Step by step, film and television production is slowly resuming, even as the pandemic continues. Star Trek: Discovery started production on season four a week ago in Toronto, and Picard is set to get going on season two in January in Southern California. And we just got word that The Orville, Seth MacFarlane’s homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation, is ramping up to restart production on its third season in December.
DECEMBER UPDATE: Orville production restarts
The Orville returned to production on Friday, December 4th. See our full report.
Original Article
The Orville is returning to space
Like other productions, filming on The Orville was put on hold when Hollywood went on lockdown in March. Shooting on the third season had started in October 2019 and they were a bit shy of halfway done at the time of the halt. According to a source with the production, cameras will start rolling again in the first week of December.
Prep work for restarting season three has already begun, with some people already at work on the Fox lot in Century City, CA. Most of the cast and crew are expected to be on set after Thanksgiving weekend for rehearsals and to do some pick-up shots. Production will continue through December until the Christmas and New Year break, and then restart in early January.
It is expected that work under strict COVID protocols to complete season three will take five or six months in total. Production will restart on the Fox lot, with location shooting in Southern California also being planned. The Orville creator/executive producer Seth MacFarlane and executive producer Jon Cassar will continue to split directing duties for the rest of the season.
As of now, there isn’t a target date for The Orville season three’s debut on Hulu, but the team’s hope is to start the season before the end of 2021. Season three will consist of eleven episodes, each of which will have a longer runtime than episodes from the first two seasons, which aired on Fox Broadcast Network. Since Hulu is accessible only in the USA – the solution can be downloading VPN apps for Windows, Mac, or other devices in advance. So fans will not miss a single episode of their favorite TV series.
A behind-the-scenes look at The Orville season three in production before the shutdown (Photo: Tom Costantino)
Braga on “ambitious” season three (and possibly four)
Last month, when speaking to TrekMovie about his new Hulu horror movie and his time with Star Trek, The Orville executive producer Brannon Braga also talked about the production delay and his expectations for season three:
This is a work of deep passion for Seth, and it’s a really great season. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone on the show that isn’t eager to get back to work, as long as it is safe. The shot delay is simply COVID, but it’s also taking longer to film because it’s so much more ambitious even in its scope, in comparison to the first two seasons. And that’s partly because it’s on Hulu, and we can expand the scope and increase the length of the episodes, and all the reasons Seth wanted to take it to a streaming service. This season is the best one. I can’t wait for people to see it.
According to TrekMovie sources, no decision has yet been made on a potential fourth season for the series. As for Braga, he tells TrekMovie he is ready for more:
I love The Orville and I love the style of storytelling that it features which I really missed. I really missed it. And personally, I would work on it forever, as long as it’s on. It’s fun to do.
David Goodman on The Orville set (right) with EP Brannon Braga and Seth MacFarlane (Photo: David Goodman)
If you want more on The Orville season three, see our June 2020 interview with senior editor and co-producer Tom Costantino and executive producer and writer David Goodman.
TrekMovie will keep track of progress on The Orville, and be providing updates as the next season progresses.
Season 3 of The Orville will be available exclusively on Hulu in the USA. It isn’t known yet where it will be available for on the air on via streaming internationally. You can search for ways to stream overseas with sites like howtowatch.co.nz.
Keep up with all The Orville news and analysis on TrekMovie.
Finally. REAL Star Trek in everything but the name.
People like you need help
Get a life.
Real NextGen, maybe (which is only barely TREK for me, since TOS and big chunks of DS9 are the only parts of TREK that have ever been massive successes for me.) I do very much enjoy muc of THE ORVILLE, but have to make a lot of grudging and painful concessions to avoid bogging down over all the chronic anachronistic stuff.
For real TREK (tos) feel, the sense of frontier and of compelling characters, I have FIREFLY.
From now on, just call it “I can’t believe it’s not Star Trek!” and everyone will be happier.
Or, if you’re older, you can call it Parkay.
Haha good troll bait job – as for me I like The Orville, but it’s not Star Trek – that said, the more science fiction on TV, the better. Once Disco S3 is done in January we will only have animated LDs and Prodigy to placate us until Disco S4 or Picard S2 are done – so IMO the sooner The Orville S3 is ready, the better. Sadly, The Orville S3 post production will probably take maybe 6 mths plus so it may not hit the streaming airwaves until early 2022.
Good god, man.
Not this again. Each to his own I guess.
Agreed. It’s on that second tier service that nobody I know watches regularly. What’s the point?
Too long of a break. Interest in this has waned and enthusiasm won’t be enough to warrant a fourth season, sadly. Enjoy the final 11 episodes. I wish this should would have been handled better and kept around.
What could have been handled better? Wasn’t their fault the virus came along…
Speak for yourself boobalah!
Those of us who are true fans of the show will wait however long it takes. Those that “lost interest”, weren’t true fans.
I totally agree with you…. but please never say “true fan.” It’s a ridiculous phrase that just makes fans look stupid. :)
Be that as it may, if he has lost interest in the show because of COVID and it taking too long between seasons, then he wasn’t really interested in it to begin with.
God Bless you then, True Fan. LOL
“Interest in this has waned and enthusiasm won’t be enough to warrant a fourth season, sadly.”
1) You have absolutely no idea whether or not interest has waned. You pulled that unsupported claim out of you butt.
2) There will very likely be a fourth season, yes. I work in the TV industry, and there’s already serious talk of more seasons, even if that hasn’t yet been made public.
3) We’re in a pandemic. There was nothing they could have done better, other than replacing Trump with someone competent to handle a public health crisis.
“There was nothing they could have done better, other than replacing Trump with someone competent to handle a public health crisis.”
Right. Because the entire rest of the world fared a lot better than the US did. (eyeroll)
And while you are placing blame how about placing the blame where it belongs? On China.
Well, Canada did much better than the US did. Yes, the virus originated in China. The Trump administration ignored and played down the threat. It’s in Trumps own words. I could have you listen to the “tape” but most likely, it’s “fake news”
Not really. The Canadian economy suffered a severe recession. Worse than the US. And their recovery has stalled (while the US’s recovery has been better than anyone anticipated) and with a new surge the death rate is rising. So might not be so wise to claim Canada has done better.
Not much could have been done but the US did act as best as can be expected. Shut down flights from China. And appropriately left the response up to the individual states with the feds helping out where they could. Like getting private industry to provide ventilators and arranging naval hospital ships for any potential patient over spill. Which never approached anticipated numbers. But yeah… Let’s ignore those facts because they don’t fit the desired narrative.
Just look at what the administration has done post-election re: covid, as a snapshot of just a piece of the overall lack of caring and action. They’re holding up all payments to speed development along, now that they don’t see it as benefiting Donny the Whiney Brat Boy.
His ‘my way’ ‘tude has infected/infested my country. I haven’t been able to go into any store in the last month without finding people with their masks completely removed (don’t even get me started on the mostly female folks who insist on baring just their nostrils with the mask hanging down), and that’s some employees as well as very loud-mouthed and fight-provoking shoppers. I at least have a medical excuse that I don’t have to go onto the sales floor at my job during hours when the store is open for business due to multiple comorbidities, but the HVAC is still circulating air from the whole building, so wearing a mask and a face shield is still only modest defense against the growing rate of infection and the growing rate of mask noncompliance.
Saying the US did the ‘best as can be expected’ is a howler indeed, setting the bar so low a bilateral amputee could hop over it.
I assume Biden will shut things down for 60 days again after being sworn in, but the damage between now and then is going to be epic. That’s assuming the current outgoing PTB can actually be made to exit the building, which, based on their indecent, unethical and illegal behaviors/actions, seems somewhat doubtful.
I don’t think you are that familiar with the situation. Post election we saw a direct result of “Operation warp speed”. So I beg to differ. If you have a problem with how it has been handled in your area take it up with your governor or County executive. They have been the ones responsible. It was appropriately left up to the states. The feds had little to do with it. The incoming admin will have a very tough time if they plan any kind of national shutdown or mandate. Not only is such a move monumentally foolhardy assuming it passes the legal test (which it wont) half the states won’t enforce it.
So yes. My original comment was not challenged in any way. The US handled it as well as pretty much anyone. One could look to Sweden but they seem to be trending upward in cases now, too. But apart from that we are looking pretty good.
And please… Any talk about the man holding up in the WH ala Scarface is pure insanity. A notion that has been irresponsibly kept alive by our completely broken press.
Geezus, there is no talking sense to you!
How many variation just in the last week do you need to ignore that start off with, ‘multiple senior officials on the federal government’s coronavirus team warned that the president’s actions could delay “getting the vaccine out to the American people.”’
ML31, I think you need to look at the cases, hospitalizations and deaths per capita.
There are good comparative stats sights out there that will let you see more than wherever you are getting that inaccurate information.
Canada’s done much better with Covid, despite having a heavily urbanized population. (Most of us live with 50 miles of the border.). These are simple facts not opinions.
And on the economy, I don’t think that you’ll find many credible economists cheering on a K-shaped recovery in the US.
The problem is that this has become a political issue in the US, when it’s just basic public health intervention.
Conservative premiers leading Canada’s provinces are pretty much holding the same line as the federal Liberal government. There’s some negotiating along the way about who picks up the tab (provinces vs feds) for small business supports, but social cohesion is holding for the most part, and Canadians don’t take that as a given.
So, Canada planked the curve in the summer, and even with the current rising caseloads are in a different trajectory.
The thing that I can agree with is that it absolutely has been turned into a political weapon. That was obvious many months ago. It is possible had governors not been so irresponsible things could have gone much smoother. Many seemed to prefer to destroy the economy and drag this thing out so they can blame the sitting administration for the result.
And here in the states we are experiencing a V shaped recovery.
For the record, I did look at the numbers before I replied.
No ML31, the United States is not experiencing a V-shaped recovery. Just not. W or K can be supported by the data, but not V.
If you are looking for a balanced cross-cutting panel of US economists, the University of Chicago (generally viewed as a right-wing school) runs a weekly poll on major macroeconomic issues that includes academic and institutional economists of all persuasions.
Take a look there and see what the views are (it’s really transparently done).
There is also a another panel of European economists.
Huh? The Canadian economy has been in growth mode since summer and is currently only 5% lower in GDP then pre-pandemic conditions???
Do you get your economic data from the same source as your twisted COVID findings?
Don’t blame me. Blame Reuters. They reported in late October that the Canadian Covid recession recovery is proceeding slower than they thought.
Again ML31, you need a broader cross-cut of information sources.
Reuters is a reasonable one, but you can pick and choose stories to support a narrative you like.
If you looked more deeply, you might have found that the weakness of the oil industry is a significant factor, something that is largely determined by market forces outside Canada.
TG47
Thanks for the U of Chicago surveys turn-on. Good source to check regularly.
You are ignoring that most of the US’ coronavirus cases originated on flights from Europe, not China. So while it was good that Trump stopped travel from the epicenter, he was negligent in not doing the same for everywhere, since the virus has already spread. He foolishly downplayed our first cases as being the only ones, so it is sadly not surprising.
And a huge indicator of any government’s response effectiveness has to be the death toll. The US has 20% of the world’s COVID-19 deaths, that’s a stark statistic which is hard to excuse.
Wow, ok. Yes the entire rest of the world, fared and still fares better than the US. Stats don’t lie for those who are not trying to hide facts because it makes them look bad. China may certainly have some responsibility, but this doesn’t change the fact that supporting common sense practices like wearing masks and practicing social distancing instead of mocking it would certainly have alleviated the dire and catastrophic situation the US is in now.
“China may certainly have some responsibility”
SOME responsibility? Way to downplay the true blame here. They must take ALL the responsibility!!
And I don’t know where you have been all year but no one in the federal administration mocked wearing masks or social distancing. Those actions were strongly recommended. But yeah… Must be nice to ignore the facts that deny desired storyline.
“ no one in the federal administration mocked wearing masks or social distancing”
BULL! The Donald himself mocked people repeatedly for wearing masks, and social distancing. You just choose not to accept reality, just like he does.
No. That is just what you wish he did. He always wore a mask when it was appropriate to do so and never once seriously mocked the practice of social distancing. I’m guessing you got that story from CNN or MSNBC?
I’m thinking you must get your news from weairbrushedthis.com — given his position, it has always been appropriate for him to be wearing masks since this started, because he is always being seen in public AND he has to set an example instead of belittling the usefulness and making claims that doctors inflate death claims from Covid to make more money. That whopper has to be with him confusing the doctor business with the undertaking business.
Is anybody moderating this thread, or has this place turned into one of those social media sites where you can say anything without having good substantiation?
Are you kidding me? Trump himself keeps mocking the wearing of masks in every possible way, subtle and blatant. Asking mask-wearing reporters to repeat their question because he can’t hear through their mask… Not wearing a mask himself, not practicing any social distancing whatsoever… And stop deflecting, who cares if the virus came from China? Trump did nothing to mitigate the spread in the US because he didn’t want to acknowledge the problem, thinking at first it would hurt the economy (which would hurt his chances at re-election, so thinking about himself) and then later on when the virus had spread he continued to downplay it because acknowledging it for the urgent problem it was would make him look bad because he didn’t do what was needed to mitigate it in the first place. Thinking about himself again. Can you believe it? Hundreds of thousands of people are dying and this idiot is thinking about himself? You’re the one ignoring facts. Where the virus comes from is irrelevant. I know where YOU have been… Sitting in front of FOX news…
False, false and false. Do you buy the “good people on both sides” myth too? I’d appreciate some evidence of what you claim. It doesn’t exist.
Not deflecting anything. We should all care where this thing came from. It matters a great deal. To not be concerned with that shows a lack of concern for the bigger picture. Trump did a ton to mitigate the problem. Starting with halting flights from China. (one of the reasons where it came from matters) And he was ripped apart for that in the bulk of the main media. Yet even Dr. Fauci admitted it was the right move that saved lives. He also claimed “I can’t imagine anyone could be doing more” referring to the Covid task force Trump set up. Being concerned about the economy is one of many things the President should be concerned with.
But then you are coming across as someone who just can’t get past their hate. So no facts will ever persuade you. Enjoy your CNN and MSNBC. For the record, I do look at FNN. In addition to CNN and some locals and some on line sources. I try to get all sides. But please, continue with your assumptions.
It’s not hate, it’s contempt, based on 4 years of observation (and not only from CNN and MSNBC). Look even now, he’s firing top Pentagon officials just to put sycophant cronies there. They’re not there because of their competence or experience. They’re there because they support Trump and he wants people that like and support him just so he can hear them tell the world how great he is. Plus of course so he can control them and have them do what he wants. Barr and Pompeo are the paragons of incompetence and corruption. For 4 years he has surrounded himself with like-minded people. People he fires because they don’t agree with him (even though they’re the supposed experts, not him) and people who are either in prison or on their way.
He hates CNN because they report on issues that happen to make him look bad. For 4 years he’s been wondering why they don’t report the good things he does and just concentrate on the bad. Because that’s the news! That’s what people want to know! News outlets are not there to extol his qualities and greatness, they’re there to report issues and current events. If those make him look bad it’s on him.
We will never be able to present our respective positions adequately on posts. I respect your opinion ML31, though I disagree. All this is what I think but I’m not one to say I’m right and you’re wrong. A debate in a more appropriate context would certainly be interesting.
“Right. Because the entire rest of the world fared a lot better than the US did. (eyeroll)”
Ehh, yeah?!?
The rest of the world DID fare a lot better than the US, because the rest of the world has competent leadership. The US is 1 country, with about 4% of the world’s population, and 25% of the global COVID deaths. The US is #1 when it comes the number of COVID deaths, all because your “President” initially called it a democrat hoax, and later admitting to wanting to downplay it, to prevent a panic. Meanwhile, throwing trash at his opponent with the sole purpose of making voters panic.
And now… refusing to accept the results of the election, conjuring up false stories about Election Fraud, in the hopes of remaining President for another 4 years. Even his own poll watchers have admitted, they’ve seen no evidence of fraud, and they were IN THE ROOM when votes were being counted.
You are manipulation the numbers to promote a desire outcome. The US has more deaths because they have a huge and very mobile population. Given the logistics the US because or our size, geography and freedoms would easily be the country that would have the toughest time corralling this thing. And we are still faring quite well. He’s not just “my” president. He’s yours too. He was never trying to make people panic. That was his opponent. They were the ones who politicized this. They were the one’s who called it a “dark winter” Our President was the one who said “don’t be afraid.”
He will accept the results when they are finalized. Biden will not become President-elect until one of two things happen. The votes are certified and verified and tallied or his opponent concedes. Neither of those things has happened yet. It is important for the country that the voting accusations get addressed. And yes, there are things that do look very fishy. I agree it will very likely not change the projected result. But he has a right to check. Just like Al Gore had a right to check in 2000. So relax. When all is said and done we will have a typical smooth transition.
Looks at deaths per capita and cases per capita between the US and the vast majority of countries in the world. The data does not lie, Trumper.
A: Circumstance plays a very large part.
B: If one buys those straight numbers one only needs to look at the Governors of the states with the highest rates. They were far more responsible than the sitting President. Who appropriately left it up to the states.
So yes. The data does not lie, Harriser.
Governors are not allowed to close federally-funded airports. In March, several airports were begging to be allowed to close, but they didn’t, and more cases kept streaming in.
It is ridiculous to excuse away the high rate of deaths we have experienced as being because we have “freedoms.” It was equally ridiculous to punt what had to be a coordinated pandemic response to the states. A national mask mandate and lockdown would have saved tens of thousands of lives.
Time to put on our “Trumper Filter” for this poor dude.
LOL. Seriously???
The rumour is that Hulu want at least one more season, but Seth MacFarlane wants to leave to focus on other projects at the end of season 3. Hulu are not very happy about that in-between so they are still negotiating.
Honestly, I think Adrianne Palicki would make a better lead than him anyway.
You say it… The rumors.
Please, do not use this site to spread BS rumors
I agree of course, but In fairness to alastair87, “His Name is Rios” started the rumor mongering here with this “trust me I am a TV insider” schtick.
Thank you, Anthony…
This whole stupid “No Season Four/The Orville Is Cancelled/Seth MacFarlane Is Leaving” business was started by one bottom-feeder blog and just won’t quit even after being dismissed by two Orville producers.
LOL. Sure, OK, whatever.
The Orville works fine as a Trek spoof/homage, and as its own thing. Calling it the new or real Trek is a bit pretentious, especially when one considers the show is pretty much riffing on the now 30 year old TNG formula, emphasis on formula. That said, I absolutely adore The Orville, and have been whetting my appetite for fresh episodes by reading producer/writer David A. Goodman’s The Orville comic books, which are excellent.
To those skeptics who felt that a respectful comedy version of Star Trek as Star Trek wasn’t possible, I respectfully point to Star Trek Lower Decks, which I thought had excellent writing and made very good use of the animation format. Looking forward with equal amounts of drool for fresh episodes of both The Orville and Lower Decks.
Personally I think 1st season The Orville made it perfectly clear that a Trek comedy absolutely could work. Their only mistake was it should have leaned more on the comedy and yet in season 2 they went more towards drama and all but completely dropped the comedy.
That said, Lower Decks did not deliver comedy. Using that as your example doesn’t work. 1st season Orville works as a much better example.
Personally I was not really impressed with LDs for much of the season, but IMO the last 2-3 episodes were really good and they made me laugh, which was the intent.
Fair enough. And in all honesty there were a few chuckles here and there in the season. Just that there were a LOT more on 1st season Orville. And they were only perhaps 40% comedy while LDX was supposedly 100% comedy.
Fact is, The Orville started out as a Trek pitch…
Shortly after completing Ted 2, Seth MacFarlane pitched a new Star Trek series to CBS, directly to Les Moonves. Moonves himself rejected the pitch.
MacFarlane took some time, retooled the pitch and eventually offered it to his friends at Fox.
The Orville as we know it was born.
I think (my own opinion) the pilot and early episodes leaned more toward the comedy to get the series sold (as people would expect funny from Seth MacFarlane) but it quickly headed into social commentary and relatable stories with Season Two dialing the comedy back to something more natural and set the show into it’s desired realm of dramedy.
Yes This again.
I find little to like in the current versions of trek, except Picard. Discovery just is terrible, no other way around it. Much like the George Clooney version of Batman, it’s ‘cannon’, but it still sucks.
I agree, The Orville is the show that is keeping the true Star Trek flame alive. Yes, it’s keeping the older Star Trek alive and captures the spirit of TOS and TNG, unlike the latest Star Trek versions like Discovery. Saying being true to TOS and TNG isn’t really being true to Star Trek simply because they are older and there are more recent versions, well…that’s like saying new Coke is the real Coke simply because it’s newer. Actually classic coke is the real Coke, and the new coke was, well, nothing else but new but crap that didn’t endure, because it departed so much from the real thing.
Thank you Seth.
The Orville is a different flavor of Star Trek. I’m so happy we are getting another season.
I’m looking forward to The Orville season 3. Yes!
This show deserves more seasons. I would watch it forever if that’s possible.
There will be more. They just haven’t been announced yet.
As the mod said, please stop the rumor mongering. No one can verify if you are this supposed TV insider that you claim. Enough!
Orville producers have said they plan on going forward to Season Four and beyond, so it’s not all rumor.
Well of course the producers want to do a 4th season. What producer wouldn’t? Rios claimed inside info that it’s actually in the works — I am not buying that. Rios is anonymous poster on this site, like all of that, so that is BS. since it cannot be verified.
Rios’s continued “resume dropping” here is meaningless, since he’s participating anonymously. He could be anyone.
With the exception of the two-parter and massive upgrade in VFX, the 2nd season wasted so much time on meandering love triangles that made Seth McFarlane look like a creep. Although enjoyable, it’s often disappointing and very poorly written.
Why all the hate on poor Baxter but literally none for the other similarly-worded posters in the comments?
It’s all because of the Ron Burgandy movies.
About damn time. This show blows that boring crap show Discovery out of the water.
I’ll be more interested if there is word on where it will be carried in Canada.
It was previously on CityTV on broadcast (or basic cable depending where in Canada).
Hulu buys shows from Canada, but Hulu original series made in the US end up on any number of cable channels.
That said, only one of our kids will watch it with me, and my spouse has shown no interest. Meanwhile. Lower Decks and Discovery are appealing to the entire household.
I imagine they will come up with a deal sometime before S3 premieres. Sadly that is not going to be anytime soon, they probably have 12 months plus to come up with a deal.
According to Seth MacFarlane himself months ago, international distribution of The Orville remains unchanged, so you will see season three wherever you saw Season Two.
Hulu is exclusive only in the United States.
I enjoy how the show exposes TNG as better left a comedy vs sci-fi. But at least we get both, those who think the final frontier is going to be easy and boring vs. hard work and challenge filled.
Wow…. the same comments we got when Season 2 was announced. Glad we’ve moved on and gotten over things.
Isn’t that the whole point of TNG – it just is the same thing over and over again because they are just so enlightened they have nothing to learn? Just all the other aliens realizing how awesome we are and wanting to be just like us playing in the holodeck.
No, that’s just how you saw it. I didn’t remotely see it that way at all thankfully and why its still beloved.
I think I see things more Bremmon’s way than most folks here.
I probably rewatch Q WHO? more than any other TNG just because that is one show where our guy is forced to acknowledge he doesn’t have all the answers. And I really wish they’d done Snodgrass’ original version of THE HIGH GROUND with our guys being on the wrong side of a planetary revolution, instead of winding up with (in Melinda’s wise words), ‘breakfast in belfast.’
The Orville is great and certainly feels like real Trek. If you are however looking for the real TOS feeling, you need to check out the fan films, the best of is Star Trek New Voyages that made 11 episodes and 5 vignettes before closing due to the CBS guidelines.
I love the show but so much time has passed how can you explain how they all look 60 years old now?
Somebody reversed the polarity on the relativistic effects generator?
Its set 60 years later…
Really looking forward to it. Never been in love with the show (just like Discovery lol) but felt also like Discovery season 2 was a much bigger improvement. So looking forward to season 3 and what they come up with. It’s a really fun show and does capture a lot of what makes Star Trek good although it’s still not quite Star Trek.
But I do wonder now if Lower Decks got approved because of how liked this show was with a lot of the fanbase? Maybe not but wouldn’t be shocked if it was partly the reason.
Yeah, if you can actually have Star Trek characters and backstories as part of a comedy/drama, then because The Orville has had some success, I imagine LDs was probably an easy sell. If Hulu doesn’t give the go ahead for a S4 of The Orville, then I would strongly bet that Seth could fall back on his animated expertise and make The Orville TAS.
Note that after The Orville premiered, Paramount tried to restart the stalled Galaxy Quest TV series…which quickly stalled again.
I wouldn’t be surprised with CBS and Paramount starting to reintegrate their once separated properties, the GQ series might come up again.
Writers have been writing for 1 hour TV time slots for 5 decades and now the modern crop of writers are too lazy to future proof a TV show for syndication? I’m betting CBS is wishing they had kept their episodes to the 42 minute limit now that they are trying to air them in a scheduled broadcast.
However, having said that, I really wish the show 24 had written sixty minutes of footage per episode for release on DVD. Could have been a seriously cool gimmick to sell the DVDs.
I’ve been watching the cut for broadcast version of Discovery S1 with one of our kids. It’s actually fine.
No doubt. Most of the “longer” shows I’ve seen (especially on Netflix) suffer from minutia because someone in the chain of the creative process doesn’t seem to know when they can leave things out.
On the longer episodes, they basically eliminate the titles.
There is just a quick flash of the final Star Trek: Discovery final title card, with the rest of the title credits running on the bottom of the screen during the episode.
It buys them most of 90 seconds right there.
The Orville did something similar toward the end of Season Two, shortening the opening credits to buy a little more story time.
Wish in few years, CBS could stream each season in one big fat episode.
Will be great if they could cut the intro, the previous episode review, credits, etc. Would love to see each season during the holidays or vacation, all in one day, if kids and work allow me to watch it.
I couldn’t sit that long for anything. TV is fun but I don’t live on that couch. The most episodes of anything I’ve ever watched in a row was 3. Once. And I felt monumentally lazy doing that.
I will probably always have mixed feelings about this show. Its heart is in the right place and it’s reverence of 90’s Trek is endearing, while some stories like the Isaac two parter, are genuinely good. But oftentimes the morality plays are even more trite than Voyager’s, and the show is inexorably linked to Seth MacFarlane’s persona. The man is a talented comedian who loves and supports so many of the same things I do, but rose to fame on the back of a lazy and often cruel cartoon comedy empire I just never quite understood, and gets indulged by studios in everything from swing albums to multiple live action vanity projects where he casts himself as the semi-charismatic star who gets the impossibly hot girl every time. It’s like… I think I would enjoy being casual friends with him, but I also kinda hate indulging his giant ego.
I will never understand certain people who can only be fans of one thing at a time (i.e. the age old Trek vs. Wars). Personally, this is great news all around, as I’m a fan of both Trek (including nuTrek, despite some of the issues with Picard and Discovery’s many growing pains) and The Orville, so this is great news all around.
100 percent agree! IMO it’s not Star Trek (both literally and legally), but the show is pretty good and the more science fiction, the better – So bring on The Orville and let’s hope it gets renewed for S4.
*groan* I hope the rumours are true and this IS the final season of the boreville.
#notstartrekneverwillbegetoveritthe90sarelonggone.
So you need the Show to End to feel Good? Why?
I bet a lot of trekkers say the same about… PICARD!
And the Pike-less DSC.
They’re not true, so sorry…
No, maybe not…
Why?
This just reminds me that they should have gotten Seth M to do Lower Decks. If he had, much better chance it would be funny and overall likely a much better show.
But I think he really wants to play a Star Trek Captain more than anything else. And he gets to do that on Orville. I mean, The Orville is obviously an homage to TNG. I just find it too bad they dropped the comedy aspect. The show was much better when it had more comedy.
Unfortunate it moved to Hulu. I don’t care how they are spinning it, it sure looks like a demotion more than anything else. And it is still not worth buying the service just for a show that used to be kinda fun. Hulu has nothing worth their price. But I might get the discs when they become available on Netflix the following year.
Orville was just fantastic and a breath of fresh air. I was worried too from the initial promos before it ever premiered that it was going to be a giant joke.
It’s the only Trek my wife actually seems pleased to watch with me because she says it feels like back in the old days watching TNG.
That’s what it is. A huge shameless TNG rip off. From story, to look, to characters. It’s outright IP theft in my opinion, but I honestly love it. No sarcasm. I watch it knowing in advance each episode that Seth is living out his fantasy.
It looks good. It’s fun to watch. It moves fast. The music shockingly is phenomenal. I wish there was a BD release instead of of only SD DVDs.
By the time season 2 was coming to a close, most episodes were downright serious with actual stakes.
Where did TNG have an entire episode about urination?
“Where No One Has Gone Before”
The Orville is admittedly an homage to TNG era Trek, but IP theft, no, because there is nothing in The Orville that is exclusive to Star Trek. It borrows from a number of other franchises and common concepts too and mixes them all together.
My wife also loves The Orville, but she’s someone who has no liking for Star Trek at all. She can’t wait for Season three.
I enjoy it for what it is. A well funded fan film(s). I’m happy for my friends who just LOVE this show.
I think the show is what it was intended to be, ‘Light’. It’s ScFi so if you are a sci-fi fan you will enjoy it for what it is. We need a show like that. If you look at recent classics i.e Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Universe, even Dark Matter as brilliant as these were they were heavy and dark. So yes I think it is a show to be enjoyed whether on Hulu or not.
This show needs to go on for 11 more seasons. I hope Seth McFarlane keeps it running.
Excellent, can’t wait. This is good news. Hoping it goes a few more seasons. Nine times out of ten at the end of an Orville episode, I have a smile on my face.
Look, I know we all have our own tastes and opinions etc, but if you mistake this (insert bad word here) for Star Trek, yo better chick-ity-check yo self, before yo wreck yo self!
The Orville evolved into something quite wonderful from where it began in Season 1. I absolutely love how they moved the show further toward drama. If you’re basing opinions on what they did in Season 1, I would say give the entirety of Season 2 a chance. There are far more hits than misses in there. It’s really well written material.
We differ strongly here. I thought the first season showed promise but it needed to lean more on the comedy. Sadly the 2nd season wasn’t nearly as good because they went the other way. Which is why I am not bothered it got demoted to Hulu.
Demoted?
I agree. From what I’ve seen so far, The Orville is better and more unique as a comedy with sci-fi tropes and trappings that occasionally delves into deep waters than as an attempt at serious science fiction with comic relief along the way. Without knowing anything about the show other than that it’s Seth MacFarlane’s brainchild, one would expect him to play to his strong suit, which is comedy. We all have our strengths and limitations, and for all of Seth MacFarlane’s brilliance, I’ve not seen anything from him to suggest that he’s nearly as good at the deep stuff as at the lighthearted stuff.
Much of Season 2 that tried to go deep really annoyed me. Not just because I wanted comedy and got more of an attempt at deep science fiction, but because the attempts at deep science fiction were riddled with logic problems and ideological flaws that annoyed me in a way that TOS and TNG never did. In particular, the two-parter, where the sociopathic robot suddenly discovers that he has a heart of gold after gazing into the doe-eyes of the doctor’s youngest son, seriously put me off the show. As did several other Season 2 episodes. The season finale was extremely disappointing. The most enjoyable episodes, for me, have been the funniest ones. The one with Rob Lowe as the alien who turns on the captain and commander…”Cupid’s Dagger,” I think it’s called. That one is great. I don’t mean to say that it’s impossible for Seth MacFarlane to hire the right people to produce a great, serious-minded science fiction show, but much of what I saw in Season 2 was going seriously in the wrong direction, and given MacFarlane’s comments to date, Season 3 looks to be doubling down on it. I wouldn’t subscribe to Hulu just for The Orville, but since I’ve gotten it for free, I will be checking out at least the first few episodes. Here’s hoping. . . .
I liked season two better as well.
Read this in the voice of the Female Founder:
Finally, some good news.
Is it December yet I can’t wait for the season 3 I should be a hootenahaller.!
I appreciate all the actors and all their hard work and screenwriting keep up the good work boys and girls thrills just keep on coming your fan in Minnesota
Yay! But “before the end of 2021”? I want new Orville episodes now! :-(
And yes, *this* is Star Trek (except for the name). Just look at all the Trek alumni working on it. This just looks and feels like Trek, whereas DSC is getting better and maybe more interesting, but still doesn’t feel like Trek or something I definitely *have* to see…
always liked the sci fi series
I am doubtful this is going to find much of an audience at this point…my opinion!
Yeay, Star Trek is coming back!!! It can’t come soon enough. Need some good old fashioned Trek right about now!
Its been far too long. How many people even remember Orville at this point. Feels like its been years.
Clearly you weren’t a FIREFLY fan. We had to wait a couple years to get SERENITY, and it was worth every second. That film falls under the very niche position for me of a nearly perfect unit of entertainment, like FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE or MEN IN BLACK or BUTCH CASSIDY or LOCAL HERO or HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, where I can just pop it in anytime and know I will enjoy myself.
I do agree that ORVILLE isn’t all that memorable, but I feel the same way about most of TNG, which I like a lot less.
Unlike Discovery, The Orville is very memorable. You’re just a pissy fan who never understood Star Trek’s utopian philosophy and like to bitch about it
OMG!!! OTG!!! I been jonesin’ waitin’ to find out if there was goin’ ta be a season 3. YES!!! It ain’t $tar Tr€k and that wurks for me!!!
The comment section is pathetic. Arguing over rather or not The Orville is or is not like Star Trek. Obviously it takes a lot from Star Trek but Seth made it his own and put his own spin on it. I think this is some of his best work. I really hope they shoot a great season for us and most importantly stay safe. You guys bickering like children do know they are quite literally risking their lives to bring us this show by shooting during a pandemic. Time to grow up a bit guys and stop fighting just because someone called something a name you don’t like and it hurt your feelings… “Insert copious swear words in the above paragraph”