s captain, Robert Massey. He’s best known for starring as Detective Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice and being the father of actor Dakota Johnson. He recently starred as Jane Fonda’s love interest, Arthur, in Book Club and its sequel. You can follow him on Instagram here.
Who’s producing the series?
Lots of heavy hitters, including Joshua Jackson and Don Johnson as executive producers. The series is produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television, and written and executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken. Paris Barclay (NYPD Blue, ER, The West Wing, AHS, Glee, The Watcher, etc.) directs and executive-produces. Eric Paquette, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, and Nissa Diederich also serve as executive producers.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.