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- FOX
- Sep 10, 2017
- FOX
- Sep 10, 2017
Summary Set 300 years, Captain Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) and the crew of the U.S.S. Orville explore space in Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi dramedy homage to Star Trek.
Created By: Seth MacFarlane
- FOX
- Sep 10, 2017
- FOX
- Sep 10, 2017
Summary Set 300 years, Captain Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) and the crew of the U.S.S. Orville explore space in Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi dramedy homage to Star Trek.
Created By: Seth MacFarlane
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Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
36
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
52% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
48% Negative
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
36
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
52% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
48% Negative
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
While the series is initially disjointed, by episode three I had gained some insight into what MacFarlane was striving for with The Orville.
The show's smirky tone, embodied in MacFarlane's smug frat-boy demeanor as the captain, never quite gels with the universal humanism the episode is aiming for. [18 Sep - 1 Oct 2017, p.27]
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 1,019 User Ratings
8.4
86% Positive
880 Ratings
880 Ratings
5% Mixed
46 Ratings
46 Ratings
9% Negative
93 Ratings
93 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 1,019 User Ratings
8.4
86% Positive
880 Ratings
880 Ratings
5% Mixed
46 Ratings
46 Ratings
9% Negative
93 Ratings
93 Ratings
The retro-futuristic effects in The Orville work well, and the show looks like it cost Fox a fair amount of money. Whether viewers will respond to sincerity and professionalism, but limited mirth and very few thrills, when they've been promised Seth MacFarlane hilarity remains to be seen.
While The Orville clearly demonstrates its fondness for a show that promised to boldly go where others hadn't, it feels like MacFarlane and his crew are taking a sizable step backwards.
The lack of creativity is clear, given how it takes the basic framework of a “Trek” series and files off the serial numbers. But morally, it’s hard to imagine how anyone involved with this project could be comfortable with walking onto that set, watching those episodes, and seeing how blatant the imitation is.
Virtually every joke in The Orville is out on an island. At times, it’s not even clear what the joke is meant to be, but simply that there is one. And while it’s a relief that Palicki isn’t playing the disapproving woman who rolls her eyes at the naughty dude at the center of the story, none of the writers seem to know what to do with her, either.
An air of self-congratulation hangs over the entire hour, as if MacFarlane, who wrote it, couldn’t get over his awe at his own bravery in engaging with a difficult, complex topic.
Forget all the official TV-critics. If you like Star Trek (and I mean the REAL stuff like The Next Generation) you will embrace it. The Orville is funny, dramatic, well written, has really good, likable characters and shows diversity not like other TV-Shows, who always try to shove it up your throat. The Orville is the better Star Trek nowadays and I´m sure Gene Roddenberry would be proud. Go on!
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SEASON 1
'The Orville' achieves it's stated purpose - a semi-comic version of what we all loved about the Star Trek series and films with (mostly) fine actors, decent CGI, and thoughtful stories. Gene Roddenberry would be pleased. The only negative point is that Seth Macfarlane cast himself in the lead role. I have never been a fan of his work and his acting in this series is off-kilter and wooden. He has violated the 'prime directive' of film and television - never star in a production that you also write, produce, and direct. When you do so you have no one to tell you when you are awful in a role.
UPDATE: 11/14/17 - 'The Orville' has dropped in quality during the past episodes. I keep hoping that the series creator realizes his mistake and replaces himself with a new captain and writes more compelling stories. 'The Orville' still has promise and I hope it improves.
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SEASON 1
I'm conflicted. Cheap laughs one moment, which go from funny details all the way to cringing moments, The dialog is forced or odd at times, but the characters are somewhat interesting and less flat than one would expect. Story-wise it seems to hold up, so I'm curious where it'll go. Even if it somehow attempts to 'solve' large issues (third episode), that Picard or Janeway would sidestep graciously. And yet, I enjoy the 'real life' of the characters; we see Star Trek officers waking up, having medical issues other than a headache or alien brain parasite, and having, screwing up, and fixing real relationships. Fight your way through the first few episodes, and you'll see it improve. How far it'll go, I'm not sure...
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SEASON 1
Has potential ... but unfortunately its completely destroyed by frequent unfunny and embarrassing toilet-level "gags". They have no real purpose other than shatter any viewer immersion in the world. Its really hard to watch. Its a shame because under this cesspool there is occasional good and deeper story, but one has to be really immune to poor "humor" to see it.
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SEASON 1
