John Oliver isn’t just distraught that Doctor Odyssey remains on the bubble at ABC — he also wants answers about why Will Trent and The Rookie have been renewed instead.
During Last Week Tonight on Sunday, May 18, Oliver, 48, called ABC out for not making an official decision about Doctor Odyssey, which is the only show on their roster that hasn’t been renewed or canceled.
“ABC should be embarrassed — for the fact that, as of this taping, they still haven’t renewed Doctor Odyssey for season 2,” Oliver joked. “What the f*** are you doing, ABC? It’s sexy ER on a boat! It’s The Pitt with sharks! It’s got — and I’m not even going to try and beat their tagline on this — ‘Big deck energy.’”
Oliver proceeded to show a clip from the Doctor Odyssey pilot before bringing up other ABC shows, adding, “How is ABC renewing shows called The Rookie and Will Trent — whose premise is apparently just, ‘Despite being dyslexic, he’s become a special agent in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.’ But they haven’t renewed the only show brave enough to answer the question, ‘What if sick, but boat?’”
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The late night talk show host acknowledged he “shouldn’t complain” about other shows.
“I shouldn’t care that a show called and about a rookie is returning for its premise-defying eighth season, and I don’t begrudge any audience members for sticking around to find out if their favorite characters will or won’t Trent,” he added. “All I’m saying is, ABC’s The View has been on since 1997, and Doctor Hot Boat is still in limbo.”
Oliver wrapped the segment up by taking more digs at the network. “You’re a disgrace, ABC!” He concluded. “Your network is a disaster!”
Doctor Odyssey, which premiered in September 2024, followed Joshua Jackson‘s character Dr. Max on his journey to becoming the new onboard doctor of the Odyssey. The medical drama hasn’t been afraid to push boundaries, with story lines such as Don Johnson‘s Captain Massey expecting a baby with a character played by Shania Twain.
Despite resonating with viewers, Doctor Odyssey‘s future has remained in limbo. Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich weighed in on why there was a delay, telling TVLine on Thursday, May 15, “Doctor Odyssey is not on our [fall 2025] schedule currently. We’re in talks with [series creator] Ryan [Murphy], and we really look to him about what the next chapter might be.”
Erwich noted that Murphy, 59, had a lot on his plate, which contributed to Doctor Odyssey‘s unclear future.
“Ryan’s extremely busy,” the ABC executive added. “With 9-1-1, [the upcoming spinoff] 9-1-1: Nashville and 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.”
According to Erwich, it’s all up to Murphy. “I really love Doctor Odyssey, I think it’s a wildly inventive show, and we’re doing everything we can to support it,” he continued in a separate interview with Deadline. “That decision ultimately lies with Ryan Murphy, whether Ryan wants to continue to do it, and he feels like there’s stories to tell that he feels confident in.”
The outlet confirmed that a decision would have to be made by June when the options on the cast are set to expire.
Doctor Odyssey is currently streaming on Hulu.
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