ABC has renewed almost all of its TV series (that aren’t ending this year, like The Conners) — except for Doctor Odyssey, despite performing better than the already-renewed Grey’s Anatomy. The medical drama show created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken debuted in September 2024 and was an immediate hit. Doctor Odyssey’s premiere drew in over 16 million viewers across all platforms after 35 days (per Variety), making it appear like an early lock for a season 2 renewal. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
ABC releases new episodes of Doctor Odyssey season 1 on Thursdays at 9 pm ET, followed by Grey’s Anatomy season 21 at 10 pm ET.
Murphy’s new TV series’ trailer also broke a major record, accumulating 77.8 million views in its first 48 hours, making it the most-watched trailer for a broadcast show. Everything was seemingly going perfectly for Doctor Odyssey. It was poised to be ABC’s next big show, given all the hype surrounding it, its star power (a cast consisting of Joshua Jackson, Don Johnson, Phillipa Soo, and Sean Teale is a dream), its appeal, and its lineup of impressive guest stars. However, the time has come for ABC to decide Doctor Odyssey’s fate, and now, season 2 might be just a pipe dream.
ABC got its easy renewals (i.e., High Potential and Abbott Elementary) out of the way months ago, in January 2025. As the TV upfronts get closer, though, the network has to decide whether to renew or cancel its other TV shows. In early April, ABC announced that it had handed out renewals for Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1, The Rookie, Will Trent, and Shifting Gears(which almost got canceled). ABC also gave the 9-1-1 franchise’s second spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville, a straight-to-series order. So, that leaves Doctor Odyssey as the network’s only remaining show without a definitive future.
Reports claim that Doctor Odyssey’s high cost is giving ABC pause concerning a renewal. Compared to other network TV shows, Ryan Murphy’s medical drama is more expensive than most, which is one of the biggest reasons ABC hasn’t ordered a second season yet. Plus, although Doctor Odyssey debuted with stellar ratings, it has failed to retain large enough numbers to justify a renewal, given its lofty production costs. According to TVLine, ABC is having “creative conversations” regarding Doctor Odyssey’s future, meaning not all hope is lost. Its fate will be decided later, likely after ABC has weighed the pros and cons of continuing its story.
Doctor Odyssey Has Higher Ratings Than Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 (But Shonda Rhimes’ Show Is Already Renewed)
Grey’s Anatomy’s Ratings Rank Last
Yes, Doctor Odyssey’s ratings haven’t impressed ABC much. However, they are greater than Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s viewership totals, and the network has found a place for the long-running medical drama on its 2025–2026 TV programming schedule. After 13 episodes, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 has averaged 2.258 million live viewers, while Doctor Odyssey season 1’s live average sits at 3.175 million after 13 episodes (per TV Series Finale). Nevertheless, Doctor Odyssey remains on the bubble.
Out of ABC’s six dramas that have aired during the 2024–2025 TV season, the ratings for Grey’s Anatomy season 21 place it last, just behind Doctor Odyssey season 1. High Potential season 1 finished in first place, accounting for the new TV show’s early renewal. Meanwhile, Will Trent season 3 ranks second in viewership totals, followed by 9-1-1 season 8 in third place and The Rookie season 7 in fourth. Despite not coming in last, Doctor Odyssey is still at risk of being canceled, and Grey’s Anatomy gets to carry on with its 22nd season.
Tristan, Avery, and Max at the beach on Doctor Odyssey
Tristan, Avery, and Max at the beach on Doctor Odyssey
Perhaps it doesn’t make sense to some why ABC would renew Grey’s Anatomy instead of Doctor Odyssey despite the latter seemingly performing better. However, the network takes other data and information into consideration rather than just live ratings. For example,Grey’s Anatomy is an institution that has a reputation unlike most other network TV shows. It has been around since 2005 and has produced almost 450 episodes, making it one of the longest-running scripted primetime series, giving it more leeway when it comes to renewals.
Grey’s Anatomy also performs extremely well on streaming. According to Collider, Grey’s Anatomy was the most-streamed drama of 2024, raking in around 47.85 billion viewing minutes on Netflix and Hulu. Consequently, it was much easier for ABC to decide Grey’s Anatomy’s fate than Doctor Odyssey.
