OMAR AZIMI

The Orville marks the first live-action television series created by Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane, best known for his work on American Dad and Family Guy, conceived the show due to wanting “to do something like this show ever since I was a kid.” The show is inspired by and based on The Twilight Zone and Star Trek, and its first two seasons aired on FOX.

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The show follows the crew of the U.S.S. Orville, 400 years in the future, as they navigate the mysteries and complexities of the universe and their own lives. The ensemble cast includes MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J Lee, Mark Jackson, Chad L. Coleman, Jessica Szohr, and Anne Winters. FOX greenlighted the third season in 2020, and production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the third (and final) season of The Orville: New Horizons debuting on Hulu on June 2nd, fans eagerly await seeing what happens next on the show.

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Important Issues

In addition to the show's comedy, it also features and tackles various vital issues. A few problems set to be addressed are subtle racism directed towards certain characters. Another critical topic promised to be addressed by the show includes suicide. These critical issues and the show’s examination of them are a significant part of why The Orville continues to be so successful with fans. Additionally, the show's writers can weave these themes into skillfully written metaphors.

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A New Crew Member

Joining the cast and the crew of the U.S.S. Orville is Winters as Charly Burke, the ship’s navigator, with the ability to visualize in multiple dimensions. In speaking on her newest role, Winters stated that her character is entirely different from anything she’d done before and did basic research on physics and mathematics. Many of the cast have lauded her performance in the upcoming season.

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A Lighthearted Approach...

MacFarlane, most known for his effortless humor and talent in voicing multiple characters, brings his comedic chops to The Orville and is a massive reason why the show is so popular. Although the show has many moments of drama and tension, it still maintains a healthy balance of humor and lightheartedness. The third season is also reported to include references to Star Wars.

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...With A Serious Streak

Despite the show’s comedic tone first found in Season 1, the show took on a more serious and dramatic tone in the second season. The third season will reportedly continue with the same serious tone and explore more serious issues. To help with the dramatic themes, The Orville has on hand Brannon Braga, the executive producer of the show and who penned dozens of episodes for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager, and Enterprise and wrote the first two installments of The Next Generation films for the silver screen. Braga referenced Star Trek: First Contact as a guide to reference the tone of Season 3, stating that it was “…scary, emotional, fun, and often funny. And that’s everything that The Orville aspires to be.”

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A New Broadcast Home

In 2019, it was reported that Season 3 of The Orville would no longer be airing on FOX, where it debuted initially. However, Hulu soon picked up the show, which already had the show’s first two seasons available for streaming. The show was previously produced by 20th Century FOX, which became part of the Disney brand under the company’s $71.3 billion acquisition. Furthermore, the show’s move to Hulu came as MacFarlane’s deal with the now Disney-owned 20th Century FOX expired.

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'A Tribute to Norm Macdonald'

Stand-up legend Norm Macdonald passed away in September 2021 after a long battle with cancer. One of Macdonald’s final roles was as Lieutenant Yaphit, a shape-shifting engineer and a recurring character on The Orville.

Macdonald played the character in the first two seasons on FOX and will reportedly be present in the show’s third season, as the actor had completed his voice work before his passing. However, it’s not known how many episodes will feature his character. Previously, Macdonald also worked with MacFarlane on Family Guy during a guest appearance.