After weeks of speculation, the sexy boat will not return for a second season on ABC as it sinks to the bottom of the Situationship Seas. The splashy cruise ship medical drama Doctor Odyssey, from Ryan Murphy, has been cancelled by default — yes you read that right — as cast contracts are set to expire this Monday and will not be renewed, according to multiple sources. The show’s crew has also moved on, many transitioning to other Murphy productions.

While the show has not been formally cancelled by ABC, insiders told Deadline that the decision not to exercise cast options effectively ends the series as we know it. If the show were to continue — either back on ABC or possibly on Hulu, where it performed better in streaming — entirely new cast deals would have to be negotiated. As of now, no such discussions are in motion.

“I really love Doctor Odyssey, I think it’s a wildly inventive show, and we’re doing everything we can to support it,” said Disney TV Studios chief Eric Schrier last month. “That decision ultimately lies with Ryan Murphy, whether Ryan wants to continue to do it, and he feels like there’s stories to tell that he feels confident in.” So far, Murphy has not commented on the cancellation or whether he intends to resurrect the series elsewhere. Doctor Odyssey was one of ABC’s most ambitious launches of the year, billing itself as a Grey’s Anatomy-at-sea hybrid. With its A-list cast — led by Joshua Jackson, Don Johnson, Phillipa Soo, and Sean Teale — and a lush, expensive cruise ship setting, the series seemed tailor-made for network prestige.

And it worked — at first. The premiere drew 7.59 million live+3 viewers, making it ABC’s biggest drama debut in four years, and ballooned to 13.6 million with cross-platform viewing. But subsequent episodes saw a steep decline, dipping to 3.5 million viewers, even with a promotional bump from Angela Bassett’s guest appearance. With rising costs and slipping viewership, the network’s hesitation grew.

Why Was Doctor Odyssey Cancelled?

Reportedly, Doctor Odyssey was one of ABC’s most expensive scripted series, with high production demands tied to its unique cruise ship setting, and a cast that didn’t come cheap. That cost-to-return ratio played a significant role in the decision not to pick up cast options for Season 2. Despite its short run, Doctor Odyssey found fans who appreciated its commitment to “sexy network television,” including Collider’s Maggie Lovitt.

“With its pilot episode, Doctor Odyssey gives an excellent sampling of what’s on the bill and promises to be one hell of a ride—even if Captain Massey swears the cruise ship is the furthest from hell you can get. Sexy network television is back, and, boy, we’ve missed it.”

Though ABC has docked the series, it’s worth noting that Doctor Odyssey performed better on Hulu, and Murphy has a long history of migrating his shows between platforms. Sources told Deadline he’s currently weighing creative options and hasn’t ruled out a revival — albeit under new contracts and potentially a different format.

Doctor Odyssey is still available to stream on Hulu.

via Collider