The Orville is, to this day, one of the most fun comedy series out there. Filled with celebrity cameos from Charlize Theron as the commander of a spaceship to Norm Macdonald as an ooze, watching the box set of this stellar comedy sparks astronomical levels of joy.
The series stars Seth MacFarlane alongside Adrianne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Penny Johnson Jerald (Castle), Scott Grimes (American Dad!), Peter Macon (Family Guy), J. Lee (American Dad!), Mark Jackson (The Royal Today), Chad L. Coleman (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jessica Szohr (Shameless) and Anne Winters (13 Reasons Why).
Here's just a few of the many reasons we're looking forward to stepping on board The Orville once more when the box set returns to SBS On Demand.
1. It's a loving homage to Star Trek
Family Guy star Seth Macfarlane and the rest of the creative team (which includes some Star Trek alumni) created a show that is both a loving nod to the classic sci-fi series and its own funny, clever creation. Set 400 years into the furture, it's both sci-fi and comedy and also manages to ponder some important questions about relationships, responsibility and how the universe works. Or should work. Or doesn't work. You get the idea.
It's not just Star Trek either. Case in point: Episode one of season three is called 'Electric Sheep', a reference to the beloved 1968 dystopian novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.
2. The amazing guest stars
Pay close attention- almost every episode of the show so far has had a celebrity cameo. Famous names making an appearance have included Rob Lowe, Charlize Theron and a brace of Star Trek stars, including Marina Sirtis, Tim Russ and Robert Picardo.
3. It's a laugh-out-loud comedy with heart
It's funny and sharp, but you might also find yourself shedding a tear, or thinking twice about whether things, and people, are what they seem. This is thoughtful science fiction at its entertaining best.
4. Lt Commander Bortus
It wouldn't be The Orville without Bortus. Actor Peter Macon (Family Guy, Shameless) is the man behind this key character.
5. It's unpredictable
"You have to continue to defy expectations and surprise people. Comedy and drama are both driven by surprise. If you can keep people guessing, whether it’s with a dramatic twist or a great, unexpected joke, that’s really at the heart of everything. With The Orville, we’re trying to continue with our pattern of not slipping into a formula," Seth MacFarlane told us back in 2018.
6. The reviews are (inter)stellar
"...The Orville is a heartfelt and, dare I say, optimistic view of adventures in space; resisting the current fashion of dark sets and even darker stories. The Orville brightens the final frontier, and enlists and engages us in traveling with its so very human characters (yes, aliens and androids included) in its very warm and inviting universe." - Yolanda Reid Chassiakos, Huffington Post
"The creator of Family Guy and American Dad doesn't just beam in a Galaxy Quest kind of spoof with his new show. Rather, he has brought to life a seriocomic homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation. The hour long episodes have more drama than you'd expect, especially as you get past the pilot... It feels like an extension of that universe in all the best ways, which is surely helped by some familiar Trek alumni behind the scenes, including executive producer and director Brannon Braga... It doesn't hurt either that the show looks really good. The aliens have a unique appearance and the visual effects stand out... The design of the starship Orville is inventive and the score recalls the uplifting orchestral work heard on TNG. - Scott A. Rosenberg, AM New York
"Everyone's favourite space adventure show." - Okay, that was us here at SBS, back when season 2 was about to land. Still true!
The Orville is now streaming at SBS On Demand.
