The Orville

Follow the crew of the not-so-functional exploratory ship in the Earth's interstellar fleet, 400 years in the future.

The Orville (2017-2022) is an American science fiction comedy series created by Seth MacFarlane for FOX and Hulu. Set four centuries in the future, it follows Captain Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane), a divorced officer commanding a not-so-functional exploratory ship in Earth's interstellar fleet. His executive officer and former spouse Commander Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) and chief medical officer Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) join a crew that includes Lieutenant Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes) and the Moclan officer Bortus (Peter Macon). Their engine is simple and effective: each episode sends the ship to a new world, a diplomatic crisis or a technical failure, and the crew must improvise solutions while managing their personal tensions. The show runs three seasons and thirty-six episodes in a case-of-the-week format with an ongoing thread of relationships. Its tone is warm, earnest and optimistic, with action beats and gentle humour rather than constant jokes. Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Firefly and Red Dwarf will find resonance in its hopeful utopian outlook, its crew banter and its episodic exploration of strange new civilisations.

Viewers broadly find The Orville a warm, heartfelt space adventure that leans more on character and Star Trek homage than on comedy, with audience ratings positive across its run.

• Star Trek: The Next Generationspace exploration crew dynamics, optimistic utopian sci-fi with comedic tone
• Fireflyensemble crew banter, light sci-fi adventure with heart and episodic missions
• Red Dwarfcomedic sci-fi with a flawed ship crew and earnest character warmth
• Futuramaanimated space adventure with a ragtag crew and lighthearted tone

Created by

Seth MacFarlane

Release Date

2017-09-10

Episode runtime

44 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (1493)

What is The Orville about?

A ragtag crew of an aging exploratory ship in Earth's 400-years-future interstellar fleet balances comedy and earnest space adventure.

What is The Orville like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Orville as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is The Orville violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Orville as mild.

What did critics think of The Orville?

Viewers broadly find The Orville a warm, heartfelt space adventure that leans more on character and Star Trek homage than on comedy, with audience ratings positive across its run.

Which shows are like The Orville?

Shows with a similar feel include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Firefly, Red Dwarf, and Futurama.

How long is The Orville?

The Orville: 3 seasons, 36 episodes.

Is The Orville still running?

No, The Orville has ended.

Where can I watch The Orville?

In United States, The Orville streams on Hulu.