Funny man Seth MacFarlane, creator of the hit television series “Family Guy,” engaged quantum drive and made a bold leap from animation to live action with his new series “The Orville,” which premiered on Sept. 10.
MacFarlane stars as Ed Mercer, a down on his luck interstellar fleet officer who catches a much-needed break when he is awarded command of an exploratory vessel, the U.S.S. Orville. But on his first day on the job, Mercer’s high spirits quickly take a nose dive when he learns that his ex-wife, Kelly Grayson (played by Adrianne Palicki), is to be his first officer. The two will have to put aside their differences in order to save the day when their first mission takes a disastrous turn. Accompanied by a steadfast crew composed of members from all different walks of extraterrestrial life, Mercer is in for a wild ride.
“The Orville” premiere received a mixed bag of reviews, but garnered stellar ratings. According to Deadline, the new series drew in 8.6 million viewers, matching some of the most successful series premieres of the past year, including NBC’s “This is Us.”
The sci-fi dramedy started off a tad flat, but shows promise. “The Orville’s” premise models that of the popular ‘60s series “Star Trek,” and mirrors elements such as costumes, creatures, and set design. Though on the surface it appears to be a flat-out parody, it lacks a satirical sense of humor. The premiere was not without its chuckle worthy moments, but lacks the raunchy and in-your-face humor that MacFarlane is noted for. It’s quite a refreshing change of pace and proves that there’s more to MacFarlane’s sense of creativity than meets the eye.
MacFarlane and Palicki are backed by a quirky supporting cast, including Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Halston Sage, J. Lee, and Mark Jackson. Macon in particular shines as Lt. Commander Bortus, whose stoic and business-like responses to humorous situations make for some exceptional moments of comic relief. The show also boasts a slew of recognizable guest stars in upcoming episodes, including Charlize Theron (“Atomic Blonde”), Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”), and Holland Taylor (“Two and a Half Men).
“The Orville’s” first season is slated for thirteen one-hour episodes. Be sure to catch upcoming episodes every Sunday at 8 p.m. on Fox. If you missed the series premiere due to complications brought about by hurricane Irma, you can watch the episode on www.fox.com. “The Orville” is a refreshing take on the Sci-Fi genre. Like Capt. James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise, Seth MacFarlane is daring to boldly go where he has never gone before. T.V. Show Review Score: 3 out of 5 Paws
