‘Doctor Odyssey’ Star Joshua Jackson Relishes Leading ‘Beautifully Absurd’ ABC Drama

Note: This story contains spoilers from the “Doctor Odyssey” series premiere.

“Doctor Odyssey” is the last in a wave of Ryan Murphy-produced dramas to premiere this fall — and it’s, by design, the most fun.

After the debuts of true crime dramas “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” and “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and the FX serial killer drama “Grotesquerie,” the super-producer launched the breezy medical procedural starring Joshua Jackson Thursday on ABC. Equal parts “9-1-1” and “The Love Boat,” the show follows Dr. Max Bankman as he joins the crew of a luxurious cruise called the Odyssey as its on-board doctor, working alongside nurse Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo), nurse Tristan Silva (Sean Teale) and Captain Robert Massey (Don Johnson).

As Jackson tells it, Murphy wanted to create a “beautifully absurd” series to serve as a glossy exit from the COVID era — a chance for both audiences and those involved in the production to “turn the page into a brighter place.”

“It’s not necessarily that it’s lighter, because there’s all kinds of dramatic stuff happening, but the show is geared toward the positive aspect,” Jackson told TheWrap. “As an actor, I want to be working on something that you can come and sit down with us for an hour of your week and enjoy the ride, but then when you leave you feel better than when you sat down.”

Thursday’s premiere delivered on that premise in spades, introducing the flashy world of “Doctor Odyssey” as Max met the new members of his team and juggled interpersonal relationships with some wild on-board emergencies — including a food allergy from eating too much shellfish, a penile fracture and a man falling overboard. And it’s not long before the show sets up some love triangle drama between Max, Avery and Tristan, which should make for plenty of juicy drama ahead.

TheWrap spoke with Jackson about leading the cast of the escapist medical drama, Max’s “patient zero” premiere twist and his dream guest stars.

TheWrap: Congrats on “Doctor Odyssey.” It’s got to be a special show when it brings both you and Ryan Murphy back to broadcast television. What made this the right role for you at this stage of your career?

Jackson: I was told that [Ryan Murphy] wanted to talk to me and I was happy to talk to him. We’ve been trying to work together — and had come close over the years. So we had a conversation in February and I told him I would like to do something that is lighter, where the tone is on the bright side rather than in these heavy, dark places that I’ve been in. And also that I’m a father and my daughter’s about to start school, so I really have to stay in Los Angeles. And he said “Well, I have just the show for you.”

It all came together miraculously from there and here we are. And it is all credit to him and his team of people. I don’t think I’ve ever worked on a prettier show — the boat, the clothes, the people all look incredible. And then he built this wonderful cast, and that’s that the piece you just never know… I don’t want to speak for Phillipa and Sean — maybe they don’t really like me — but I really like working with them. And Don is such a joy. I mean, what an unbelievable gift to have him on set and just be able to listen to his stories.

It takes a special kind of star to lead a Ryan Murphy show, but you joining the ranks of Rob Lowe, Angela Bassett and Peter Krause feels right. And you’re also an executive producer. How does it feel to lead this cast?

There’s a lot that goes into being the lead of a show that has nothing to do with being on camera. And the good news for me at this point in my life is I’ve done this quite a bit. I actually enjoy the opportunity to be part of setting the tone in the work environment, because the hours are long, there’s nothing to be done about that. I can’t solve that problem. It means we’re away from our families and loved ones for the bulk of every single day. And there’s no reason for it to be miserable on top of that.

That’s really Ryan’s mission for the show. Let’s stop being miserable together. So I’m really happy to take that mandate on camera and off.

The show feels like a glossy escape we haven’t seen on TV in a while, but also tackles several medical emergencies at a fast pace. There’s a lot going on, but all is tied together by this four-person ensemble. Which relationship do you think fans will find the most surprising?

The simplest choice would be the romantic dynamic [between Max and Avery]. But there’s kind of a beautiful father-son, mentor-mentee dynamic that is developing between the captain and Dr. Bankman, Don and myself. Those types of relationships between adult men don’t often get explored on TV.

But as far as the show goes you’re exactly right. It is positive chaos and there’s a lot happening. Every episode has a lot happening in it and that’s part of the fun …The show is meant to have that pace. And in the beginning, Ryan would tell us, “I want it to sparkle. You have to be light on your feet, get the words out of your mouth. But you have to be people. You have to be grounded.” With all that positive chaos happening around us, if you don’t believe the people at the center of it, then it just kind of spins into being frivolous. So we want to be able to have the world be grounded by those core four characters, and that their interpersonal relationships feel real, so that then all the chaos that’s around them feels more real, even though it’s beautifully absurd.

We learn some of Dr. Max Bankman’s backstory in the premiere, specifically the twist that surviving COVID encouraged him to seek joy over everything else in his life. What other things did you hope viewers notice or see in your character as they watch the show?

Speaking of that specific character beat, it’s both a specific reason why he’s doing the thing that he’s doing. But I think it’s also, in Ryan’s eyes, a metaphor for where we’ve all have been. Nobody got out untouched by COVID, and whether you were in a pod with other people, whether you were isolated, whether you got it early, whether you got it late or God forbid you lost somebody — we all have gone through this radical and, just to use therapy speak, traumatic event collectively together. I don’t know anybody who didn’t, at some point during that, reassess their life.

I think it’s a beautiful launching episode for the show, because I just feel like we all were there. Not all of us decided to go work on a cruise ship, but all of us thought about it, “Maybe I do need to just start again” or “Maybe I’ve just been quietly getting through but not really living my life.” Everybody’s been in the spot that Max is at, and that’s what launches the show. That’s the mission here: Let’s all collectively exhale, turn the page and commit to life.

Rachel Dratch and Tom McGowan showed up in the premiere, Shania Twain was teased in a promo. How much more iconic can the guest star list for this show get?

Well, Ryan’s Rolodex is pretty impressive. I am not ever surprised when I see the notice come through of who our next playmate is. So the answer is, it cannot possibly get too iconic. Wherever his imagination goes, we will get it.

Who would be a dream guest star for you?

Hmm… I’d love to have Lewis Hamilton and Reese Witherspoon.

That would blow up the Internet! Last question: The last broadcast show created by Ryan’s team, “9-1-1,” has been going strong for eight seasons and became a two-show franchise (with reportedly more to come). Do you have the same aspirations for “Doctor Odyssey?”

I’m usually very unattached to the outcome, because it’s not the piece that I have any control over. But I will say that because of where I’m at in my life, and wanting to be home and wanting to take advantage of every minute I get with my daughter while she’s young. Yeah, if we were that lucky — if we were even half that lucky — I would be ecstatic. Let’s get through launch week, but I hope the audience enjoys the show as much as we do. And if they do, then I hope that we get to do it for a long time.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

“Doctor Odyssey” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

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