Doctor Odyssey parents guide: How choppy are the waters for this cruise?

If you’re in the mood for another intense first responder style drama, Doctor Odyssey is the series to turn to. This ABC medical drama comes from the mind of Ryan Murphy, and it’s a great mixture of 911 and Grey’s Anatomy.

Joshua Jackson gets to play the good guy for a change. He’s the new doctor on board the cruise ship the Odyssey, and he’s learning a new side of medicine. Yes, people on a cruise ship are likely to eat enough shrimp to cause iodine poisoning.

So, is this drama something to watch with the kids around? It’s a 9 p.m. ET/PT show, so does that mean you’ll want to send them to bed early? It really depends on the kids.

Doctor Odyssey is TV-14 but on the steamier side

For the most part, this series is made for broadcast audiences. It doesn’t get too raunchy or graphic, but there are some steamy moments. And that’s just in the first episode and the promo for the second. It’s sure to continue like this, especially considering the time slot.

Sex & nudity: The first episode did give us a moment of Jackson’s character in a room with Avery, played by Phillipa Soo. They got a little hot and heavy at the end of the bed, but they didn’t go all the way there. Trailers have hinted that there will be more between them at some point, but we’re not expecting the sex to be graphic. This is broadcast, so a lot will be implied instead.

That being said, there are some raunchier moments. The promo for episode 2 shows Shaina Twain stripping down to her underwear and making it clear she wants something from the captain of the ship in her room.

The most nudity we’re getting though is people in their bathing suits. Topless men are everywhere.

Language: Again, we’re looking at broadcast rules, which means no F-bombs or the S-word. The worst we’ll potentially get is the B-word, and usually in the form of “son of a B.” That’s standard for broadcast shows at this point.

The first episode brought us minor curse words like hell and damn. A lot of this is said in the moment as the doctors and nurses are trying to save patients or are arguing about the best way to treat their patients.

Violence & gore: As it’s a medical drama, we do expect to see some blood and gore here and there. It’s nothing gratuitous or over the top. In fact, even the surgeries in the first episode were covered for the most part. The action is slightly off screen, but we’re told what the characters are doing. If your kids have watched Grey’s Anatomy or 911, then Doctor Odyssey is fine for them. You know the level of gore to expect.

Alcohol & drugs: Yes, there was some drinking in the first episode. The main trio did some day drinking while the ship was docked, which led to the steamy moment in the room. Avery grabbed tools to help with the sobering process, indicating the issues with day drinking.

There was also some drug use in the first episode. Two characters who ended up in a medical emergency admitted to taking drugs while dancing, and it led to them in a ridiculous situation that saw one of them almost lose their life. There’s an educational element to it.

Overall verdict: Who is Doctor Odyssey appropriate for?

This series is aimed more toward those over 18, but it can work for older teenagers. There are some entertaining moments, and the language and gore aren’t over the top. If you watch other medical and first responder dramas with your teens, then this is another one to add to the list. It’s one that I’d have watched as a 16-year-old, but I was watching ER back then!

This is on the steamier side of regular TV-14 shows. It's on par with the rest of TGIT on ABC.

Doctor Odyssey airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.