Fall premieres of the 2024 TV schedule are quickly approaching, and a big change is coming to ABC's Thursday night lineup with the addition of Doctor Odyssey. Not only is Joshua Jackson's new show replacing Station 19 on Thursdays, but it's taking Grey's Anatomy's usual time slot. The stakes already seem high for the project to become a hit, so it's really only fitting that a new video features a crisis on the ocean like the one that hit 9-1-1 earlier this year. Jackson's character may need all of his – to quote the new series' tagline – "big deck energy" for this maritime gig!
It's not hard to understand the similarities, either. Doctor Odyssey was co-created by Ryan Murphy, who also co-created 9-1-1. The new project features Joshua Jackson's Max joining the staff of a luxury cruise ship as the on-board doctor. He has a small but capable team to confront medical crises miles away from dry land, but there will be plenty of play to go along with the work. Based on the newest trailer, Max and Co. could also face primetime's biggest rogue wave since Bobby and Athena nearly drowned in 9-1-1's first few episodes on ABC! Take a look:
Wouldn't it be nice indeed, if everything on board the Odyssey was more luxury and less crisis? Honestly, the shots of the ocean and the weather conditions in this trailer lead me to wonder if Doctor Odyssey used the roll room that 9-1-1 built for its cruise ship crisis to film. It's interesting that ABC has chosen to schedule this new show between 9-1-1 at 8 p.m. ET and Grey's Anatomy at 10 p.m. ET on Thursdays. The network didn't stick with two firefighter dramas on one night for very long, as Station 19 was cancelled while 9-1-1 was renewed. Does a double dose of medical drama on Thursdays spell trouble?
It's too early to say, but Doctor Odyssey has a lot going for it from the jump. Joshua Jackson is of course a TV veteran across genres, thanks to roles in shows ranging from Dawson's Creek to Fringe to Dr. Death. He's joined in the cast by Hamilton's Phillipa Soo, The Gifted's Sean Teale, and Miami Vice icon Don Johnson. Take a look at the poster for the show, complete with tagline:
I'm not sure what "Big Deck Energy" will entail for this high-stakes drama on the high seas, but I'm interested to find out! The wait isn't too much longer. Doctor Odyssey premieres on Thursday, September 26 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, between 9-1-1 Season 8 at 8 p.m. ET and Grey's Anatomy Season 21 at 10 p.m. ET.
NBC's Thursday night lineup – consisting of Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, and Found – as well as CBS' Thursday night lineup – Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, and Elsbeth – won't return until October, so network TV competition on September 26 might not be too stiff. If you don't want to watch Doctor Odyssey live on ABC but are still interested, you'll be able to watch episodes next day with a Hulu subscription.
