The Orville

[BrobaFett 4,209]

Anyone watching The Orville? The new sci fi show from Seth McFarlane?

I have been looking forward to it and the new Star Trek series, and just got to watch the first episode of Orville and really liked it. Honestly, it looks like it might be taking on the mantle of updating all the things I loved about Star Trek as a kid more so than the new Star Trek show is. I'll still watch it, but I am afraid it will end up a little wooden and soul less from the trailers.

Anyone else watching it? Anyone else want to start? It geta a BB-8 lighter thumbs up from me.

[Madaghmire 7,274]

I also liked it a lot Broba. It felt like an offbeat star trek to me.

[CDAT 243]

I watched it and thought it was good for a pilot, I think it has lots of promise but I am worried that as it is a SciFy show on FOX that it will not get a good shake.

[Madaghmire 7,274]

1 minute ago, CDAT said:

I watched it and thought it was good for a pilot, I think it has lots of promise but I am worried that as it is a SciFy show on FOX that it will not get a good shake.

Fox is always fair to their space shows, and would never prematurely cancel one. Especially not if its a show by Seth Mcfarlane! Fox would never cancel a show by Seth Mcfarlane!

I think we're shiny.

[GhostofNobodyInParticular 2,493]

3 hours ago, Madaghmire said:

Fox is always fair to their space shows, and would never prematurely cancel one. Especially not if its a show by Seth Mcfarlane! Fox would never cancel a show by Seth Mcfarlane!

I think we're shiny.

They canceled Firefly. . .

Edit: Actually, I just got the sarcasm. . .  

Edited September 13, 2017 by GhostofNobodyInParticular

[BrobaFett 4,209]

2 hours ago, Madaghmire said:

I think we're shiny.

Ugh some wounds never fully heal, thanks for opening that one back up.

[Stasy 2,501]

The CBS paywall instantly makes The Orville better.

I liked the pilot episode a lot. It's funny, has the ability to go serious (if they want), and was entertaining overall. And the effects looked good, probably as a byproduct of using physical models for some of the shots.

And what makes me excited is that the upcoming episodes are directed by a bunch of Trek alum: Frakes, McNeil, ect. A lot of those people directed excellent late-pre JJ garbage Trek as well as other shows like Chuck. 

[Caldias 2,209]

I really am interested in watching this.  Will hopefully get to soon.

[BrobaFett 4,209]

3 hours ago, Stasy said:

I liked the pilot episode a lot. It's funny, has the ability to go serious (if they want), and was entertaining overall. And the effects looked good, probably as a byproduct of using physical models for some of the shots.

And what makes me excited is that the upcoming episodes are directed by a bunch of Trek alum: Frakes, McNeil, ect. A lot of those people directed excellent late-pre JJ garbage Trek as well as other shows like Chuck. 

This was my sentiment exactly. It is at its core a serious show, they want to recreate what made Trek good when it was good - but they also want a show that is accessible and people won't mind watching just for laugh so it won't (hopefully) get cancelled because a certain lowest common denominator with a Nielson box that has to chose between it and season 4343890 of Survivor will still maybe watch it.

Didn't know that about the directors! Looking forward to that then.

[martok2112 373]

My roomie and I fully enjoyed the pilot episode of The Orville.   It was definitely what I expected....  a sci-fi comedy drama.

Seth McFarlane's humor works full blast in animated shows like Family Guy and American Dad.  In a live-action venture, I think Seth likes to show off his dramatic chops as well, much like in his Western comedy drama, "A Million Ways to Die in the West".

This show certainly has a sense of humor, but it is tempered by the dramatic premise as well, and I love that.   It makes me think this could be a sci-fi version of M*A*S*H* (which is my all time favorite show).

I think this is McFarlane's love letter to Star Trek and Star Wars.

[WigTii 279]

I found the pilot entertaining.  I want to see a couple more episodes before I make up my mind about it.  

[Megatronrex 2,867]

15 hours ago, martok2112 said:

I think this is McFarlane's love letter to Star Trek and Star Wars.

I definitely got the same vibe from it. So far it looks good. Hopefully Fox will support this show.

[TheToad 321]

I made a deal... if it goes to a second season I'll watch it.

Im glad to hear good reviews for it.

[DiabloAzul 2,636]

Saw the pilot last night - I found it entertaining but not enthralling.

It's a matter of personal taste, of course, but for me it fell in the "grey zone" between humor and drama, which sells very well but fails to be either:

• amusing/silly/wacky enough to make me suspend disbelief entirely, or
• serious/dramatic/plausible enough to let me be emotionally invested in the characters.

At the left of the scale would be Galaxy Quest or Rick and Morty, and at the right would be Firefly, Babylon 5 or The Expanse. This is... none of those, and for now it feels somehow generic.

But I will definitely give it a few more episodes!

[Frimmel 2,593]

4 hours ago, DiabloAzul said:

Saw the pilot last night - I found it entertaining but not enthralling.

It's a matter of personal taste, of course, but for me it fell in the "grey zone" between humor and drama, which sells very well but fails to be either:

• amusing/silly/wacky enough to make me suspend disbelief entirely, or
• serious/dramatic/plausible enough to let me be emotionally invested in the characters.

At the left of the scale would be Galaxy Quest or Rick and Morty, and at the right would be Firefly, Babylon 5 or The Expanse. This is... none of those, and for now it feels somehow generic.

But I will definitely give it a few more episodes!

Agreed. It feels like it isn't quite sure what it is at the moment. I'm certainly going to give it a chance to find its feet though. I was glad though it wasn't a straight up parody or send up of Trek, Firefly, and such and hope it doesn't go there. I think it is drawing the comparisons to Galaxy Quest because it is self-referential while still evidently loving the material it draws inspiration from though poking a bit of fun at it. But I think they'll really need to be careful with that going forward. It could turn into laughing AT its inspirations and not with them. They're on a tightrope with their tone at the moment. 

 

[martok2112 373]

I can definitely see some of the concerns, but I don't think this show is going to alienate Trek/Wars fans/followers.   I think MacFarlane has gotten his more aggressive sense of humor out through Family Guy's takes on Star Trek and Star Wars.   The only people he would've ticked off with his Family Guy jabs would be the perpetually offended.  

 

I think he's using The Orville to represent his more reverent love of Star Trek and Star Wars.

 

He used Family Guy's Star Wars trilogy parody to basically give voice to what a lot of us were probably thinking about the more iconic scenes when we were watching Eps IV, V, and VI.  

With The Orville, he's making light hearted jabs at Star Trek and Star Wars affectations as opposed to just outright making fun of them.  

 

And the balancing with the more dramatic moments....I've always been a sucker for comedy dramas.   (M*A*S*H*, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)    I think this show fits in quite nicely with such company. 

 

The second episode was a really good blend of that.     I hope it can maintain, and improve upon the quality its given us so far.   I am eager for the next episode.

 

I also love that McFarlane has brought some Trek alumni on board this show.    Penny Johnson, who played Kassidy Yates on Star Trek Deep Space Nine.    Brannon Braga (who, btw, also exec produced Neil DeGrasse Tyson's take on Cosmos along with Seth McFarlane),  and the second episode was directed by Robert Duncan MacNeill, aka Tom Paris from Star Trek Voyager.   I think MacFarlane also has Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, and some other Trek actors on board for writing/directing gigs.

 

I think this show is gonna rock, and quite honestly, I think it's gonna blow Star Trek Discovery out of the stars.

 

Personal opinions only.

[BrobaFett 4,209]

So just heard it got moved to Thursday night after only 2 episodes.

I know very little about TV scheduling nonsense, I never watch live TV, always DVR. (all the way back to the old TiVo days)

Is that a good thing, a bad thing, neutral thing? Should I not get invested because this puts it one step above cancellation only 2 episodes in?

[Green Knight 9,732]

On 13.9.2017 at 6:54 AM, Madaghmire said:

Fox is always fair to their space shows, and would never prematurely cancel one. Especially not if its a show by Seth Mcfarlane! Fox would never cancel a show by Seth Mcfarlane!

I think we're shiny.

They never air episodes in the wrong order, or cancel mid-season. Nor do they fail to realize the epic following their shows will eventually generate. Not Fox. Those guys are totally in tune with everything.

(never forget, never forgive)

[IceQube MkII 694]

It's no Ricky & Morty (I can't seem to find the image of a cosplay of Morty with the Big Arm next to Pickle Rick.)...

I've watched both episodes of the Orville in passing and it's definitely watchable... maybe it's Star Trek meets a Knight's Tale?

As for TV scheduling, I think Fox knows that people will be tired from watching NFL games on Sunday?  The Orville would get wrecked by HBO (e.g., Game of Thrones) on Sunday night.  I think Married with Children was on Sundays though?

In its hey day, Thursday night was the marquee night (Seinfeld, Cheers, Frazier?) and NBC dominated.  I don't even know when the new episodes of Big Bang are on...

Honestly, I think TV nowadays is designed to be binged watched and for convenience (e.g., the Netflix model).  I actually watched a few NFL games this weekend but was doing other stuff in the background.

https://www.quora.com/What-days-of-the-week-are-the-most-popular-TV-watching-days-in-the-US

https://qz.com/278951/five-reasons-why-sunday-is-tvs-best-night/

 

[martok2112 373]

9 minutes ago, Green Knight said:

 

(never forget, never forgive)

That's gonna be my new motto!!!!  HA HA HA HA!!!!! 

[Frimmel 2,593]

57 minutes ago, BrobaFett said:

So just heard it got moved to Thursday night after only 2 episodes.

I know very little about TV scheduling nonsense, I never watch live TV, always DVR. (all the way back to the old TiVo days)

Is that a good thing, a bad thing, neutral thing? Should I not get invested because this puts it one step above cancellation only 2 episodes in?

It is a "not bad" thing. It is going to Thursday after "Gotham" so that is a strong lead in I think. They've also put this stuff up against NFL games and college football so they think it has some sort of following to compete with that or as a good alternative to those football games. It isn't the sort of spot that something gets put if they don't think it will succeed or want to bury it. It is a very prominent spot when you compare it to "Star Trek: Discovery" which has been banished behind a streaming service for a single network's offerings. 

 

[Stasy 2,501]

I think the move was intended. Sunday night is their animation block, and new episodes are starting in a week or two for those shows.

[fistfulofforce 394]

Sunday is also football night I think it will do better on Thursday.

[Forresto 2,200]

As much as I enjoyed the Orville for what it is, I'm much more excited about Discovery. Five bucks a month isnt that bad to pay for a show, considering I've got probably five hundred bucks worth of Star Trek merchandise, so five bucks is nothing. What I find interesting is despite being a prequel I think Discovery is going to pull us forward in terms of storytelling on television whereas the Orville is very much the opposite in many ways. Theres nothing wrong with that perse.

I definitely think that the Orville has a great look to it and the humor was good enough, although I was the only one in my household that really laughed at any of it. I'm equally impressed that Mcfarlane didnt make it all bathroom comedy and sex jokes, and i'm really glad because I feel he's far too talented an entertainer and artist to have to always rely on that.

I'm especially happy that the Orville is on thursdays now. Sunday I get to watch Trek and then on that slog day of thursday I can unwind with something a little more lighthearted with the Orville, and I suspect both will be very entertaining for different reasons. With the Last Jedi looking better and better and coming out probably when these shows end for the season, then the Dr. Who christmas special, its a really good time to be a sci-fi nerd. 

Edited September 21, 2017 by Forresto

[Madaghmire 7,274]

Episode three of the orville was everything mcfarlane was looking to do with this show, and whats been missing from scifi since TNG went off the air. Picking up steam, imo. At this rate we could be looking at what becomes a really good show.

Definetely getting canceled.