Joshua Jackson Breaks His Silence After ABC’s ‘Doctor Odyssey’ Sinks: ‘I’m Going to Miss the Gang for Sure’

It’s been just a few weeks since ABC’s glitzy, genre-bending drama Doctor Odyssey was unceremoniously canceled after only one season, leaving fans adrift and the show’s star, Joshua Jackson, with more questions than answers. Now, for the first time since the network quietly let the cast’s contracts expire in June, Jackson is opening up about the show’s abrupt end, the bittersweet memories he’s taking with him, and why he’s not holding his breath for a surprise revival.

“I’m sad that we don’t get to go back and do it again,” Jackson confessed in an exclusive interview with People. “But I really enjoyed the time that we did get to do it.” It’s a sentiment that will resonate with the show’s small but passionate fanbase, many of whom had hoped for a second season of the glossy medical drama set aboard a luxury cruise ship.

For Jackson, whose career has spanned everything from Dawson’s Creek to Fringe and The Affair, Doctor Odyssey was something different—a chance to play Max Bankman, a shipboard doctor with a complicated love life and a knack for saving lives at sea. The show, described by many as a modern-day Love Boat with a distinctly Ryan Murphy twist, paired Jackson with TV legend Don Johnson as Captain Massey, and a supporting cast that included Phillipa Soo (Shining Girls) and Sean Teale (The Gifted).

Despite its high-wattage cast and lavish production values, Doctor Odyssey struggled to find its sea legs. The show’s pandemic-era origins, coupled with a blend of medical drama, romance, and surreal plot twists—including a love triangle that turned into a full-blown threesome—left some viewers scratching their heads. But for Jackson, the experience was a highlight.

“That was a really good group of people, and it was a really fun show,” Jackson said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “I’m going to miss the gang for sure.”

The news of the show’s cancellation came not with a bang, but a whimper. Instead of a formal announcement, ABC simply let the cast’s options for a second season lapse when their contracts expired in June. Industry insiders say it’s a common tactic for networks hedging their bets, but for the actors and crew, it meant weeks of limbo, waiting for a call that never came. Now, with the cast free to pursue other projects, any hope of a quick return has all but vanished.

“They may make that show with somebody else,” Jackson admitted, sounding more resigned than bitter. “I have no idea what their plans are. They haven’t let me know, but I am not holding my breath that it’s coming back.” It’s a sobering reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in Hollywood, where even a star like Jackson is at the mercy of network decisions and shifting audience tastes.

For fans, the loss of Doctor Odyssey is more than just the end of a TV show—it’s the loss of a world that was just beginning to find its footing. The show’s first (and only) season was a wild ride, packed with medical emergencies, romantic entanglements, and a fever-dream quality that kept viewers guessing. Was the Odyssey really a ship, or was it all a metaphorical journey to the afterlife? TVLine’s now-famous “Fever Dream Theory” posited that Max never recovered from COVID, and that the entire series was actually set in a liminal space between life and d3ath—a theory Jackson hasn’t confirmed, but didn’t exactly deny, either. “We had a similar theory operating on set,” he previously teased.

If the show’s surreal underpinnings confused some viewers, they also gave it a unique flavor. The love triangle between Max, nurse Avery (Soo), and nurse Tristan (Teale) took a steamy turn midway through the season, culminating in a threesome that set social media ablaze and left the characters—and the audience—reeling. For Jackson, it was all part of the fun. “It was messy, but it was real,” he said. “These are people trying to figure out who they are, and sometimes that means making mistakes.”

Behind the scenes, the cast bonded over the show’s breakneck pace and unpredictable scripts. “Every week, we’d get the new episode and just look at each other like, ‘What are we doing now?’” Jackson recalled, laughing. “It was like being on a rollercoaster—you just had to hang on and enjoy the ride.” The camaraderie extended off-set as well, with Jackson describing his co-stars as “a family” and expressing genuine sadness that their time together was cut short.

For ABC, the decision to cancel Doctor Odyssey was likely a numbers game. Despite its star power and glossy visuals, the show struggled in the ratings, never quite finding the audience it needed to justify its hefty budget. In an era where networks are increasingly cautious about expensive, high-concept dramas, the writing may have been on the wall from the start. Still, the lack of closure stings—for the cast, the crew, and the fans who invested in the world of the Odyssey.

Jackson, ever the professional, is philosophical about the show’s fate. “I’m always bummed out when a show gets cancelled,” he admitted. “But that’s the nature of the business. You pour your heart into something, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. All you can do is be grateful for the experience.” It’s a lesson he’s learned over decades in the industry, and one he’s passing on to his fans: enjoy the moment, because you never know when it might end.

As for what’s next, Jackson is keeping his options open. With the cast officially released from their contracts, he’s free to pursue new roles—and if history is any guide, it won’t be long before he’s back on our screens. In the meantime, he’s taking time to reflect on what made Doctor Odyssey special. “It was just a really joyful experience,” he said. “I’m grateful I got to be a part of it, even if it was only for a short time.”

For fans still mourning the loss of the Odyssey, Jackson has a message: don’t give up hope. “You never know in this business,” he said with a smile. “Shows come back all the time. But if this is the end, I’m proud of what we did.”

As the sun sets on Doctor Odyssey, the legacy of Max Bankman and his crew lives on—not just in the episodes that aired, but in the memories of those who made them, and the fans who watched. And for Joshua Jackson, it’s another chapter in a career defined by risk-taking, resilience, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. The ship may have sailed, but the journey is far from over.