Doctor Odyssey: Joshua Jackson is a doctor on a cruise ship and that’s all we need to know

Headshot of Wenlei Ma
Wenlei Ma
The Nightly
Joshua Jackson in Doctor Odyssey.
Joshua Jackson in Doctor Odyssey. Credit: Disney

We’re certainly not suggesting Doctor Odyssey is going to be the next Shogun or Beef. It’s not exactly aiming for the upper echelons of prestige TV.

But it has Joshua Jackson playing a doctor on a cruise ship and that’s a combination that has great promise.

The upcoming American series dropped a 15-second teaser video today and while it gave little away in terms of premise, it had Don Johnson, decked out in a white tux say, “This ship is heaven” as a smiling Jackson looks on.

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It follows with overhead shots of a fancy-looking cruise ship complete with a glistening pool and, and then a look at Jackson emerging from a different pool. So, at least two pools in the first four seconds.

There is also a quick scene of Jackson in his doctor gear – white uniform and requisite stethoscope – assisted by castmates Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Sean Teale (Skins) as Johnson intones in voiceover, “Doctor, it’s your job to keep everyone alive”.

That actually seems pretty clear cut. There’s a big ship and they’re the medical team who ensures everyone disembarks with their organs intact. It’s like The Love Boat but with blue gloves rather than weddings.

Or maybe it can be both. Who says there can’t be an emergency during an onboard wedding? Someone may choke on a bad salmon tartlet.

While Doctor Odyssey has not been confirmed yet for Australian release, the series will be broadcast from September on America’s ABC channel, which is owned by Disney. Other ABC series such as Abbott Elementary, Will Trent and Grey’s Anatomy stream in Australia on Disney+.

Disney Australia has been approached for confirmation.

Doctor Odyssey comes from prolific producer Ryan Murphy, the man behind Glee, American Horror Story and The People vs OJ Simpson. Murphy has recently returned to Disney after a $US300 million five-year deal at Netflix, where he shepherded shows such as Dahmer and The Politician.

This won’t be the first time Jackson has played a doctor on screen, albeit it looks to be a very different characterisation.

In Dr. Death, Jackson played Christopher Duntsch, a real-life neurosurgeon who was convicted of mutilating his patients.

Jackson started his career as a child actor in The Mighty Ducks and transitioned into teen idol status in Dawson’s Creek before moving onto adult roles in the likes of The Affair, Fringe and, most recently, in the streaming series remake of Fatal Attraction opposite Lizzy Caplan.

Doctor Odyssey is not the first time Murphy has worked with a Dawson’s Creek alum. James Van Der Beek was a lead in the first season of Murphy show Pose.

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