Ryan Murphy’s “Doctor Odyssey” sets sail on the high seas weekly with Joshua Jackson as the titular Doc, Max Bankman, in charge of a marvelous medical team and an amazing state-of-the-art clinic, and Don Johnson as the stalwart Captain Robert Massey.
“Doctor Odyssey” is, Jackson, 46, said in a virtual interview, “A testament to Murphy’s imagination with characterizations that are a representation of the full spectrum of humanity.”
“This whole show is an escapist fantasy,” Johnson, 75, added. “The Captain had a beautiful speech at the beginning of the season, noting that you come as a guest into our home and we make all of your troubles melt away.
“We’ve taken that as a blueprint for the show. For every episode, the guests come on, the audience comes on. We have the drama, the plot and we are here to provide a one-hour escape from real life.”
This “Doctor” – Thursdays on ABC, next day on Hulu – can mean a seven-year commitment for the cast. Is that easy?
“The thing is,” Johnson said, “legacy television – ABC, CBS, NBC, whatever – is a medium where your talents are demanded. Now!
“Not ‘think about it for a half hour or ruminate.’ You better bring it – and you better bring it NOW. I love that.”
“I will tell you,” Jackson said, “as a father of a young child who’s starting her school experience” – that’s his 4-year-old daughter Juno from his marriage to Jodie Turner-Smith – “if I could get seven years of being in Los Angeles while she’s going to school and not have to travel out of town, that would be a miracle for me. So I’ll be quite happy with that.”
Jackson became overnight a star with “Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003). Did he hope to repeat that success somehow, as he’s gone on?
“For me literally, there’s no going back. I was a kid when we shot ‘Dawson’s Creek.’ Even if I were to try to recreate something like that, life doesn’t go backwards.
“So the answer really is: Each thing is its own thing. Nobody, when we started ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ had any idea of what that show would become.
“With ‘Dawson’ we tried to do as much as we could to enjoy the process of making it together. And I would say the same thing here.
“We are all very conscientious on this show to make sure that we enjoy the process of making it – with the hope that that joy that we feel while we’re making it, translates to the screen.
“So you feel that when you’re watching it at home.”
“Doctor Odyssey” airs on ABC Thursday at 9 p.m., next day on Hulu
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