The Orville: Seth MacFarlane's new Star Trek spoof TV series

[Shaky]

Looks absolutely dire and as others are pointing out, it's a bizarre waste of time and effort spoofing Star Trek these days.

I wish Seth well in all future endeavours.

[Avril Lavigne]

I think they managed to choose the least exciting or evocative title for a sci-fi show, ever.

[Phil_A]

I think they managed to choose the least exciting or evocative title for a sci-fi show, ever.

It's also somewhat unfortunate that over here in Britainland the word "Orville" just instantly brings to mind an insufferably twee green duck with a man's fist rammed up his arse.

[JoeyBananaduck]

Also lends itself to reviewers calling it The Absolutely Bloody Awful etc.

[Old Gold Tooth]

Gave this a watch as sci-fi/comedy always intrigues me.

Unfortunately this is the blandest show they could have conceivably made. There are so few jokes that I don't think it can be classed as comedy.

Which leaves the focus on sci-fi, although that's not good as the sci-fi is Star Trek. Exactly Star Trek. To such a degree I'm surprised there isn't legal action involved because I don't think it can be classed as parody. It definitely isn't played as one.

Also Seth Macfarlane is terrible, and I still enjoy his voice acting in stuff. But his decision to play the role earnestly is baffling, as he sleepwalks through every encounter with barely a change in expression. I think you're meant to sympathise with his 'plight' but I just kept watching his face for recognisable signs of humanity.

In summary: not even bad enough to enjoy hate-watching. Give it a miss.

[olliebean]

Which leaves the focus on sci-fi, although that's not good as the sci-fi is Star Trek. Exactly Star Trek. To such a degree I'm surprised there isn't legal action involved because I don't think it can be classed as parody. It definitely isn't played as one.

I thought it had that "just enough changed to avoid breaching copyright" feel to it. The ship has a sufficiently different design, and the characters are a sort of mix-and-match of recognisable traits from ST characters without any one character from this being identifiably a direct copy of any one ST character.

I'll probably give it another episode or two to see if it grows on me, but I'm also rewatching ST:TOS atm and it feels like that's going to be a more worthwhile use of my time.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Gave this a watch as sci-fi/comedy always intrigues me.

Unfortunately this is the blandest show they could have conceivably made. There are so few jokes that I don't think it can be classed as comedy.

Which leaves the focus on sci-fi, although that's not good as the sci-fi is Star Trek. Exactly Star Trek. To such a degree I'm surprised there isn't legal action involved because I don't think it can be classed as parody. It definitely isn't played as one.

Also Seth Macfarlane is terrible, and I still enjoy his voice acting in stuff. But his decision to play the role earnestly is baffling, as he sleepwalks through every encounter with barely a change in expression. I think you're meant to sympathise with his 'plight' but I just kept watching his face for recognisable signs of humanity.

In summary: not even bad enough to enjoy hate-watching. Give it a miss.

I know what you mean about MacFarlane's face, I don't know if it's a result of plastic surgery but it looks so lifeless all of the time and along with his cold dead eyes it's actually a bit disquieting, occasionally he raises his eyebrows or smiles but that's about the limit of his acting skills. It's a shame as the role requires a lot of charm and he's completely lacking in it, and so the jokes don't land. I like a lot of the rest of the cast (Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes and Norm MacDonald at least) and the odd joke works, but it's disappointing how many don't. It's also dispiriting to discover that sexism is alive and well in the 25th century, the tiresome "Hey the captain's ex-wife is a bitch" jokes especially annoyed, but hopefully we're done with them now. As I'm fond of the genre I'll watch a few more in the hope that it improves, but unless they get better writers in I don't hold out that much hope it'll ever turn in to anything that great.

[Avril Lavigne]

The thing about MacFarlane's acting ability is he started out as a writer & animator and has only gotten into the position of being able to act in front of the camera through being so successful behind it, creating, writing & voicing animated shows.  Acting well on screen requires a whole bunch of other skills but nobody is going to tell him that because he's the one running things.

That said, I might watch this just for Scott Grimes as I'm the world's #1 fan of the Critters franchise.

[Alberon]

This is a frustrating show. It's 80s/90s Star Trek, but with 21st Century SFX and lots of subtle references back to Trek. Like when you first see the Orville the music, I think, references the first shots of the Enterprise in the first film. And I swear the exterior shots of the Epislon II facility has been used in TNG before.

But the captain is Seth Macfarlane and the type of humour is wrong for what the show is mostly trying to be do. It takes you out of the show rather than being in-universe humour, if you know what I mean. And there's the main problem. There's nothing wrong with trying to do a Sci-Fi Dramedy, but the two halves have to mesh and when the jokes and the dialogue is continually pulling you out of the world it is trying to build it just all falls apart.

This is Seth Macfarlane's pet project, so no one else was ever going to be allowed to be captain, but he can't carry the show as a live-action actor. The show isn't totally hopeless, but I can't see it surviving long. I think the series has thirteen episodes in the first season. I'll be surprised if it screens as many as six before the axe falls.

[Shit Good Nose]

The thing about MacFarlane's acting ability is he started out as a writer & animator and has only gotten into the position of being able to act in front of the camera through being so successful behind it, creating, writing & voicing animated shows.  Acting well on screen requires a whole bunch of other skills but nobody is going to tell him that because he's the one running things.

Just stick this in here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpCMAHhNlUs

And I post that as someone who has a lot more time for Macfarlane than most (I also thought he played himself pretty well in A Million Ways to Die In the West).

[Alberon]

Mind you, having said all I said above, it is still better than Encounter at Farpoint.

[Blumf]

Eeeh. I'll keep at it, but E01 does feel like it's Seth's ST fanfic.

There were some nice bits: The modern SFX available, whilst not amazing, was well used (note they're not using transporters, they can do the shuttle craft stuff now). Nice idea on how to destroy the enemy ship (even if the parts were clumsily introduced).

But whew, the characters, hell of a lot of work to do there if they want to Dramedy this, and, as mentioned, the comedy half of that is also lacking. If this was a straight up sci-fi, it'd work a lot better.

Wonder if it'll survive long enough to get tweaked into shape.

[kidsick5000]

Eeeh. I'll keep at it, but E01 does feel like it's Seth's ST fanfic.

I think that's all that fans actually want though.
Star Trek but funny. So you get pretty straight ahead Star Trek episodes, call out a few tropes to poke fun at, throw in some mild gags.
If it wasn't for the budget it could run and run.
That's probably why it's as much a sci-fi adventure as it is a comedy, so it can work either way.

It wasn't bad. More gentle than expected but watchable.

Sci-Fi fans are starved of comedy. And when they latch on to a show, they really stick with it.
This could last.

[Alberon]

Just tried to look up the ratings, but Neilsons data gathering centre is based in Florida so the data is going to be a bit delayed.

[kidsick5000]

Just tried to look up the ratings, but Neilsons data gathering centre is based in Florida so the data is going to be a bit delayed.

Can't help picturing a hapless boffin desperately flailing trying to grasp swirling scraps of paper from the air

[Shit Good Nose]

Can't help picturing a hapless boffin desperately flailing trying to grasp swirling scraps of paper from the air

"Come on Mr Nielson, we must evacuate."
"I have one job...ONE JOB!!!!"

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

I mean, it seems like it's just a live action version of when Family Guy did those shite Star Wars films.

Nice to Norm MacDonald get some work though.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just tried to look up the ratings, but Neilsons data gathering centre is based in Florida so the data is going to be a bit delayed.

Now released - The Orville (FOX) – 2.3/8 / 7.32m - which has been considered a decent enough start, now it'll just depend on how many people keep watching it.

[Malcy]

Enjoyed the first gag at the start but the rest I had seen from the trailer. Fell asleep before the end. Will stick with it though and see what happens.

[Shit Good Nose]

Now released - The Orville (FOX) – 2.3/8 / 7.32m - which has been considered a decent enough start, now it'll just depend on how many people keep watching it.

That'll just be Family Guy/American Dad and Star Trek fans buoying up those figures won't it?  Expect those to drop out when they realise it doesn't appeal well enough to either group, leaving only the MacFarlane apologists like me (although I've not seen it yet).

[Ignatius_S]

Now released - The Orville (FOX) – 2.3/8 / 7.32m - which has been considered a decent enough start, now it'll just depend on how many people keep watching it.

Not a million miles away from Son of Zorn, which had a similar same kind of slot this time, last year...

That'll just be Family Guy/American Dad and Star Trek fans buoying up those figures won't it?  Expect those to drop out when they realise it doesn't appeal well enough to either group, leaving only the MacFarlane apologists like me (although I've not seen it yet).

Probably not. The Orville has initially been given a post-football Sunday slot, which *always* gives a boost to viewing figures. Something I read said that the will be moving to a week night (Thursday?) and Fox's plan/hope is the initial slot will mean a larger than usual audience, some of which it hopes will stay with the show.

As mentioned last year, last year, Fox did something very similar to Son of Zorn (which a few articles have alluded to) and its viewing figures were pretty similar to those for The Orville before tanking.

[kidsick5000]

I mean, it seems like it's just a live action version of when Family Guy did those shite Star Wars films.

Not really. It feels like a legit sci-fi show that's less po-faced and with a few deliberate gags.
All rather pleasant.
None of the characters are completely comedy goofs. Everyone is really good at their jobs.

But then that may not keep Seth McFarlane's regular audience engaged.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Counting delayed viewing it's being considered a hit now:

Fox's new sci-fi drama "The Orville" from creator Seth MacFarlane became the network's largest drama debut in over two years in delayed viewing since "Empire" in January 2015. In L3, the show delivered a 3.5 rating, Fox's highest-rated drama launch since "Empire" (5.3 in L3) and television's highest-rated drama premiere in nearly a year since "Designated Survivor" (3.7 in L3), according to Nielsen data. The show has also averaged 11.3 million viewers across multiple platforms, up 31% from the show's premiere on Sunday night.

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-orville-fox-ratings-1202560138/

And I've noticed that despite mostly negative reviews and the response on here that a lot of people on other forums / disqus discussions like it a fair bit, so hey, it might survive after all.

[Alberon]

Unless the ratings are absolutely dire one outing can't tell you how well a show is going to last. I hope it does go the distance and sort out its problems, but I'm going to wait to see the ratings in its standard midweek slot before I'll call it a hit.

[Alberon]

Just watched the second episode. It has the exact same problems of the first one - the humour does not mesh with the drama, light though it is. There's also a sanctimonious line about zoos on Earth that lands as clunkingly bad as Star Trek's worst. The A plot locks the captain and first officer in a room to allow them to rehash their failed relationship whilst the B plot has Lt Alara (the very strong one) having a crisis of confidence in command. The second one plays out exactly as you'd expect. Any half decent Trekkie could write it in their sleep.

Ratings wise the episode was only slightly down on the opener last week with a 2.6 and 7.6 million viewers. Though according to some websites it started later due to the American Football before it so the figures might get revised later in the week (up or down I don't know). But so far it looks like it's doing well and if it makes the transition to Thursdays okay (which it's doing from later this week) the damn thing might actually succeed.

[olliebean]

The big dramatic reveal that they were in a zoo might have benefited from it not having been blindingly obvious all along that that was what it was going to be.

[Blumf]

I liked E02 better than the first. It's a long way from brilliant, but it feels like a great show could wriggle out of this if it gets enough time to grow. Whole lot of work needs putting in and, I suspect, getting other people in to write. Seth's heart is in the right place, but he can't do the drama... or the comedy.

[kidsick5000]

It's watchable but this episode was overwhelmingly Star Trek by another name rather than a than a comedy or dramedy

[Alberon]

Everything design wise from the music to the effects to the sets and costumes are a direct rip-off of TNG-era Trek. Far beyond the point you can use the homage argument. With the second episode the script follows suit much more than the first one.

In an old Trekkie like me who grew up with this it just makes the jokes and 21st century pop culture references awkwardly stick out even more.

The next episode will be interesting. It's going for the other TNG script trope - the 'message' episode. In this one Mr Not-Worf and his partner have to deal with having a female child when the race is all male.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Sigh, I want to like this but I'm really struggling. Things started well with the brief cameo from Jeffrey Tambor but once it split in to it's separate storylines it really went down hill quickly. The patronising stuff with Lieutenant Alara dragged on, and the lines "Dora The Explorer got some balls" / "Good ones. Good balls" made me cringe an enormous amount. Meanwhile Seth and his mentally ill* ex-wife fucked about in the zoo and somehow managed to make the characters even less likeable, and I don't know, it's just so poorly written that I thought about turning it off. The punchline to the zoo plot amused, as did the baby reveal, but this needs to improve quickly if I'm going to stick with it.

Just noticed that next week's episode is directed by the much loved Star Trek producer Brannon Braga. Sigh.




*Because she still fancies the dead eyed fucker!