Fox has officially announced there will be a second season of The Orville. Season one’s premiere attracted more than 14 million viewers and ranks as the network’s most watched/highest rated series premiere since Empire. It also ranks in the top three in new dramas debuting this fall season.
Seth MacFarlane created and stars in the series which has been compared favorably to the original Star Trek. Discussing the series’ tone prior to its premiere, MacFarlane said, “The thing I like that makes me feel good about this show is that it’s hard to compare it…take the Star Trek element aside…tonally it’s hard for me to compare it to anything that’s been on the air. I don’t think a science fiction show of this type that walks this line has been attempted before. I mean, shows like M.A.S.H. have walked that line between comedy and drama beautifully. If we can have that kind of balance, that would be a major victory for us. But, it’s hard. I think we come pretty damn close, but that is for the audience to decide.”
“Once again Seth has struck a powerful chord with viewers,” said Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “He has delivered a series full of optimism, drama and his trademark humor. We want to thank him and the rest of the talented cast, as well as the producers and crew, for an incredible first season. We can’t wait to see where The Orville travels in the second.”
MacFarlane writes and also executive produces along with Brannon Braga (Terra Nova), David A. Goodman (Family Guy), Jason Clark (Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey) and Liz Heldens (Deception). In addition to MacFarlane, the cast includes Adrianne Palicki (Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Bortus), Halston Sage (Alara Kitan), J Lee (John Lamarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), and Chad L. Coleman (Klyden).
Season one airs on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The Plot: From Emmy Award-winning executive producer and creator Seth MacFarlane, The Orville is a live-action, one-hour space adventure series set 400 years in the future that follows The U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship. Its crew, both human and alien, face the wonders and dangers of outer space, while also dealing with the problems of everyday life.
