the orville star trek actors

The Orville Cast and Character Guide

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Every Movie Coming to Major Streaming Services in September 2024

Every anime series releasing in september 2024, denis villeneuve won’t adapt frank herbert’s strange third dune book, here’s why that’s a good thing.

This guide contains spoilers for Season Two of The Orville and onwards. In the world of The Orville , now three series in, the possibilities are endless. What originated as merely a Star Trek spoof has evolved to a find a voice of its own. Easing off on the more comedic elements that we have come to expect from the voice of Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame, and as the actual Star Trek series have only seemed to decline in recent years, The Orville has become a magnificent show in its own right.

Like a battleship uncloaking from deep space, The Orville has used the element of surprise on its audience — pleasantly surprising them that this is not merely a tacky spoof, but rather a show that can use its universe to address incredibly thought-provoking gender issues through the Moclan species , whether man can love a machine in Finn and Isaac's relationship, and covering current human rights issues. The show approaches each new hard-hitting topic with a deft and nuanced touch coupled with cutting edge effects — a package that feels far afield from MacFarlane's obnoxious Family Guy roots.

Rivaling Star Trek 's own original series in terms of groundbreaking topics and messages, The Orville has become one of the better sci-fi shows on television in recent years. Take a look at its excellent cast of characters.

Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane)

Rank: Captain

Species: Human

As a captain, Mercer does his best to balance the good of the crew with the clashing of personalities that it contains. Bright, courageous, and always cool in the heat of battle, Mercer is often prone to leading with his heart when he should be thinking with his head. After dealing poorly with his split from Kelly, the step up to The Orville is just the career change Mercer needed to get his life together.

Clare Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald)

Rank: Doctor

As the ship's doctor, Finn is the first point of call for any medical emergencies — of which there are many. Between her being a single parent for her two boys, and having had a romantic relationship with fellow crew member Isaac, she finds herself somewhat trapped between balancing what she believes is best for her sons first, and herself secondary.

Related: How The Orville Became the Most Surprising Thing Seth MacFarlane Has Created

Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki)

Rank: Commander

As Captain Mercer's second in command, a clear relationship is a must. Unfortunately, the two of them used to date... until Kelly cheated on him with an alien. However, things seem patched up now, with Grayson even being the one to convince command that Mercer should be the one to receive the promotion to The Orville, she is the steady second in command that the captain needs to keep him on the right path.

Having sent Isaac as a spy to gather information on the human race, their findings deemed that the human species was worth keeping... until they decided it was not. Highly developed, quick, and super intelligent, the Kaylon present the biggest threat to the galaxy. With high firepower and a double agent in Isaac, they could infiltrate the human race and the Union with ease. It was only when Isaac recognized how wrong he was that they could be stopped — for now.

Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes)

Rank: Helmsman

Plucky and cocksure, Malloy is The Orville's go-to pilot. With copper hair and always a witty quip at hand, he has become known for his unorthodox and sporadic namings of flight maneuvers to evade the enemy. Deemed one of the best pilots in the fleet, he first got the role on The Orville by being instated by Captain Mercer, his best friend.

Isaac (Mark Jackson)

Rank: Science Officer

Species: Kaylon

Ever since the Kaylon invasion of Earth, Isaac has been a devil's advocate of a re-addition to a crew still at odds with having been enslaved. Previously, Isaac had acted as The Orville's Chief Science Officer, providing vital info on species, planets, and how to properly approach situations — all without the handicap of emotions holding his process back. Isaac tried to deactivate himself after the attack on Earth which, alongside now regular Kaylon assaults, makes Isaac's position in the crew still questionable.

Bortus (Peter Macon)

Rank: Second Officer

Species: Moclan

Proud and with incredible feats of strength (though not as strong as Talla), family is the most important thing to Bortus , with his mate Klydon and their son, Topa, living on board The Orville as well. Having served on The Orville prior to Captain Mercer's installment, Bortus is one of the most experienced of the crew. His species, traditionally all male, face a crossroads when Bortus and Klydon birth a female child — something they feel must be corrected immediately.

Yaphit (Norm MacDonald)

Rank: Engineer

Species: Gelatin

As a top engineer, Yaphit assists with the maintenance of The Orville. Alongside Lamarr, Yaphit makes sure the ship is running at the most efficient it can be. Through his own natural biology, the Canadian-voiced Gelatin can manipulate his own shape into whatever form he desires — ideal for getting into crevices and into the heart of any machine. Yaphit was humorously voiced by the late, great Norm MacDonald , in his final role.

Related: Best Sci-Fi/Comedy Movies, Ranked

John Lamarr (J. Lee)

Rank: Chief Engineer

The playboy of the crew, Lamarr is a talented young engineer aboard The Orville who can more than once be seen shacking up with all sorts of alien babes. Heading the lower decks of The Orville, his easy demeanor hides a switched-on young man at the forefront of cutting edge technology. With some of the highest aptitude testing scores Union Point had ever seen, John has always been bright but covers it well in his laid back attitude and tendency for pranks with his friend Gordon.

Talla Keyali (Jessica Szohr)

Rank: Chief of Security

Species: Xelayan

Following Alara's leave, Talla would replace her and fill the fellow Xeleyan's position in the crew. Known for her calm demeanor and incredible super human strength, Talla is the ideal candidate to run security. Calm and tough, Talla is someone The Orville are glad they have on their side.

Strong reptile types that stand on two legs, the Krill were The Planetary Union's main threat at peacetime before the Kaylon conflict. Known for their strength and aggression, their pale skin resembles that of their god, Avis. Through his teachings, Avis deemed every other species inferior and soulless, and therefore unworthy of existence. It is only now, when the Kaylon threaten the entire galaxy, that the Krill can consider an alliance.

The Orville (2017)

Join or Sign In

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

Seasons & Episodes
TV Listings
Cast & Crew

The Orville - Full Cast & Crew

36 Metascore
Comedy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
Watchlist Where to Watch

Four hundred years in the future, the mid-level spaceship USS Orville explores outer space, while also dealing with the problems of everyday life.

Screenwriter

Executive producer, co-producer, co-executive producer, cinematographer, production company.

‘The Orville’ Season 3 Cast and Character Guide: Meet the Crew of 'New Horizons'

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

All aboard the USS Orville! Sci-fi fans, you're in for a treat. The intergalactic series The Orville is coming back for Season 3 on Hulu on June 2, 2022. Under the name The Orville: New Horizons , the show takes inspiration from Star Trek and Next Generation . Taking place in the 25th century, The Orville is about a mid-level exploratory spacecraft named the USS Orville.

Throughout the series, The Orville and its crew members go on various planet explorations. Just like any other sci-fi series , their crew doesn't just consist of human beings, but aliens as well. In addition to dealing with the dangers of outer space, the Orville crew must also overcome their personal and professional issues within the ship - just another day at the office, really. Some may view this as a parody of sci-fi classics but others have commented that the series is a fun homage to the greats.

Season 1 of The Orville premiered on September 10, 2017, followed by Season 2 on December 30, 2018. Both seasons were initially released on Fox. After four long years, The Orville is ready to up the ante with Season 3 and bring the lovable Orville crew back to the screen. As of now, there are no plans announced for Season 4.

It's been years since the last season ended. So before you get started on The Orville: New Horizons , check out this cast and character guide for a quick refresher.

Related: 'The Orville' Season 2 Recap: Everything You Need to Know Before 'New Horizons'

Seth MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer

Seth MacFarlane plays Captain Ed Mercer, the commanding officer of the USS Orville. Previously an up-and-coming officer, Mercer is on the fast path to having his ship by 40. However, things take an uncanny turn when he finds his ex-wife, Kelly Grayson, in bed with an alien. Since then, Mercer hasn't been quite himself at work, with his constant hangovers and poor performance. But despite his shortcomings, Mercer is still entrusted with The Orville, a mid-level exploratory ship.

Mercer is not your average captain. Sure, he has his bad habits and personal foils. But Mercer has heart and puts duty, morality, and, more importantly, his team above anything else. He doesn't have a specific set of skills that make him a specialist. Instead, his personality combines all the things he's learned from his fellow members: Kelly's leadership, Bortus' heart, Malloy's humor, and LaMarr's intelligence. These traits make Captain Mercer a likable, inspirational captain respected (and sometimes teased) by his crew. MacFarlane, who is also the show's creator, is most famous for his work on the television series Family Guy and American Dad! , as well as movies like Ted and A Million Ways to Die in the West .

Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson

Adrianne Palicki plays Commander Kelly Grayson, the first officer of the Orville and also Mercer's ex-wife. It's easy to hate Grayson at first, considering she cheats on Mercer with an alien and thus causes him to go on a year-long personal crisis. But as the show progresses, Grayson attempts to make amends, unbeknownst to Mercer. Grayson is why Captain Mercer can become commander of The Orville, and she personally appeals to their senior officers and asks to give him a chance.

Grayson may have caused great turmoil in her marriage, but one must remember that she still cares for Mercer deeply. It's revealed that she cheated because of Mercer's long absence at home (and weird alien pheromones), although no excuse should ever justify the act of cheating. Despite their differences, Grayson remains professional and is willing to become a team player. For all her screw-ups, Grayson is one of the most brilliant people on board and does whatever it takes to find a solution.

Palicki is best known for her role as Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird in the superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D . Her previous roles also include playing Tyra Collette in Friday Night Lights .

Related: 'The Orville: New Horizons' Releases Nearly 4-Minute Sneak Peek of Upcoming Season on Hulu

Penny Johnson Jerald as Doctor Claire Finn

Penny Johnson Jerald plays Doctor Claire Finn, the brilliant Chief Medical Officer of the USS Orville. Finn has a killer wit and a clever sense of humor despite her steel mentality. Her medical specializations include DNA engineering, molecular surgery, and psychiatry, which pretty much explains her unquestionable expertise. While Finn has all the capabilities required to tackle heavy cruisers, she chooses the mid-level Orville instead. Finn explains that she prefers working somewhere where she could be more hands-on and be able to provide more assistance (however, Mercer misinterprets this, believing that Finn doesn't have confidence in him).

Finn's strength comes from being the single mother of two boys - it's not easy being in charge of the medical area while raising children on a dangerous intergalactic ship. Her intelligence and perseverance are remarkable, but her impulsiveness sometimes gets the best of her. For example, while she is a caring mother, she doesn't necessarily have the best parenting techniques. And let's not get started on that one time she decides to date Isaac out of the blue. Nevertheless, Finn is a headstrong woman who stands her ground on her principles and beliefs despite her blunders.

Johnson previously trained in the prestigious Juilliard School with fellow classmates Lorraine Toussaint and Megan Gallagher . Her previous roles include Kasidy Yates in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates in Castle , and Sherry Palmer in 24 .

Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy

Scott Grimes plays Lieutenant Gordon Malloy, USS Orville's helmsman and Mercer's best friend. It's hard to believe that this prankster of a man is recognized as the fleet's best helmsman, let alone a Lieutenant. Not to mention that he was previously demoted to desk duty due to an unfortunate incident - impressing a girl with a risky shuttle docking maneuver, which of course, backfired and ultimately caused damages to the vessel and loss of cargo. But all that aside, Mercer is still insistent on giving Lieutenant Malloy the assignment of steering the ship, despite his boss's concerns.

With his jokester personality, Malloy is known for his history of immature pranks, which includes making Isaac look like a Mr. Potato Head. Of course, like his attempt to impress a girl, his pranks typically backfire, with Malloy getting the brunt of his antics (remember that one time Isaac stole the lieutenant's left leg while he was sleeping?). Despite his childish jokes and dry humor, Malloy is not just an expert pilot (having saved the ship from inevitable doom several times) but also a reliable friend and a heroic addition to the team.

Apart from The Orville , Grimes is best known for appearing in the cult classic The Night They Saved Christmas and has starred in notable TV shows like ER as Dr. Archie Morris and Band of Brothers as Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey.

Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus

Peter Macon plays Lieutenant Commander Bortus, the competent Second Officer on the USS Orville. Bortus is originally from Moclus, a male-dominated planet specializing in weapon manufacturing. As the ship's Lieutenant Commander, he is basically third in charge of the vessel. But this doesn't stop the lieutenant commander from being the butt of jokes, mainly because he has no clue about human habits and has particular behaviors himself. For example, he literally eats anything, from a napkin to a ball of wasabi.

Still, his efforts to assimilate with the USS Orville crew and Union society are heartwarming. His fascinating Moclan origins and his curiosity keep him an interesting character. He may come off as emotionless, but he has a huge heart and will do anything to save his crew and family. What's even more touching is his emotional growth during the first two seasons, making him a character to look forward to in Season 3.

Macon has nearly 30 years of experience performing at Twin Cities theaters and once starred in Othello . The actor has also played in shows like Shameless , Law & Order , and SEAL Team .

Related: 'The Orville: New Horizons' Trailer Sets a Course for Galaxies Unknown

Halston Sage as Lieutenant Alara Kitan

Halston Sage plays Lieutenant Alara Kitan, the Chief of Security for USS Orville. Despite her young age, Kitan is a force to be reckoned with. Originating from the high-gravity planet of Xelaya, Kitan ends up having superhuman strength on Earth gravity - giving her the ability to knock down walls or reshape blocks of titanium with her bare hands. Unfortunately, Kitan only remains part of the main cast until the third episode of Season 2. Her character resigns from her post to go back to her home planet after discovering she's losing her super-strength due to being away too long from her home planet's gravitational force.

Although her time on the ship is brief, Kitan has become a memorable character for beloved fans of the show. It's easy to pinpoint her as the underdog because of her age. But her abilities and determination eventually shine through. She's a capable officer who's conquered her fears despite coming from a traumatic childhood. Let's not forget her witty humor and fun personality. Despite her exit from the show, Kitan's departure was left quite open-ended so there's a chance that we might get to see her in at least a guest appearance in Season 3.

Halston Sage is known for starring as Grace on the Nickelodeon television series How to Rock and Lacey in the coming-of-age movie Paper Towns , the film adaptation of John Green 's critically acclaimed novel.

J. Lee as Lieutenant John LaMarr

J. Lee plays Lieutenant John LaMarr, the smooth-talking Chief Navigator of USS Orville, who ends up becoming Chief Engineer later on in Season 1. LaMarr has a close friendship with Malloy, considering they share a similar sense of humor. But unlike Malloy, LaMarr secretly has a high level of intelligence and is slightly more mature with his responsibilities.

Despite being incredibly smart, LaMarr initially downplays his intelligence to fit in with his peers. Instead of chasing after grand ambitions, he would settle for modest assignments that don't require him to put out much of his potential. Ultimately, it is Grayson who encourages him to push himself and go for the position of Chief Engineer. Lee has previously worked with MacFarlane, having starred as a voice actor in shows like American Dad! , Family Guy , and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy .

Related: ‘The Orville: New Horizons’ Reveals Flashy New Poster For Season 3 of Seth MacFarlane Comedy Series

Mark Jackson as Isaac

Mark Jackson plays Isaac, the Science and Engineering Officer of USS Orville, and a member of the artificial Kaylon-1 race, which views biological lifeforms (e.g., humans) as inferior. Isaac also serves as the ambassador of the Kaylon on the ship, part of an attempt to establish relationships between the two powers. During his time on The Orville, Isaac studies human behavior, learning things like relationships, slang, sarcasm, and other aspects.

He may be a non-biological being, in which he prioritizes rationale more than feelings, but surprisingly, Isaac can show a more humane side, especially when Kaylon decides to go on a rampage and attacks his crewmates. Sure, it was disappointing when Isaac played a part in Kaylon's genocidal efforts, but in the end, he chose to side with the Union and go so far as to save Ty, Dr. Finn's youngest son. Jackson primarily worked in theater before starring in The Orville , working in the Royal National Theatre's productions of War Horse and One Man, Two Guvnors .

Norm Macdonald as Yaphit

The late Norm Macdonald plays Yaphit, a gelatinous, green blob-like creature who’s just generally fun to be around. He becomes a running joke as he tries to win Claire's affections throughout Season 1 by bringing her flowers and playing the guitar. Unfortunately, Claire doesn’t share the same sentiment. Still, his playful personality makes him incredibly likable.

Macdonald is famous for his stint at Saturday Night Live and played roles in well-known movies like Billy Maddison and The People Vs. Larry Flint . He’s also done voice acting for Family Guy and Mike Tyson Mysteries . It's currently unknown whether Yaphit will be featured in Season 3 but if you're planning on rewatching the previous seasons, he's definitely one of the most enjoyable characters in them.

Jessica Szohr as Lieutenant Talla Keyali

Jessica Szohr plays Lieutenant Talla Keyali, the newest addition to USS Orville and the new Chief of Security, replacing Kitan after she departs from the team. Also from Xelayan, she has the same super-strength abilities possessed by Kitan. Unlike Kitan, Keyali has a bolder personality and doesn’t mind jumping first into any situation that requires her to fight.

Szohr is most notable for her role as Vanessa Abrams on the teen drama series Gossip Girl . Her other notable credits include My Wife and Kids , Joan of Arcadia , and CSI: Miami .

Anne Winters as Charly Burke

Anne Winters plays Ensign Charly Burke, the new navigator of USS Orville and a new character that will appear in Season 3. While not much is revealed about Burke at the moment, we do know that she is a human female who has the ability to visualize multiple dimensions at an impressive speed with sharp accuracy.

Winters is most notable for her work in Netflix's hit teen drama 13 Reasons Why . She's also acted alongside comedians Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish in Universal Pictures' Night School.

TV Features

Seth MacFarlane

Den of Geek

The Orville: The Best Star Trek Homages

Orville creator Seth MacFarlane has never shied away from the fact that his show is an homage to the classic Trek he grew up watching.

Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
Share on email (opens in a new tab)

Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald), Captain Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane), and Commander Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) in The Orville season 3

This article contains spoilers for The Orville: New Horizons and Star Trek .

With a team composed of comedic writers from Seth MacFarlane’s catalog of animated shows, and Star Trek veterans such as Brannon Braga and David A. Goodman, The Orville: New Horizons has been leaning further away from the comedy, and more toward the “Trek” lately.

That isn’t meant to insinuate that The Orville is derivative, as many of the comparisons have come from the same writing team who created the idea first. However, it does seem that they’ve often used successful character dynamics, tropes, or story beats from their past writing, even perhaps improving upon them the second time. If the writers are trying to make a good thing even better, many fans would agree it has worked, with some even calling The Orville the best Trek out there right now.

Yet one cannot help but make comparisons, especially in this third season of The Orville , as it has resulted in some very specific similarities between the two shows.

Ad – content continues below

Ensign Burke and Ensign Ro

A late character addition to an established cast can always be a risk (ask Oliver on The Brady Bunch … or ask your parents if you don’t understand that reference), but it can also be a successful challenge to the dynamic that takes storylines in unexpected directions. Both Ensign Burke (Anne Winters) in The Orville and Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) in The Next Generation are low-ranking characters that can easily be seen as annoying or unwelcomed because from the moment they were introduced, they challenged the happy existence of their ship. More importantly, they both challenge their Captain without any regard for command or that aforementioned happy dynamic. As much as Burke has irked many fans of The Orville in only a handful of episodes of her debut season, that’s precisely what she was meant to do. Both she and Ro challenge the other characters on an ongoing basis because this creates more drama in a show that follows a sitcom or episodic formula; simply resetting back to a happy existence after each hour.

Having both characters be survivors of war and terrorism gives them excellent motivation for the chip on their shoulder, as well as shows a darker side to the Roddenberry inspired utopia of these universes. The journey they both have to go on to try and find peace and forgiveness, and find a place within the show, reinforces what both The Orville and Star Trek are all about: humanity.

Both late additions with kindred backstories are simply superficial similarities, it is that journey, and their story that is the most intriguing part.

Dinal and Q

Despite what you may think of the Picard revival, what made the antagonistic but lovable godlike-rogue, Q (John de Lancie) entertaining in The Next Generation was the love/hate relationship with Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and how Q would torture the beloved captain. It seemed all the Q adventures were never meant to be out of complete malice, but curiosity and respect. Q did treat the Enterprise crew as a lower species, but it was always as if Q had hope for humanity based on what he saw in Picard and his officers.

In “Mortality Paradox,” fans were introduced to Dinal (guest star Elizabeth Gillies), a highly evolved being who, much like Q, put a small section of the Orville ’s crew through a labyrinth of terror. The purpose? To study an aspect of humanity that is beyond her and her people’s reach. If that wasn’t familiar enough, Dinal mentioned that the crew, while terrified for their very lives, were never in any real danger.

Most importantly, Dinal and her species have a very specific connection with Kelly. In the episode “Mad Idolatry,” Dinal’s interdimensional species, the Kandarians, which advances eons while time passes normally for the Orville used to worship Kelly as a deity at one point in their evolution. This could be a hint that audiences have not seen the last of Dinal or the Kandarians, as they have more than a vested interest in Kelly and the crew, much like Q developed an interest in the Enterprise.

The Orville Has Two Versions of The Borg

This list is not meant to be merely superficial, however one cannot help but see an easy comparison between the Borg that hunted the TNG -era Federation and the Kaylon, a species of artificial beings who have vowed to destroy all biological beings.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

In one of the greatest Trek stories ever told, Captain Picard was at one point assimilated by the Borg to represent them as Locutus, one of the only individual voices within the collective. For the remainder of The Next Generation storylines, this incident made the battle with the Borg fiercely personal for Picard and his crew.

As if knowing that the connection between the Kaylon and the Orville crew (which is discussed in the next section) wasn’t enough, the writing team created a new alien species this season that reproduces by completely changing an individual’s DNA. When the crew of the Orville came across this species, the first victim of the invasive transformation is Doctor Finn’s (Penny Johnson Jerald) ex-husband, Admiral Christie (Guest star James Read), adding a much more personal touch the next time they meet.

At the conclusion of the episode, the writers even gave this new menace a catch phrase, “you will be of us,” threatening assimilation. Perhaps not as catchy as “Resistance is futile”, but the writers certainly knew what they were creating an homage to.

The War with the Kaylon and The Dominion War

The comparisons between The Orville and Trek aren’t merely limited to Next Generation . While Brannon Braga worked on almost every iteration of the TNG era of Trek, the one show he didn’t really contribute to was Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . One of the key story threads which truly carried the show in later seasons was the ongoing war with The Dominion. Granted, that ongoing story thread may be derivative of Babylon 5 , but once again, the personal touch is what The Orville focuses on, and DS9 fans will recognize it. The Orville ’s beloved Kaylon, Isaac (Mark Jackson) is that aforementioned connection between the Orville and the murderous army of artificial lifeforms, and certain story points make it more personal.

In one of the most dynamic storylines last season, Isaac betrayed his people to save the crew, and humanity as well. He is the only one of his kind (up until the discovery of fellow Kaylon Timmis in last week’s episode “From Unknown Graves”) who is on the other side of this conflict. He is alone, separated from his people, and seen as an outcast. His specific archetype, that of an emotionally stunted officer trying to understand humanity, is one used quite often in Trek. Think Spock from the original show, Data from TNG or in this specific case, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) from Deep Space Nine .

Odo was separated from his people, the Changelings, a traitor to his race and the only one who saw the evil of the Dominion, Odo had to find solace in his Federation friends much like Isaac only has the Orville . Couple that with the Changelings wanting to cull “all solids” much like the Kaylon’s need to kill “all biologicals” and you have a very similar dynamic.

An Emotional Experience for Isaac and Data

Last week’s “From Unknown Graves” featured another similar story that perhaps could not be helped. With that aforementioned emotionally stunted officer, it is inevitable that they do get their wish and become more human one way or another. For TNG ’s Data, it was his eventual taste of human emotion. The concept was teased for seasons, and never took hold until the first TNG film, Generations .

In last week’s episode of The Orville , Isaac was finally offered that same opportunity. The more empathetic Timmis and his reconfigured artificial brain allowed the chance for Isaac to undergo a procedure for him to truly feel. Issac of course, does go through with the procedure, but tragically it does not take because of his brain chemistry compared to Timmis’. With the ongoing relationship between Isaac and Doctor Finn, it’s safe to assume that Issac’s emotional journey is not complete yet, and when it does take hold, it would have featured the same proverbial roller coaster ride that Data had to endure.

Mercer & Teleya and Chakotay & Seska

Sounds like a science fiction remake of a swinging sixties Paul Mazursky film, doesn’t it? What it really refers to is the common story used in both The Orville and Star Trek: Voyager . Both feature a romance between a high ranking officer of the main starship having a torrid love affair with one of their comrades. In the case of the Orville , it was between Captain Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) and Lieutenant Janel Tyler (Michaela McManus).

A sexual relationship between shipmates is nothing controversial, that is, until you discover the woman in the relationship is actually a spy for one of your most dangerous enemies who has disguised herself as a different species. That was the case for Voyager’s Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and Seska (Martha Hackett). Seska at first was a comrade in the fringe military group known as the Maquis, where she and Chakotay fought side by side against the Cardasians. When it was revealed she was a Cardasian, it was the ultimate betrayal, exactly as it was when Mercer discovered Lieutenant Tyler was in reality, Teleya, a Krill woman who he befriended and betrayed years ago.

Couple that with the common story that both women became pregnant with a child they claim to be Chakotay’s and Mercer’s (respectively) and the love/hate relationship in both shows becomes similarly compelling.

Alara Kitan and Tasha Yar

This list comparing art imitating art becomes slightly more meta when this particular comparison is also a strange case of Life imitating Life. From the very conception of both The Orville and TNG , each show had a tough female as their chief of security. The Enterprise had Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) and The Orville had their diminutive but insanely strong pickle jar opener, Alara Kitan (Halston Sage). Both characters were about the Roddenberry-ideal of representing all genders and the strength women possess.

In a bizarrely similar style, both actors left their respective shows early in the run. Albeit for very different reasons, but with Tasha dying before the conclusion of the first season, and Alara barely broaching the second season before leaving, it became a strangely similar hole left in both shows. Even more specifically, the fact both characters were brought back to make a cameo in an episode that featured a parallel timeline is simply too many coincidences.

Double Dip Casting

In yet another example of life imitating life, 32 different actors (you read correctly THIRTY TWO) have played featured roles in both Star Trek and The Orville . For those who might deny similarities between both television mythologies, it may be time to see it is more than just a coincidence how similar they can get.

What’s more amazing, is this includes three main cast members of The Orville . Penny Johnson Jerald had a recurring role as Cassidy on Deep Space Nine for several seasons. The hilarious Lieutenant Malloy (Scott Grimes), known for his uncanny ability to out-talk and out-joke anyone, ironically had his lines cut from a guest appearance on only the third episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Most impressive is that star and creator of The Orville , MacFarlane himself played Ensign Rivers in two different seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise . Ok, granted, it was only two episodes in two seasons, but that’s still a great connection, especially when showing how the two universes are inherently linked.

New episodes of The Orville: New Horizons season 3 are available to stream on Hulu every Thursday. The season finale premieres on Aug. 4.

Latest TV reviews

The lord of the rings: the rings of power season 2 episode 4 review – meet the stoors, slow horses season 4 episode 1 review: identity theft, kaos review: greek myths are reworked to perfection in netflix’s latest series.

Michael Winn Johnson | @ReelSchool

Teacher and entertainment journalist based out of Toronto. Michael can talk forever about film, television and animation, and how often Toronto sports teams have made him…

Big news! 'The Orville' is getting a 4th season, actor confirms

Are you ready for more Moclan mating rituals, Kaylon vs Krill action, quantum drive and epic, intergalactic tomfoolery? Because we certainly are.

an actor in a futuristic uniform stands on the deck of a starship on the set of a sci-fi show

At the recent "Star Trek" Las Vegas convention, actor Scott Grimes, who plays Lt. Gordon Malloy on "The Orville," revealed to a small — and stunned — crowd that season 4 of the show is set to begin pre-production at some point early in 2025.

Absolutely no one was expecting this, so no video of the big announcement seems to exist on social media. But it has been confirmed on The Planetary Union Network: ' The Orville ' Official Fan Podcast. Moreover, that same group wrote on Reddit , "Seth [MacFarlane, the show's creator] hasn't made an official announcement on any of his direct social media, but we do work directly for production/him. S4 is happening. No one can give an accurate timeline on when it will release yet, though."

The announcement was also confirmed by Colin Krapp, the administrator of "The Orville" fan page on Facebook , who posted after the announcement, "A big THANK YOU to Scott Grimes for announcing this at STLV last night so I can finally say it openly (I’ve known for a month)."

Krapp also stressed that pre-production— designing and building sets, scouting locations and, most importantly, polishing the script — will begin in 2025. So, we may still have to wait quite a while before the first episode arrives.

Related: 'The Orville' started as a spoof, but it has evolved into so much more

Will the old sets at Fox Studios be reused? Do they even still exist? Will "The Orville" start using the "Volume" LED surround-screen that's being used for "Star Trek" and the live action "Star Wars" spin-off shows?

The annual "Star Trek" Las Vegas convention is not at the top of most sci-fi fans' radar, but this year there was an unusually big turnout of talent from a variety of sci-fi shows. In fact, most of the cast of " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " showed up, along with others like Grimes. Given the reduction in the number of events over the last few years or so, any con, it seems, is worth clinging to.

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

The Disney D23 Fan Event begins on Friday (Aug. 9), so it's possible there might be an additional announcement or two over the weekend. And New York Comic Con begins on Oct. 17, so there could be more news drops a couple of months from now.

— 'The Orville' season 3 finale gives us Moclan mating rituals, Malloy's missing egg sandwich and more

— 'The Orville' season 3 premiere sets out to show this sci-fi series is a tour de force

— Best sci-fi TV shows of all time

Interestingly, it was exactly two years ago that we got to see the last episode of "The Orville" season 3 , and you might recall that Isaac (Mark Jackson) married Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) after proposing in the middle of the mess hall. Whoever said romance was dead on Kaylon-1?

As for the future of Isaac and Dr. Finn, well, we can only speculate. There are still many plot threads that could be incorporated into the fourth season, not least of which is the revealed identity of Heveena's operatives on Moclus, the future of relations with the Krill and the Moclans and whether or not Lysella will join the crew.

The first three seasons of "The Orville" are available to watch on Disney Plus in most countries. Viewers in Latin American can watch on Star Plus.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 126 — Danger! Rogue Planets!

The best 50s sci-fi movies

Hubble telescope spies a sparkling 'cosmic fossil' 3 million light-years away (image)

Thomas Schreiber This is ridiculous, the last episode of season 3 was August of 2022, and production of season 4 won't even begin until next spring, close to 3 years later?! They should be ready to begin showing season 4 episodes now, even then it would be too long at 2 years! What's wrong with television shows anymore, so excessively long between seasons? Reply
View All 1 Comment

Interview: ‘The Orville’ Producers Talk Epic Scale And Big Cameos In ‘New Horizons’ Season

| May 27, 2022 | By: Anthony Pascale 41 comments so far

The third season of The Orville, Seth MacFarlane’s homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation , arrives next week under the name The Orville: New Horizons . TrekMovie had a chance to talk to writer/executive producers (and Star Trek vets) Brannon Braga and David A. Goodman, along with director/executive producer Jon Cassar. The group discussed how the move to Hulu has opened up new possibilities, offered some hints on what’s coming to up in the ten-episode season, and discussed the possibility of a fourth season.

Note: A couple of episodes from New Horizons were provided to the media ahead of the interview and so there are some minor spoilers discussed.

David, in your last TrekMovie interview , you spoke about how you fulfilled a number of goals for the show in season two. So, what were the big goals for season three?

David Goodman: I think they were Seth’s goals, and I think that one of them was we’re moving to streaming. It was his decision to move to Hulu and he wanted to keep ratcheting up the epic storytelling. And I think that we’ve done that in season three. The episodes are more epic in scope. We’re building our universe, but we’re still focused on our characters. So we had those goals but we continue to tell the stories that The Orville fans are expecting, but then also make use of the fact that we’re on a streamer and that now an episode can be an hour, or even an hour and a half, and letting those stories that we are breaking breathe and let them go to their natural conclusions. And so that that was probably the biggest goal. It was a creative goal, and we have absolutely met it.

So episodes can actually run as long an hour and a half and you don’t bother doing it as two-parters anymore?

Brannon Braga: That’s right. I think one of them runs as long as one hour and twenty-five minutes. I actually hadn’t thought of that, but that’s a great observation that there aren’t any two-parters now. [laughs] They are all eighty to ninety-minute episodes.

Jon Cassar: If you add up all the runtimes, it is the equivalent of 16 episodes.

What other opportunities does the move to Hulu give you?

Jon Cassar: From my end, the time alone is huge. It’s not just the fact that you could do an hour and twenty-minute episode, it just means visually, you’re just in a different space the way you shoot a show. Because like a feature, it’s the same thing. A feature could be an hour and a half, it could be two hours, or three hours, whatever the story is. But the great thing about features that are so different than television is they have that visual time between scenes. So they have the time to do what we call “shoe leather,” where it’s just visually telling the story. And in our case, we use it when we go to a new planet. It used to be like one or two shots flying in. Now there’s five or six and you get to really see what this planet looks like. And that’s world-building. And that means even when we get there, you’re seeing way more than you saw before because we have time for it now. And even if you tried to do it on some TV shows, the words take priority. So when you’re trying to hit that 42-minute mark, you’re going to cut out this beautiful establishing shot, you’re not going to cut dialog. So that’s a big difference visually from what you’re going to see because of the freedom of time.

Director Jon Cassar and Lt. Talla Keyali (Jessica Szohr) on The Orville: New Horizons (Photo by: Kevin Estrada/Hulu)

When the series debuted it leaned into the humor, even being presented as a sci-fi comedy. That changed a bit in season two and it appears to be evolving more in season three to be almost akin to your average Next Gen episode. So, is it not a dramedy anymore?

David Goodman: I would slightly disagree because I think our characters are funnier than the TNG characters. In comparison to previous seasons of The Orville , I agree. We’re not leaning as hard on the comedy as we used to. But this show still has plenty more comedy than the standard TNG episode did. And I think it’s because our characters are more flawed. In some ways, they are more down-to-earth. They’re less heroic naturally than the TNG characters. And so the conflicts that they get into end up being sometimes more humorous. So I agree that we’re not leaning into the comedy, but this is still not a standard sci-fi show. We still have plenty of character comedy, it just comes out more naturally than it used to.

The first episode gets a bit dark, so does it vary a lot episode by episode, with some being much lighter?

David Goodman: Any episode where Gordon is the center of the story is probably going to be funnier, but actually there are definitely moments with all of our characters where we get funny. But it’s probably not the full-on comedy episodes that we used to have.

Brannon Braga: There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this season. And there are episodes that have more humor than others. The first episode out of the gate deals with some pretty hardcore subject matter. And we’re happy that we were able to take our time with it and do it properly. But on this show, the comedy has never undermined the drama, because we want the stakes to be real. And it took us a while to find the tone and I think we’ve come a long way since the first season. And now it does lean more into the drama of it all, and I think always Seth’s intention.

Have you changed your balance when it comes to the episodic structure and serialization for the new season? Because the first episode did catch up on some things from season two, for example. But is the focus still planet of the week?

David Goodman: I think that even if you came to The Orville: New Horizons fresh and you had never seen The Orville , you can watch the first episode because it’s important for us to be clear. It’s not a fully serialized show in that sense. You can watch that first episode having never seen The Orville and understand what’s going on and not feel left out. So this is never going to be a fully serialized show. On a fully serialized show, you can’t watch the first episode of season three without having watched every episode of seasons one and two. So we still do planet of the week, but we also put things in that are for those fans who’ve been watching all the way through. It is a balance.

David Goodman: But we included flashbacks so if you had not seen [the season two episode] “Identity,” you are you have characters telling you what happened. And as an audience member, you’re getting to experience it.

From The Orville: New Horizons (Photo by: Hulu)

Now that you are on Hulu, were there things you did this season that you always wanted to do, things that could only be done with the freedom you now have?

Brannon Braga: It was exciting to break out these stories–and we weren’t really thinking of the impact on Jon at that point [laughs]–with abandon. The freedom in terms of their scope, but it’s also a very emotional season. The show, I think, has always been successful in being quite moving at times. And we really care about these characters. And we think the audience will too. It’s epic in its emotional scope as well as its cinematic scope.

Is it fair to say that the character conflict is heightened this season?

Brannon Braga: It is heightened. As we were saying, everything is heightened, on every level. The addition of the Charly character [Anne Winters] is indicative. She’s there because she suffered a traumatic loss and is angry about a Kaylon on board. That’s going to give you immediate conflict. That’s part of the reason that character was created by Seth.

Jon Cassar: I think you guys set up right away that the people on the ship were polarized. It was just not okay with everybody. So that made it interesting. And again, probably realistic in that kind of scenario. Especially with a Kaylon still on board.

Charly Burke(Anne Winters) on The Orville: New Horizons (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

Another core component of the show has been social commentary. Any hints on issues you might be dealing with New Horizons ?

David Goodman: The Moclans still end up being the source for those kinds of commentaries. They’re representative of a bunch of things that we’ve talked about over the years, and they still are. It’s more about using the tools in our toolbox and our characters, and what are those issues that affect our characters? And then we can get into sort of metaphorical or allegorical stories that might touch on current issues, but I don’t know that we’re going to spoil any of that.

Speaking of spoilers, any chance we’re going to get any more Star Trek actor cameos?

David Goodman: Let me think, I can’t remember. We have a lot of great cameos this year. One, in particular, is not a Star Trek cameo, but cameos are a big, big part of the show. I think there are some fun surprises in these episodes

Jon Cassar: We do have one big cameo from a big sci-fi franchise.

Are you talking about Bruce Boxleitner from Babylon 5 ?

Jon Cassar: You guys know that because you saw him in the picture they released, so that’s not much of a surprise. [laughs] But that’s not the big cameo we are talking about.

David Goodman: It’s even bigger.

Jon Cassar: Way bigger.

President Alcuzan (Bruce Boxleitner), Lt. Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes), Speria Balask (Lisa Banes), Admiral Halsey (Victor Garber), Charly Burke (Anne Winters), and Capt. Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) in The Orville: New Horizons (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

I know this is a tough subject but how did you deal with the death of Norm Macdonald? Was he able to finish his voice work for the season?

David Goodman: Norm did, he had finished his recording. Obviously, we’re heartbroken at his death. It was an honor to get to work with him. He is one of my comedy heroes and such a brilliantly funny, man and such a delight to work with on the show. He added so much to Yaphit’s character. If there is a season four, I don’t know how we deal with it, I’ll be honest.

There has been some speculation about season four. What would you say are the factors needed to make another season possible?

David Goodman: Okay, so let me just let me just pull this little anecdote out of my ass. There was a show I worked on that was canceled twice. They said it would never come back. But the audience found it on DVD and three years later, it came back. That show was Family Guy . Every show can come back. It’s all up to the audience. 20 Century Fox at that time didn’t think anybody was watching on the network and they cancelled it and the fans were like, “We want more!” And so the company said, “We’ll give you more.” It’s all about business. So if the fans and the audience shows up on Hulu, they’re absolutely can be a season four.

Just to be clear, the show isn’t currently canceled.

David Goodman: The show is absolutely not canceled.

Jon Cassar: Definitely not.

David Goodman: Absolutely not. That is definitive.

Brannon Braga (left) and David Goodman (right) on The Orville set with star Seth MacFarlane (Photo: David Goodman)

New Horizons next Thursday

The Orville: New Horizons premieres Thursday, June 2, 2022. New episodes will be released weekly only on Hulu in the USA. Internationally The Orville is also on Star on Disney+ in select markets.

Check out the recent trailer…

Keep up with all The Orville news and analysis on TrekMovie .

Feature Films (TMP-NEM) , Interview

Interview: Nicholas Meyer On Why ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ Endures And His “Toxic” Memos With Gene Roddenberry

Books , DS9 , Interview

Interview: Author Derek Tyler Attico On Exploring Star Trek’s Utopia In ‘The Autobiography Of Benjamin Sisko’

Wilson Cruz - TrekMovie interview - Star Trek: Discovery

Celebrity , Discovery , Interview , Starfleet Academy

Interview: Wilson Cruz On Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Was The Most Fun; Imagines ‘Academy’ Role

Interview , Star Trek: Prodigy

Interview: Wil Wheaton On Fans Celebrating Wesley “Coming Home,” Sweaters, And More ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’

The cast is great but I’m surprised there is very little diversity on this show. Only white and black actors, wish there is more diversity.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this show. MacFarlane and Braga are very talented. It is so refreshing to see a different “Star Trek” show. Just wish I see a more accurate representation of our country, our future.

Can’t wait to watch the upcoming season!

Becuase it is the 80s take on diversity… one POC was fine, two POC ultra-progressive, but the leads mostly remained caucasian. This show is not supposed to be a contemporary product. It’s a deliberate throw-back to days long gone…

That’s a ludicrously silly excuse, and I personally find it offensive if that is really the case. However, I don’t believe that they consciously had that goal when casting this. I think this is all your conjecture, but by all means provide a cited reference that supports this if you can?

The future would actually be mostly mixed race, so almost nobody today would be accurately represented by a realistic scifi series. Casting with diversity for diversity’s sake is a really bad idea. You need to cast the right talent for the right role, and you need to cast an ensemble that has chemistry, ideology be damned. You should, if the framework allows, add diversity & representation & progressive elements to the plot, and The Orville actually had quite a lot of that, more than new Star Trek that just goes for the superficial diversity hiring & fancy haircuts, it seems. PS: But if I had any say, I would add Karan Soni as an Orville regular.

Your argument that modern Star Trek diversity is superficial is offensive. They’ve used diversity to create characters who speak to people who have often been marginalised or whose stories usually revolve their sexuality- as if there is nothing else about them. To say otherwise is a foul tactic and patently untrue.

I think it’s a very fair point to raise Jay.

The fact that the choice for another new character was yet another white person struck me immediately when I saw the photo.

It’s also another American actor. Even TOS tried for more ethnic/national as well was racial diversity.

Now in terms of creating a new character to represent the point of view of (American) humanity traumatized by the Kaylons, I can understand the logic of this creative choice

However, stepping back it’s just piling on an not very representative future.

I’m still looking forward to it, but I’m surprised again that the EPs have such a blind spot and that Hulu/Disney left it unchallenged.

Let’s be honest, TOS’ leads were five Americans and two Canadians. Granted, the *roles* were two, or maybe two and a half, Americans, and the rest not. You cast what you can. Not everything is a result of racism.

While the cast was North American, the intent in TOS was to have racial and ethnic diversity – however poorly Doohan and Koenig delivered their accents.

The Orville casting seems to have made no effort at diversity in the main cast other than the physician and her sons. It’s odd.

Peter Macon and J. Lee are black. Jessica Szohr is a quarter black, if we’re counting beans. Chad Coleman is black; so is Ron Canada. And I know “diverse” doesn’t actually mean “diverse,” but the rest of the cast is pretty diverse as well.

What do you mean? There was a Scot, a Russian, a native of Tanzania, a Vulcan, a Japanese and two Americans.

I meant the *cast*. They weren’t exactly going to cast a Russian actor or African actress.

I dunno. I don’t look like any of these people.

I agree re. the lack of diversity. For a futuristic scifi show, its not even realistic – disappointing.

I admit, this show has been off the air so long, I have basically lost interest. Not completely, it just didn’t matter if it came back or not. But now after seeing the trailer and reading some of the interviews I am getting a little interested again. The episodes really do sound big and ambitious. I since I have Hulu so I plan to watch the first episode at least and go from there. But I really doubt I would’ve subscribed just to watch it unless I heard really positive word of mouth after it started.

I kind of feel its done after this season but hope I’m wrong. It does sound like the show is going to tell some deep and more serious stories. And we need more space opera shows on the air, not less!

“I kind of feel its done after this season but hope I’m wrong.”

As I understand, it is the final season. The show has not been officially cancelled but the cast been released from their contracts. I doubt it’ll return. Mainly because P+ now embraces that traditional Star Trek formula themselves and they know they can only avoid legal action by fizzling out silently.

Oh well that’s too bad if true. I was never a huge Orville fan but I liked it. I didn’t love season one but season two was a VAST improvement IMO in the way season two of Discovery was compared to season one.

Maybe if the response is big enough for Hulu it will return but I won’t hold my breath. As far as ‘legal action’ if this was a real issue, it would’ve never gotten on the air. Studios take that stuff very seriously, especially when you are pouring millions on a show, why even take the risk? And when was the last time you heard a show or movie sued over so-called plagiarism and actually won? And how many of those cases involves two studios? It’s very very very very rare for a reason. This stuff is probably way more complicated than the average person thinks it is and as long as they are not using direct titles or characters, it’s probably not easy to win.

Way bigger? So Shatner shows up as the giant floating head?

It might already be in the trailer: “…and may the Force be with you”. So my bet is on Mark Hamill.

Just don’t see bigger as equating to better, especially on this show, where smaller and more intimate moments used to be what made it worth watching. The show has got too much in the way of VFX already, and the way they are pushing on that — doing the fly-in-and-through-the-ship shots and such — isn’t helping the show’s credibility at all for me. Seeing 300 fireballs in space isn’t a whole lot more interesting than seeing 30 or 3, especially when they don’t even seem to have much variety in look.

I feel the same way. My favourite from last season was not Identity. It was Home. I think MacFarlane knows what he wants, but doesn’t know what he has.

I only caught a few episodes of this series and the season finale where they are attacked by some alien race. To me, the series plays like a Star Trek copy from the idea of exploration and a federation of sorts. Actually, maybe its too close to Star Trek. If I were Paramount, I’d sue. Just saying.

Sorry, but that’s just like saying “water is wet”… The Orville doesn’t just feel like a Star Trek copy, it IS a Star Trek copy disguised as a Star Trek spoof. MacFarlane wanted to do a real Star Trek show, a next Next Generation but it was rejected in favour of DISCO. So he took the idea to another studio, inserted some funny moments and voilá: The Orville.

I guess the only reason why CBS didn’t sue them was their intial intention to take Star Trek in a very different direction. But now as they try to embrace the very same spirit with SNW and also the spoof angle with LDS, I guess this might be on the “horizon”…

That one Orville trailer alone has more depth & heart & good vibes & natural ease than all of Kurtzman/Abrams Trek combined.

I have enjoyed The Orville for what it is, but wouldn’t put it above Secret Hideout Trek.

I feel that The Orville doesn’t get as a hard a critical ride from Trek fans because it’s not officially Trek, and especially because it’s not part of Prime Universe Continuity.

Yeah, if this was official Trek, it would be shred to pieces because most of the episodes are direct rip-offs of previous Treks, You can track back most episodes to individual Trek episodes of TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT, most of the time it’s a combination of 2-3 plots. They wouldn’t get away with this so easily within official Trek canon.

And let’s be honest. The most important reason The Orville has become popular is because it’s a return to Trek’s original episodic format and contents, not because of the quality of its storytelling. This show has been a projection of fan wishes, a poll to show TPTB at CBS / P+ what kind of Star Trek people want, a living petition, a demo tape of what could be again… SNW has finally embraced those needs and therefore there is no continuous need for The Orville beyond S3…

I don’t know if I fully agree with that because SNW so far is basically re-using a lot of previous Star Trek stories too and it’s getting praise for it. I think what is happening with these shows is that nostalgia level is strong because fans missed these kinds of stories.

I’ll be very honest, when Orville and Discovery came out and you saw this almost cult like interest in Orville over Discovery, I didn’t understand it at all? Because to me, the show that is actually a Star Trek show should be the one fans gravitate to. But you saw how divided fans were about Discovery where as the Orville had instant praise. It doesn’t mean everyone liked it, but it was WAY more popular for the people who did compared to people who liked Discovery.

But when I finally watched it for myself then I started to understand because as you said, it just felt more like classic Star Trek again. It was episodic, fun, message-of-the-week and exploration again; all the things Discovery wasn’t. What’s funny about Discovery is that it look like it was trying to NOT be Star Trek of old and go a very different direction and we see how popular that direction was and why we have SNW today.

So I don’t know if people would be more critical of it because people just miss this type of story telling. And I remember the critics here of the show saying it’s basically TNG in comedy form and they said it as an insult. But there is a large segment of fans who wants exactly that. And again, SNW proves that too. It’s not as comedic as Orville obviously but it’s not the dark and edgy stuff Discovery and even Picard tried to be. It’s comfort food in every way Orville is to me, just with less jokes basically.

But as you mentioned to me in my OP, this sound like it is the last year of the show so I guess the passionate fanbase is not enough.

The producers say that the show has definitely not been cancelled…yet.

Clearly though, no one is expecting its renewal.

Joke, joke, joke?

It’s the last season, why not be epic?

When I watch the trailer, the sets, acting and dialogue are all remindful of fan productions.

They say you only get one chance to make a first impression, and my impression of Orville was made that first season, with it’s toilet humor and galaxy-quest-style fake-it-til-you-make-it shtick. And just when the eps started to improve another ep leaning on toilet humor came out, and that was it for me. I don’t hate on the series like some do, I’ll just say it wasn’t my cup of tea. I have other stuff to watch I like more so my time goes there.

This isn’t a unique phenomenon. This is what happened to ENT. Everyone seems to look back fondly on ENT now, but at the time it was actually on there was a lot of the same flak DISC gets, the same hate-the-producer crap current Trek gets, and so forth. By the time they really tried changing the show the fans had moved on, because they couldn’t overcome that first impression. So I don’t see the orville faring better with a variety of actual Trek on with different styles to suit different tastes.

Also, for DISC haters: 1) without DISC there’d be no SNW. 2) Without DISC’s success, there’d be no LD or Prodigy, or Picard. 3) DISC pulls in a lot of viewers, or it wouldn’t still be produced. Studios don’t spend money on shows nobody watches, not after the first season or maybe if the studio is willing to gamble on improvement, two. So hate on it as is your right, but don’t claim to speak for more than yourselves, please. An honest perspective is that most people who watch the show don’t even go to this site, never mind complain about the shows on it.

For what little it’s worth: I didn’t get through this season of Picard, this season of DISC left me meh, LD leans too hard on Trek humor tropes for my tastes, and I’m still not sure about Prodigy, though I think it’s pretty creative. So I’m not exactly a ringing endorsement for the new Trek series. But that’s just me. Plenty of others like it more. And that’s cool. It’s still good to have Trek back on air. And so far I’ve loved SNW, so maybe there really is a Trek for everyone now.

There is a reason for that every post TNG show was a clone of TNG except for Deep Space Nine. People were sick of TNG clones, TNG warmed over. Berman got a lot of fans complaining over recycled shows and plots. Lack of originality. And now that people hate Kurtzman Trek they want their safe, preditable and comfortable nostalgia bait/TNG blanket.But people forgot Star Trek was dead, Nemesis flopped, Enterprise couldn’t bring in even enough viewers to remain on the air it was an expensive show. The JJ movies revived Star Trek, but for the better i’m not so sure. Nobody hates Star Trek like Star Trek fans. Not sure if its Star Wars, Star Trek or Doctor Who that has a more toxic fanbase. Orville is 80s TNG meets family guy/american dad in space. Its amusing sometimes but it isn’t Star trek.

That is the irony today, SNW is being praised for basically following the Berman formula era of Star Trek and it’s working very well. Discovery got dinged on for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it DIDN’T remind them of old Trek but something new entirely. It went a very different way on so many levels, but it really turned a lot of fans off to it at the same time. Now after so many complaints about that show, they basically started over with SNW and gave them exactly what we were getting with the old shows decades ago. It’s the same thing you could find in episodes of TOS, TNG or VOY, just with a different cast and filming techniques.

It’s just more proof that absence really can make the heart grow fonder.

I’m excited for this, although the show has been hit or miss up to this point (especially in Season 2). We go from huge epic spaceship battles to weird and terrible Rom-Com episodes. I know this is likely the final season for the show so I’ll relish it as such. With the strength of modern Star Trek (especially Lower Decks and SNW), this feels less essential. But I really enjoy this cast and its many recognizable guest stars so it’ll be sad to say goodbye.

Very excited for this. Personally, I have found way more of Trek’s heart in the Orville than in anything that Par/CBS has done in the last 10+ yrs.

Hope this season is as enjoyable as the last two and that there is a season four. Especially excited about the longer run-times.

As the show has gone on I’ve wished the more action-comedy tone of the pilot had been more of the tone of the show, rather than just turning into TNG with a little more humor. I wouldn’t have expected that to change at this point, its clear that is they are making the show they want to make, but yeah, that’s still kind of a bummer to me.

It would be so cool if in the series finale, they removed the cap of a giant beer bottle with their engines!

I just finished watching the latest episode of ” The Orville “

“A Tale of Two Topas”

I want to say thank you to the people who make and act in the show. First and foremost on bring tears to my eyes because of how much the story meant to me. I am an older transgender person and I very much love the series.

I am not sure what it means to anyone else but to me, it brought a spark back in my life on how much we need to stand for what we need to make us happy with ourselves no matter the cost.

Thank you to all of you for your spirit to make this world try to smile again, we so desperately need it

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

About Rotten Tomatoes®
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening This Week
Top Box Office
Coming Soon to Theaters
Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

Fandango at Home
Prime Video
Most Popular Streaming Movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

78% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
73% Blink Twice Link to Blink Twice
95% Strange Darling Link to Strange Darling

New TV Tonight

100% Slow Horses: Season 4
97% English Teacher: Season 1
55% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
-- Tell Me Lies: Season 2
-- Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
-- Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos: Season 1
-- Outlast: Season 2
-- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Season 1
-- Selling Sunset: Season 8
-- Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Season 14

The Orville

Where to watch.

Watch The Orville with a subscription on Hulu, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Seth MacFarlane

Captain Ed Mercer

Adrianne Palicki

Commander Kelly Grayson

Penny Johnson

Dr. Claire Finn

Scott Grimes

Lieutenant Gordon Malloy

Peter Macon

Lieutenant Commander Bortus

Halston Sage

Chief Security Officer Alara Kitan

More Like This

Related tv news, series info.

Robert Knepper

Edit source

Robert Knepper is an american actor who played Hamelac in The Orville .

Background [ ]

Knepper, like many actors on The Orville [1] , has acted in Star Trek: he played the role of Wyatt Miller, the intended husband in an arranged marriage with Deanna Troi, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Haven”. [2]

The Orville [ ]

Knepper confirmed he would appear in The Orville in April 4, 2017 [3] and May 22, [4] though he declined to state further details. He later hinted that he would be in the show's fourth episode, If the Stars Should Appear . [5]

References [ ]

↑ https://screenrant.com/orville-star-trek-actors-cameos-every/
↑ https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0708725/
↑ " UPROXX 20: Robert Knepper Is Very Particular About How He Wants His Margaritas Made ". Uproxx . April 4, 2017.
↑ " ROBERT KNEPPER TAKES NO BREAKS: TWIN PEAKS, PRISON BREAK AND MORE! ". LaPalme . May 22, 2017.
↑ Henry, Tom. " Local stars Knepper, Holmes help Maumee Film Festival grow ". The Blade . Sept. 20, 2017.
The Orville

Screen Rant

Every actor who appeared in family guy before the orville.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Orville Season 4 Will Have A Key Decision To Make After A Big Season 3 Change

Tell me lies showrunner talks lydia-stephen romance & "polarizing" story for tom ellis in season 2, futurama characters get turned into hyper-realistic versions (including a disturbing-looking zoidberg).

Unsurprisingly, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi comedy-drama The Orville has featured a lot of cast cross-over. It's clear from looking at the cast lists of MacFarlane's movies and TV shows that he has a stable of actors he clearly enjoys working with. This isn't exclusive to Seth MacFarlane of course, as many creatives favor a team of actors and production staff that they've already built strong working relationships with. As The Orville is a passion project for Star Trek fan MacFarlane, it makes perfect sense for him to bring along friends and former colleagues for the ride.

The Orville features a mix of Family Guy regulars in Orville guest spots, and minor Family Guy actors moved up to leading roles on the titular starship. Surprisingly, Charlize Theron appeared in The Orville and MacFarlane's wild west comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West , but hasn't yet appeared on Family Guy . However, some other big Hollywood stars have had cameos in both of MacFarlane's shows, some of which have been very subtle indeed.

RELATED: Every Star Trek Actor Who Has Appeared On The Orville

Seth MacFarlane

As The Orville gives MacFarlane a chance to live out his Star Trek fantasy, it's no surprise that he plays the lead role of Captain Ed Mercer. The involvement of Seth MacFarlane as a lead actor was probably also part of the negotiations with the network when Fox originally commissioned the show off the back of the success of Family Guy and American Dad . As captain of the Orville, he's miles away from the part of Family Guy 's Peter Griffin , and is somewhere closer to the outwardly cool but insecure talking dog Brian.

Unlike Peter Griffin, Ed is a progressive man of the future who has had to make some tough moral decisions over the course of The Orville 's three seasons. Inspired by Gene Roddenberry's original vision for Star Trek , MacFarlane's show has tackled some big themes such as gender reassignment, far-right politics, and depression in a manner that's far more considered and mature than anything in Family Guy . As such, MacFarlane has defied the expectations of those who thought The Orville would be an arch Star Trek: The Next Generation parody in the same vein as his animated comedies.

Scott Grimes

Although better known as the voice of Steve Smith in American Dad , Scott Grimes also played Kevin Swanson, the son of Peter Griffin's friend and neighbor Joe Swanson (Patrick Warburton) in 13 episodes of Family Guy between 2013 and 2020. Grimes took over from Seth MacFarlane in the role of Kevin from Family Guy season 10 onwards when the character returned from Iraq after having been believed to have been killed in action. Typically, for Family Guy , the depiction of Scott as a traumatized veteran regularly pushed the boundaries of taste and decency.

In The Orville , Grimes has a more substantial and nuanced role as Gordon Malloy, the helmsman of the Orville. He's been given some similarly controversial plotlines to those of Kevin, including his romancing of a woman he first met as a hologram, mirroring the Geordi La Forge and Leah Brahms storyline in Star Trek: The Next Generation . However, he's a far more stable character than the caricature he plays in Family Guy , and MacFarlane enjoys working with him so much that he's also cast him in the upcoming Ted TV show.

RELATED: Why The Orville Season 3 Shares A Family Guy Opening Detail

Norm Macdonald

The late, great comedian Norm Macdonald had a pretty memorable role as the Grim Reaper during Family Guy 's early days. In Family Guy season 2, episode 6, "Death is a Bitch", a clerical scam by Peter results in him being chased by Death himself. When Death returned in subsequent episodes, he was played by Adam Carolla due to Macdonald's commitments elsewhere, but the actor did make one more appearance in Family Guy 's playing Norm Macdonald

In The Orville , Norm MacDonald voiced Yaphit, the gelatinous lieutenant and engineer, who had a serious crush on Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald). Although Claire eventually chose The Orville 's version of TNG 's Data , Isaac (Mark Jackson), Yaphit never gave up hope. While he wasn't a regular Orville cast member, Norm Macdonald's Yaphit was a much-loved recurring character that will be sorely missed if The Orville returns for a season 4.

Patrick Warburton

Patrick Warburton is well known from roles in Seinfeld , The Tick and voices the character of Joe Swanson in Family Guy . As the Griffins' neighbor, Joe has been a Family Guy regular since the very early days of the show. It's therefore unsurprising that Warburton was asked to appear in MacFarlane's The Orville .

Covered by quite elaborate prosthetics, Patrick Warburton played Lieutenant Commander Tharl, the interim head of security aboard the Orville after Halston Sage's Alara left . Tharl's species had a unique metabolism, which resulted in the evolution of esophagi, one of which looked like a long trunk. Tharl's unprofessional behavior and preference for eating food at his workstation did not enamor him to his fellow shipmates, who were relieved when he left after two episodes.

RELATED: Family Guy Season 1 Had A Different Meg: Why Lacey Chabert Quit

Adrianne Palicki

Adrianne Palicki plays Kelly Grayson in The Orville , Ed's ex-wife and second-in-command. She's an integral part of the cast as the relationship between the former couple is often at the center of some of the best episodes of The Orville . In fact, Ed and Kelly's relationship is so important to the show that a younger Kelly created a dystopian alternate Orville timeline when she turned down a second date with Ed, after having a glimpse of their relationship breakdown.

Palicki is an Orville regular and has only featured in one Family Guy episode prior to being cast as Kelly. Weirdly, she voiced the role of Saved by the Bell' s Tiffani Thiessen in the season 8 episode "Big Man on Hippocampus", in which an amnesiac Peter abandoned his family for a life of casual sex. For a show that loves celebrity cameos, it's strange that Family Guy didn't cast the real Thiessen, though perhaps she didn't like the script.

Rob Lowe played Darulio, the alien archeologist with whom Kelly had an affair with, leading to the breakdown of her marriage to Ed. Best known for playing Chris Traeger in Parks and Recreation , Lowe's appearance in The Orville pilot was uncredited, but he would later have a bigger guest role in The Orville season 1, episode 9, "Cupid's Dagger". In the episode, Darulio is revealed to emit powerful pheromones that cause instant sexual attraction, leading to both Ed and Kelly falling for the man that ended their marriage.

Rob Lowe had twice appeared in Family Guy before playing Darulio in The Orville . He played Stanford Cordray, the man who bought Stewie's beloved teddy bear Rupert in "Road to Rupert" and also played himself in the episode "Not All Dogs Go To Heaven". The second appearance was notable because not only did he make a live-action Family Guy appearance, he shared a scene, and bedroom with Batman star and Mayor of Quahog, Adam West.

RELATED: The Orville Season 3 Ending Explained (In Detail)

Marina Sirtis

Marina Sirtis is one of the many Star Trek actors involved with The Orville both behind and in front of the camera. Jonathan Frakes, who plays her husband Will Riker in Star Trek: Picard has directed two episodes of The Orville, as has Star Trek: Voyager 's Tom Paris actor, Robert Duncan McNeill. Sirtis, and the rest of her TNG castmates reprised their roles in parody scenes for Family Guy as well as playing themselves when Stewie kidnapped the whole cast in "Not All Dogs Go To Heaven".

Star Trek 's Deanna Troi actor was cast as the titular ship's school teacher in The Orville season 2, episode 12, "Sanctuary", which was also directed by her TNG co-star Jonathan Frakes. Frakes reached out to Marina Sirtis when the other actors they auditioned weren't successful. While it's a small role, the teacher's concerns about Bortus and Klyden's son Topa - who was born female - spins out into one of The Orville 's most critically lauded episodes and an ongoing allegorical storyline about transgender rights.

Hollywood Guest Stars

Ted Danson and Bruce Willis have both appeared in Family Guy as animated representations of themselves or their iconic roles. However, both men have appeared in The Orville. After several cameos over the years, Ted Danson's Union admiral became a villain in The Orville 's Star Trek 6-inspired episode "Domino". Bruce Willis also appeared in The Orville , uncredited, as the voice of Groogen, a sentient houseplant that wanted Kelly to rethink ending her relationship with school teacher Cassius. Another big-name star familiar to fans of Seth MacFarlane's work is Liam Neeson, who appeared in A Million Ways to Die in the West and as himself in episodes of Family Guy .

Neeson also made a surprise, and uncredited cameo in The Orville season 1, episode 4, "If the Stars Should Appear" as Jahavus Dorahl, the commander of a bioship who, in the centuries after his death, became revered as a god, with disastrous consequences. Neeson appeared via the recordings that had become sacred teachings, lending them his trademark gravitas. With Family Guy and all these other MacFarlane projects under his belt, all that's left now is for Neeson to appear in American Dad to complete the set.

MORE: Family Guy: Every Time Brian & Stewie Time Traveled

The Orville

10 Best Ideas The Orville Borrows From Star Trek

There's no denying The Orville has borrowed heavily from the Star Trek franchise, but some of the shared elements work better than others in Seth MacFarlane's space opera. Beginning as a Star Trek parody, The Orville has gradually grown to fit the description of a love letter to the legendary sci-fi franchise . The two properties are now so unofficially intertwined that The Orville could easily be misinterpreted as part of the Star Trek timeline . While this isn't the case, it's obvious how the mistake could be made, and all due to MacFarlane's decision to replicate Star Trek 's blueprint so closely.

Star Trek is one of the oldest and most successful sci-fi franchises of all time . Without Star Trek , many other sci-fi movies and TV shows wouldn't exist, and The Orville definitely fits into his category. While many of the projects inspired by Star Trek took great strides to put their own mark on the sci-fi genre, The Orville is very content with openly imitating Star Trek . MacFarlane's show makes no secret of the fact that it's not an original concept, but it does brilliantly make use of several key elements introduced or first championed by Star Trek .

The Orville Season 4: Will It Happen? Everything We Know

With The Orville's future in doubt following the season 3 finale, here's everything we know about season 4 of Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi comedy-drama.

The Orville's Planetary Union Holds All The Same Ideals As Star Trek's United Federation Of Planets

Both sci-fi organizations prioritize exploration & collaboration.

Most Star Trek shows paint the future as a utopian, interstellar community that's built on exploration and collaboration between planets. While wars do inevitably break out between those who disagree with the Federation's ideals and actions, the franchise emphasizes the importance of seeing past differences and instead focusing on similarities. The Orville 's Planetary Union is essentially a replication of the Federation and holds the same belief system.

Interestingly, The Orville does streamline the concept of Star Trek 's Federation and how it interacts with Starfleet.

Interestingly, The Orville does streamline the concept of Star Trek 's Federation and how it interacts with Starfleet. In Star Trek , Starfleet is an Earth-based organization that characters like Captain Picard and other officers belong to. However, the Federation of Planets, while also Earth-based, isn't the same as Starfleet, as the Federation is an umbrella term that encompasses all of its member worlds. The Orville has essentially combined Starfleet and the Federation to create the Planetary Union .

The USS Orville Has A Non-Human Crew Member Who Slowly Becomes More Human

Star trek casts almost always have a crewmember that fits this description.

The Orville 's Isaac is a member of a man-made, fully synthetic race called the Kaylon. As the show progresses, Isaac learns more and more about his fellow crewmates and eventually starts to display signs of their influence. For those unfamiliar with Star Trek , this may seem like an original arc for a non-human character, but it's one that Star Trek has used several times before.

As a Vulcan/human hybrid, Spock's story revolved partially around the concept of embracing his human side.

The first Star Trek character to fill this role was Leonard Nimoy when he played Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series ' cast . As a Vulcan/human hybrid, Spock's story revolved partially around the concept of embracing his human side. Since then, other Star Trek characters have experienced similar journeys . Examples include Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Data, played by Brent Spiner, and Robert Picardo's holographic doctor during his time as part of the Star Trek: Voyager cast .

Quantum Drive Is Essentially Just Warp Drive Under A Different Name

Seth macfarlane directly borrowed the uss orville's ftl tech from star trek.

Faster-than-light propulsion is an essential part of almost every space opera. The overused sci-fi trope allows the story's characters to explore deeper into the universe than would otherwise be possible. While some franchises like The Expanse avoid this trope , such an occurrence is rare. Star Trek 's warp drive results in a much broader landscape in which to set its stories, with each warp factor being a reference to the speed of light. Some sci-fi franchises approach faster-than-light travel differently, but The Orville 's Quantum Drive is an exact copy of Star Trek 's warp drive .

Warp factor 1 in Star Trek is the speed of light, warp factor 2 is twice the speed of light, and so on.

Despite the identical nature of Quantum Drive and Warp Drive, the two franchises put a different emphasis on the importance of the technology in one specific instance. In Star Trek , First Contact can only be made with an alien civilization if they too have developed Warp Drive. The Orville doesn't follow this rule when it comes to First Contact, although the Union does make its own determinations on whether an underdeveloped world is ready to be contacted.

The Union Ships Have A Very Similar Layout To Starfleet Ships

Areas like the bridge and the mess hall look very familiar in star trek & the orville.

Sci-fi starships take on a different feel and functionality depending on the franchise, but Starfleet ships are incredibly uniform in their design . Although there are some variances depending on the class of ship, areas like the bridge, engineering, and the mess hall, all share a stunning similarity. If the USS Orville were thrust into the Star Trek universe, a Starfleet officer would likely have no problem navigating the strangely familiar vessel.

Head-to-head, the USS Orville and a ship like the USS Enterprise could be very evenly matched due to their shared specifications.

Even on the outside, The Orville 's ships don't look that far removed from their Star Trek counterparts . Of course, some differences mean they can be told apart, but the vessels in The Orville could easily just be a new model or class of ship in the Star Trek franchise. Head-to-head, the USS Orville and a ship like the USS Enterprise could be very evenly matched due to their shared specifications.

The Planetary Union's Ranking System Is The Same As Starfleet's

Star trek & the orville both adopt the same hierarchical structure as the us navy.

The hierarchy of the Union and Starfleet is dictated by a military-style ranking system. Both franchises base this structure on the system found in the US Navy. This isn't especially surprising given how many nautical terms also apply to space travel in science-fiction. So, while T he Orville arguably can't be said to have adopted Star Trek 's officer ranking system , it is interesting that they also imitated the US Navy. The most likely explanation is that The Orville took this course of action because Star Trek already had.

10 Ways The Orville Is Better Than Modern Star Trek

The Orville has often borrowed from the Star Trek franchise, but now it's become its biggest competitor thanks to being better than modern Star Trek.

The Orville doesn't follow the US Navy's ranking structure quite as closely as Star Trek , as it omits an entire rank from the chain of command. Whereas Star Trek 's progression goes: Ensign, Lieutenant (Junior Grade), Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, then Admiral, The Orville skips over Lieutenant (Junior Grade) . Given that The Orville began a little more lighthearted than Star Trek , it makes sense The Orville 's ranking structure would be slightly simplified.

Many Star Trek Species Have A Counterpart In The Orville Universe

Many of the aliens in the orville share a similar aesthetic with those in star trek.

Because The Orville isn't actually part of the Star Trek canon, MacFarlane's show isn't permitted to use any of the same species from the franchise that inspired it so heavily. That being said, some of the character designs and personality traits of many of the alien races in The Orville bring to mind counterparts in the Star Trek universe. For instance, the Moclans in The Orville seem very much like a take on Star Trek 's iconic Klingons .

MacFarlane has made an effort to separate the them, but the initial influence is easy to spot.

Similarly, Xelayan characters like Alara and Talla appear to be based heavily on Star Trek 's Vulcans. Not only do the two races share the famous tapered ears, but Xelayans and Vulcans are both notably stronger than humans . The lore surrounding each of all the relevant similar species isn't identical, so MacFarlane has made an effort to separate them, but the initial influence is easy to spot.

The Weapons In The Orville Could Comfortably Belong In The Star Trek Universe

The orville crew can't set their "phasers" to stun, but they can come very close.

Neither the Union nor the Federation are military organizations - they're explorers. While conflict is rarely an intention for either body, space is a dangerous place. As such, they need to be able to defend themselves. To do this, they need weaponry that at least matches that of their respective enemies. The Union and the Federation's shared requirement to stand their ground has resulted in the development of sci-fi armaments that are essentially interchangeable.

Where Starfleet traditionally uses Photon Torpedos, the union has Plasma Torpedos.

Where Starfleet traditionally uses Photon Torpedos, the union has Plasma Torpedos. The USS Enterprise will often defend itself with Phaser Cannons, and the USS Orville could match the damage with its Plasma Cannons. In short, there's no firepower boasted by a Starfleet ship that would leave a Union ship wanting . Such a direct lift from Star Trek allows The Orville viewers to largely understand the offensive capabilities of Captain Ed Mercer's ship almost immediately.

The Orville & Star Trek Both Star An Ensemble Cast With No Main Character

Captain ed mercer isn't the main protagonist in every episode of the orville.

Every Star Trek show has a captain or a leader of the crew. However, that doesn't necessarily make them the story's main character. Although Sonequa Martin-Green leads the Star Trek: Discovery cast as Michael Burnham, every other show within the franchise makes full use of its ensemble casts, with certain characters varying in their prominence on an episode-by-episode basis. The Orville takes this approach, avoiding too much focus on any singular character.

If Seth MacFarlane hadn't decided to spread the attention around among his co-stars, The Orville would have felt much less like Star Trek than it ended up doing.

The Orville 's cast is filled with colorful and well-written characters who all contribute something different to the show, as is the case with many of the Star Trek casts. If Seth MacFarlane hadn't decided to spread the attention around among his co-stars, The Orville would have felt much less like Star Trek than it ended up doing. It's a big part of the formula for Star Trek , so it makes sense that MacFarlane would adopt this too.

The Union's Uniforms Are Color-Coded By Division Like In Starfleet

The orville's colors don't match up with the star trek divisions.

The Union and Starfleet are both divided into different divisions, and the color of an officer's uniform is a quick way of delineating to which one they belong. While what these colors mean in Star Trek has changed since the days of The Original Series and its near-eras, The Orville 's color system has remained unchanged since the show began . Generally, from Star Trek: The Next Generation -onward, red represents Command, yellow means Operations, and those wearing green are Science and Medical personnel.

It would have been a little too direct for The Orville to perfectly mimic how Starfleet tells its divisions apart at a glance, but the changes are so superficial that it's still easy to tell what's going on.

The Orville doesn't just borrow Star Trek 's uniform coloring system but expands it by adding a fourth category while also changing the colors around. In The Orville , blue uniforms represent Command, orange is Engineering, green is Medical, and Red is for those in Security. It would have been a little too direct for The Orville to perfectly mimic how Starfleet tells its divisions apart at a glance, but the changes are so superficial that it's still easy to tell what's going on.

The Orville Borrows Some Of The Star Trek Franchise's Biggest Stars

Macfarlane has also appeared in a star trek show before.

Casting decisions are a huge consideration when trying to make a successful TV show, and Star Trek has already been responsible for recruiting actors who were perfect for their roles. As part of The Orville 's overall homage to Star Trek , MacFarlane's sci-fi show has had several Star Trek actors show up as original characters that often had at least a loose connection to their famous personas.

The Orville Can't End Until This Star Trek Star Makes A Guest Appearance

Many Star Trek actors have had cameo appearances on The Orville, but there's still one who needs to appear before Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi show ends.

It isn't just in front of the camera that Star Trek personnel involve themselves with the production of The Orville . Stars like Voyager 's Robert Duncan McNeill and The Next Generation 's Jonathon Frakes have each directed more than one episode of MacFarlane's sci-fi show. Brannon Braga has also been in the director's chair, a pivotal figure from the Star Trek golden age. Of course, The Orville is perfectly easy to enjoy without ever having seen Star Trek , but the experience of the former is made much more rewarding with knowledge of the latter.

The Orville

Created by Seth McFarlane and set in the 25th century, The Orville follows the crew of the titular ship and its captain, Ed Mercer (McFarlane) as they explore the galaxy. Inspired by Star Trek, it also spoofs the sci-fi classic, taking a comedic approach to its serialized story and science-fiction premise.Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, andScott Grimes star alongside McFarlane as part of an ensemble cast.

Cast Adrianne Palicki, Seth MacFarlane, J. Lee, Peter Macon, Penny Johnson Jerald, Halston Sage, Larry Joe Campbell, Mark Jackson, Scott Grimes, Chad L. Coleman

Release Date September 10, 2017

Genres Drama, Comedy, Adventure

Streaming Service(s) Hulu, Disney+

Showrunner Seth MacFarlane

10 Best Ideas The Orville Borrows From Star Trek

Cast & crew
User reviews

Mortality Paradox

Episode aired Jun 16, 2022

The Orville crew discovers signs of a modern civilization on a planet known to be uninhabited. The Orville crew discovers signs of a modern civilization on a planet known to be uninhabited. The Orville crew discovers signs of a modern civilization on a planet known to be uninhabited.

Seth MacFarlane
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Adrianne Palicki
Penny Johnson Jerald
58 User reviews
5 Critic reviews

Top cast 28

Capt. Ed Mercer

Cmdr. Kelly Grayson

Dr. Claire Finn

Lt. Gordon Malloy

Lt. Cmdr. Bortus

Lt. Talla Keyali

Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr

Ensign Charly Burke

Admiral Halsey

Flight Attendant

Female Student #1
(as Kendyl S. Powell)

Male Student #1
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

Goofs At about 14:30 the crew enter a classroom where the teacher is saying the triple entente of WW 1 was Russia, England, and France. This is not correct. It was Russia, Britain, and France. Britain at the time was England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. It should be noted that, while Britain includes England, England is not Britain.

Lt. Cmdr. Bortus : Death is an essential part of life. It's a noble right of passage.

User reviews 58

AlexanderJB
Jul 5, 2022
June 16, 2022 (United States)
United States
Official Facebook
Official Instagram
New York City, New York City, New York, USA (USA)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Television
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 57 minutes
Dolby Atmos

More to explore

What Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Nana Visitor Looks Like Today

Strong, capable women are integral to "Star Trek." And in the world of Trek, few women go harder than former Bajoran resistance fighter Major Kira Nerys of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Despite Visitor's original misconception that Kira Nerys would be a one-off performance, the straight-talking Bajoran would become one of the franchise's most beloved characters, with sites like Slate and Wired ranking Nerys among their top 10 "Star Trek" crew members.

After "Deep Space Nine" ended, the actor who brought Nerys to life, Nana Visitor, went on to guest star as the sadistic Madame X, aka Elizabeth Renfro, on "Dark Angel," appearing in six episodes of the James Cameron co-created cyberpunk series. Between 2009 and 2014, Visitor voice-acted as a number of "Family Guy" characters. She would later land a role on the Seth MacFarlane Trek-inspired series "The Orville," but much to the disappointment of "Star Trek"-loving "Orville" fans, Visitor's agent didn't tell the actor she had the part until it was too late for her to join the series.

Through the years, Visitor has also guest-starred on a number of other shows, including "Battlestar Galactica," "Torchwood: Miracle Day," "Grimm," and "Castle." She has also appeared in a few films, including her roles as Pamela Voorhees in the 2009 "Friday the 13th" and as an adoption agent in another MacFarlane project, "Ted 2." Visitor would also stop in to reprise her role as Kira Nerys on a 2022 episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks." Most recently, Visitor has been busy writing "Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman's Trek," which the actor called "a book about the women of Star Trek and their cultural effect" (via X ) scheduled for release in October 2024.

For Visitor, Kira Nerys was a gamechanging female role

In a 1990s landscape where TV and film representations of women too often lacked dimension and complexity, Visitor found Nerys to be a game-changer. Up to that point, Visitor told Bleeding Cool, all of her roles had been written to in some way serve the production's male characters. "I served to make people understand something more about the male character who was the star of every show," Visitor explained. In fact, Nerys was written so differently that the actor originally mistook Kira for a male role, telling herself that someone had made a mistake. When she realized it wasn't, she pumped herself up to get into the Kira Nerys headspace with the help of some Doc Martens and very loud rap music. In a world of flat, static female characters, Visitor found Nerys to be a refreshingly complicated figure.

As the actor told TrekMovie.com, "[I]t was the first time I was playing someone who wasn't an adjective. She had goals, and agency, and dreams. And it was like being taken out of a straitjacket." Visitor's decision to write her book years later grew out of the awareness that many viewers connect with characters like Nerys and that connection has the power to quite literally change lives.

Visitor sees that need for representation realized in the new slate of "Star Trek" series that strives for more diverse representation despite the apparent cognitive dissonance of some gatekeeping old-school Trekkies. As Visitor keenly observed in her interview with Bleeding Cool, "People didn't understand there were many more diverse groups, how many women, how many black women were watching the original show and getting huge inspiration from it."

32 Great Sci-Fi TV Shows From The '70s And '80s

A most fruitful era for science fiction in television.

Has there ever been a better time for the science fiction genre than the 1970s and the 1980s? We are not just referring to the now classic sci-fi movies of the time, but especially the series that transported us to new worlds from the comfort of our own homes week after week. Let's take another journey back in time by celebrating some of the best sci-fi TV shows from the era.

Picard in the Captain's chair in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

A prime example of a spin-off as good as the original is Star Trek: The Next Generation , which might even be the finest iteration of Gene Roddenberry’s widely celebrated franchise. Sir Patrick Stewart 's Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard especially brings this Emmy-winning hit chronicling the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D crew into masterful territory.

Lee Majors in The Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man (1974-1978)

Some characters are known for their classic TV catchphrases , but Steve Austin from The Six Million Dollar Man is one of the few who is, instead, known for an iconic sound effect: na na na na na na na . Based on Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg , the series starred Lee Majors as Austin — a pilot who is made "better, faster, and stronger" with mechanical enhancements after suffering a near-fatal test flight crash.

V (1984-1985)

In NBC's hit, Emmy-nominated miniseries V from 1983, the Earth becomes infiltrated by lizard-like extra-terrestrials who pretend to come in peace before their intentions of exterminating the human race and harnessing all of the planet's most valuable resources are discovered. The alien invasion story continued in the 1984 miniseries V: The Final Battle and this traditional series that lasted one season and saw more of one of Robert Englund's best performances as one of the few friendly "Visitors," Willie.

Pam Dawber and Robin Williams on Mork & Mindy

Mork And Mindy (1978-1982)

One of Robin Williams' greatest TV performances originated in a Season 5 episode of Happy Days , in which Richie Cunningham ( Ron Howard ) is visited by an eccentric alien named Mork, who's from the planet Ork. Soon after, the character landed his own spin-off called Mork & Mindy , in which he moves in with a human woman named Mindy McConnell, played by Pam Dawber, in 1970s Colorado.

Knight Rider (1982-1986)

One of the most charming unlikely duos in TV history comes from creator Glen A. Larson's Knight Rider — a classic TV show that might be due for a movie reboot. It stars David Hasselhoff as a skilled lawman who, after a failed attempt to kill him, is given a new face and the new name Michael Knight. He is partnered with a high-tech, unusually powerful car equipped with an advanced AI called KITT (voiced by William Daniels).

gil gerard in buck rogers in the 25th century

Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (1979-1981)

One of comic book fiction's most influential cosmic heroes was brought to the small screen in developers Glen A. Larson and Leslie Stevens' NBC hit, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century . Gil Gerard starred as the Emmy-winning drama's titular hero: a modern-day astronaut who finds himself accidentally sent hundreds of years into the future, where Earth has fallen under totalitarian rule after a devastating nuclear war.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Scene from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhikers's Guide To The Galaxy (1981)

A story often referred to as "Monty Python in space" is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , which creator Douglas Adams originally wrote as a radio play before adapting it into a now-celebrated novel. Also celebrated is the 1981, six-episode TV adaptation which beautifully brought to life the story of a human's post-Earth adventures with a whacky group of space travelers.

Space: 1999 (1975-1977)

The mid-to-late 1970s' answer to Lost in Space was the U.K.-produced Space: 1999 . Starring Academy Award winner Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, the cosmic adventure drama followed the crew of Moonbase Alpha, who struggle to find stability when they are accidently sent hurtling out of the Earth's orbit.

Voltron (1984-1985)

Before there was the live-action Power Rangers franchise, there was the animated Voltron series, which was later rebooted for Netflix as Voltron: Legendary Defender . The American-Japanese production boasted a similar plot involving young heroes defending evil by piloting robots that can combine into one giant mechanical warrior.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979)

Glen A. Larson's most celebrated creation might be Battlestar Galactica , which follows a crew searching for the long-lost planet Earth in a dystopian future. The short-lived, Emmy-winning cult favorite was rebooted into an even more acclaimed drama for Syfy, which featured a new Battlestar Galactica cast not just replacing, but redefining, beloved characters like Dirk Benedict's "Starbuck," who was later played by Katee Sackhoff .

Dean Stockwell and Scott Bakula on Quantum Leap

Quantum Leap (1989-1993)

Creator Donald P. Bellisario crafted one of the most inventive time travel story concepts with Quantum Leap . Following an accident with his groundbreaking tech, Dr. Sam Beckett ( Scott Bakula ), with help from the holographic Al ( Dean Stockwell in one of his best TV shows ), is forced to jump from person to person and era to era righting wrongs of the past and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home

Doomwatch (1970-1972)

Few science-fiction TV shows from the 1970s (or 1980s) are more thematically relevant in modern times as Doomwatch . The British drama followed a group of biological researchers keeping tabs on strange biological and technological disasters.

The Transformers (1984-1987)

Long before Michael Bay revamped their popularity with the live-action Transformers movies , the Autobots and the Decepticons were really in their prime when they starred in their own TV show. The animated series, which premiered the same year as the original action figures' initial "rollout," notably starred legendary voice actor Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime.

Sapphire & Steel (1979-1982)

Joanna Lumley and David McCallum actually play the eponymous elements in Sapphire & Steel , respectively. In the British series from creator Peter J. Hammond, the interdimensional agents materialize into human form on Earth to investigate unusual cases.

Red Dwarf (1988-Present)

If you are looking for a show like The Orville , the British cult favorite Red Dwarf is a perfect match. Boasting the look of a cosmic B-movie epic but the tone and laugh track of a quirky sitcom, the British cult favorite has endured several cancellations and lasted decades after its late '80s debut, thanks to its devoted fanbase.

Blake's 7 (1978–1981)

Fans of sci-fi stories about ragtag groups of unlikely heroes taking on corruption and evil should seek out the U.K.-based thriller, Blake's 7 . Airing for four seasons on the BBC, it stars Gareth Thomas as the leader of a crew made up of convicts and outcasts who unite to fight a tyrannical regime.

Amazing Stories (1985-1987)

From executive producer Steven Spielberg , Amazing Stories is a collection of wondrous tales exploring the greatest depth of the imagination, such as a school custodian who inexplicably absorbs knowledge from the classrooms he cleans up. Admittedly, however, the series veers away from sci-fi and often feels like a fantasy or even a horror anthology TV show in some episodes, such as one in which a movie nerd gets to live the plot of Psycho for real.

The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982)

Decades before Marvel's famous big, green superhero was a role shared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies by Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo, it was a role shared by Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno on The Incredible Hulk . Developed by Kenneth Johnson, the Emmy-winning series remains one of the most iconic and entertaining Marvel TV shows of all time.

ALF (1986-1990)

ALF (the title character of the hit NBC sitcom) is known for his sarcastic quips and hunger for felines. However, when you compare him to most other extra-terrestrial characters introduced at the time (on TV and in classic '80s movies alike), the way he treated his adoptive human family was endearing.

The Tomorrow People (1973-1979)

Creator Roger Price's The Tomorrow People is a British drama following a group of teens who represent the next steps in human evolution with enhanced cognitive abilities such as telepathy and teleportation. The coming-of-age series has been reimagined twice since its initial run — first in the early 1990s and more recently for the The CW.

Max Headroom (1987-1988)

One of the oddest pop culture sensations of the 1980s was a stuttering computer-generated TV presenter called Max Headroom, who was really actor Matt Frewer in heavy prosthetics. After debuting in a British made-for-TV cyberpunk satire film, the character hosted a music video compilation and later became the star of a short-lived dramatic series set in a dystopian future run by television networks.

UFO (1970-1971)

Unidentified flying objects are not only real but a prevalent threat in creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's British drama, UFO . Set 10 years in the future, the series follows the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization (otherwise referred to as SHADO for short) and their effort to defend the Earth from insidious extra-terrestrial activity.

The Highwayman (1987-1988)

The closest we came to getting a TV series based on the post-apocalyptic movie classic , Mad Max , in the 1980s was creators Glen A. Larson and Douglas Heyes' The Highwayman . Flash Gordon 's Sam Jones starred in the title role of the leader of a team of federal marshals who travel the country in a high-tech 18-wheeler righting wrongs in a nearly lawless near future.

Land Of The Lost (1974-1977)

An earthquake during a rafting trip sends Rick Marshall (Welsey Eure), his son Will (Wesley Eure), and daughter Holly (Kathy Coleman) into a world inhabited by dinosaurs and even stranger creatures in Land of the Lost . Producers Sid and Marty Krofft's cult favorite was later reimagined as a short-lived ABC series in the early '90s and again as a feature film starring Will Ferrell.

Terrahawks (1983-1986)

The U.K. drama Terrawhawks followed the heroic efforts of an organization sworn to protect the Earth from a malicious enemy based on Mars. Like the majority of producer Gerry Anderson and Christopher Burr's most famous series (such as Thunderbirds ), the production was told with the use of puppets and miniatures, making for a visually unique experience in science fiction storytelling.

Spock and Kirk on Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1975)

While many of the most acclaimed new Star Trek TV shows are animated these days, the first series from Gene Roddenberry's space exploration saga to adopt the medium was Star Trek: The Animated Series . William Shatner came to back to voice Captain James T. Kirk, along with many of his co-stars from the original live-action show, which was cancelled before the end of the 1960s.

Small Wonder (1985-1989)

At a time when family sitcoms with a sci-fi twist were increasingly popular, Small Wonder managed to stand out and last nearly 100 episodes in syndication — perhaps because the main focus of the series was an adorable little girl named Vicki, played by Tiffany Brisette. In the series, Vicki is a robot designed by inventor Ted Lawson (Richard Christie) who, along with his wife and son, is trying to keep her true identity a secret while she poses as his daughter.

Timeslip (1970-1971)

Cheryl Burfield and Spencer Banks star on Timeslip as Liz Skinner and Simon Randall, who are a couple of regular English children who make an astonishing discovery that changes their lives forever. After falling through a portal, they become trapped on a journey through various eras of the 20th Century, all the while frequently coming at odds with a menacing fellow time-traveler named Commander Charles Traynor (Dennis Quilley).

Alien Nation (1989-1990)

A classic sci-fi TV show due for a remake (especially with how relevant its adversarial themes are these days) is Alien Nation , which an adaptation of the 1988 film of the same name starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. The series puts Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint in the roles of a human police officer and his partner, who is part of an extra-terrestrial race that has integrated itself into society after becoming stranded on Earth.

The Bionic Woman (1976-1978)

Steve Austin from The Six Million Dollar Man was not the only mechanically enhanced hero on TV in the 1970s. Creator Kenneth Johnson developed a spin-off called The Bionic Woman , which starred Lindsay Wagner in an Emmy-winning performance of the first female cyborg, who would also team up with Lee Majors in crossover episodes and, later, a series of made-for-TV features that explored their further adventures together.

War Of The Worlds (1988-1990)

Just like the seminal H.G. Wells novel that inspired it, 1953's The War of the Worlds ended with the Martian visitors being defeated by the common cold. Creator Greg Strangis' series acts as a continuation of the alien invasion movie classic , positing that the bacterial infection only put the extra-terrestrial enemy in a state of hibernation, only to awaken as an even worse threat to humanity.

Logan's Run (1977-1978)

Based on the 1976 feature adaptation of William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson's novel, Logan's Run is set in a dystopian society in which all citizens are put to death once they reach the age of 30. A police officer (played by Gregory Harrison) wishes to continue living and takes a woman named Jessica 6 (Heather Menzies-Urich) on a search for a fabled sanctuary.

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.

Ryan Seacrest Reveals Wisdom Pat Sajak And Vanna White Shared During His First Day On The Set, And It's Not What I Expected

One Tree Hill's Sequel Series Is In The Works, And I Have 2 Big Concerns Involving Chad Michael Murray And Its Original Cast

Joaquin Phoenix Was Finally Asked About Exiting Movie In The 11th Hour, And His Comment Nodded At The 'Creators' Who Previously Called It A 'Nightmare'

Most Popular

2 Jenna Ortega Just Made A Comment About A James Bond Spinoff (And Others) That Mirrors Exactly How I Feel
3 A Minecraft Movie’s Trailer Is A Bonkers Mix Of Live-Action And Animation, But I’m Distracted By Jason Momoa’s Hair
4 Demi Moore Gets Real About A Potential Ghost Remake, And If She'd Reprise Her Iconic Role
5 32 Best In Show Quotes And Scenes That I Still Think About

COMMENTS

Every Star Trek Actor Who Has Appeared On The Orville
Other Star Trek Actors In The Orville. Philip Anthony-Rodriguez - Juan in Enterprise 's second season and Fadolin in The Orville . Lisa Banes - Doctor Renhol the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Equilibrium" and Speria Balask in The Orville season 3. J. Paul Boehmer - Multiple roles in both franchises.
The Orville (TV Series 2017-2022)
The Orville: Created by Seth MacFarlane. With Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes. Set 400 years in the future, the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continue their mission of exploration, navigating both the mysteries of the universe, and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.
The Orville
The Orville is an American science fiction comedy-drama [1] [2] [3] television series created by Seth MacFarlane, who also stars as the protagonist Ed Mercer, an officer in the Planetary Union's line of exploratory space vessels in the 25th century. It was inspired primarily by the original Star Trek and Next Generation eras, both of which it heavily parodies and pays homage to.
The Orville (TV Series 2017-2022)
The Orville (TV Series 2017-2022) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. Movies. ... stunt actor / stunt actor: Krill Soldier / stunt actor: hanging person / stunts / stunts: fight previz (3 episodes, 2017-2022)
The Orville
The Orville is a live action parody of and homage to Star Trek, specifically Star Trek: The Next Generation. The show was created by and stars Seth MacFarlane and is co-produced by Brannon Braga, former Family Guy collaborator David A. Goodman, alongside another Star Trek veteran Andre Bormanis, who reprised his role as technical advisor. Braga himself states the series "is aiming to tell ...
The Orville Cast and Character Guide
The Orville Cast and Character Guide The Orville (2017) By Jon Holmes. Published Dec 20, 2022. ... What originated as merely a Star Trek spoof has evolved to a find a voice of its own.
The Orville (TV Series 2017- )
The Orville (2017) ← Back to main. Series Cast 274. Seth MacFarlane. Capt. Ed Mercer (36 Episodes) Adrianne Palicki. Cmdr. Kelly Grayson (36 Episodes) Penny Johnson Jerald. Dr. Claire Finn (36 Episodes) Scott Grimes. Lt. Gordon Malloy (36 Episodes) Peter Macon. Lt. Cmdr. Bortus (36 Episodes)
The Orville
Scott Grimes. Gordon 37 Episodes 2022. Penny Johnson Jerald. Dr. Claire Finn 37 Episodes 2022. Mark Jackson. Isaac 27 Episodes 2022. Peter Macon. Lt. Commander Bortus 37 Episodes 2022. Jessica Szohr.
The Orville Season 3 Cast & Character Guide: Meet the New ...
Under the name The Orville: New Horizons, the show takes inspiration from Star Trek and Next Generation. Taking place in the 25th century, The Orville is about a mid-level exploratory spacecraft ...
Interview: 'The Orville' Cast On What's New For The Orville Crew In
The third season of Seth MacFarlane's homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation brings new adventures for the crew of the USS Orville, and TrekMovie had a chance to speak to members of the cast ...
The Orville: The Best Star Trek Homages
In yet another example of life imitating life, 32 different actors (you read correctly THIRTY TWO) have played featured roles in both Star Trek and The Orville. For those who might deny ...
Big news! 'The Orville' is getting a 4th season, actor confirms
At the recent "Star Trek" Las Vegas convention, actor Scott Grimes, who plays Lt. Gordon Malloy on "The Orville," revealed to a small — and stunned — crowd that season 4 of the show is set to ...
Interview: 'The Orville' Producers Talk Epic Scale And Big Cameos In
Nobody hates Star Trek like Star Trek fans. Not sure if its Star Wars, Star Trek or Doctor Who that has a more toxic fanbase. Orville is 80s TNG meets family guy/american dad in space.
'The Orville' Brings Together Two Fan-Favorite Star Trek Actors
By Jamie Lovett - January 26, 2019 04:51 pm EST. This week's episode of The Orville featured an extra treat for Star Trek fans as it brought together two fan-favorite actors from the franchise ...
"The Orville" Lasting Impressions (TV Episode 2019)
Lasting Impressions: Directed by Kelly Cronin. With Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes. The crew opens a time capsule from 2015.
The Untold Truth Of The Orville
Because it's always a good day to hang out in a luxury space liner, let's take a look at the untold truth of "The Orville." 1. The Orville has loads of Star Trek crossovers. Hulu.
The Orville
Set 400 years in the future, Seth MacFarlane's hit space adventure series follows the U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship. Its crew, both human and alien, face the wonders and ...
Jonathan Frakes
He's also really fun to get drunk with.— Seth MacFarlane, on Jonathan Frakes[1]Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor and director. He directed the episodes Pria and Sanctuary on The Orville. Frakes is best known for playing Commander William T. Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent films. Frakes also hosted the television series Beyond Belief ...
Robert Knepper
Robert Knepper is an american actor who played Hamelac in The Orville.. Background []. Knepper, like many actors on The Orville, has acted in Star Trek: he played the role of Wyatt Miller, the intended husband in an arranged marriage with Deanna Troi, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Haven".. The Orville []. Knepper confirmed he would appear in The Orville in April 4, 2017 ...
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon character Worf in the Star Trek franchise, appearing in all seven seasons of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994), and later reprising the role in Seasons 4 through 7 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995-1999) and season three of Star Trek: Picard (2023).
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of William Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent films and series. He has also hosted the anthology series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, voiced David Xanatos in the Disney television series Gargoyles, and narrated the History Channel ...
The Orville Can Now Perfectly Copy The Star Trek: TOS Crew's Return
The Orville season 3 has come to a close, providing a chance for the show to replicate the triumphant return of the Star Trek: The Original Series cast. Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi comedy-drama is a loving tribute to Star Trek, particularly its 1990s iterations.With a likable ensemble cast and a focus on tackling real-world issues through a sci-fi lens, The Orville has been cited as a better Star ...
Every Actor Who Appeared In Family Guy Before The Orville
Ted Danson and Bruce Willis have both appeared in Family Guy as animated representations of themselves or their iconic roles. However, both men have appeared in The Orville. After several cameos over the years, Ted Danson's Union admiral became a villain in The Orville 's Star Trek 6-inspired episode "Domino".
10 Best Ideas The Orville Borrows From Star Trek
The Orville's cast is filled with colorful and well-written characters who all contribute something different to the show, as is the case with many of the Star Trek casts.
"The Orville" Mortality Paradox (TV Episode 2022)
Mortality Paradox: Directed by Jon Cassar. With Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes. The Orville crew discovers signs of a modern civilization on a planet known to be uninhabited.
What Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Nana Visitor Looks Like Today
She would later land a role on the Seth MacFarlane Trek-inspired series "The Orville," but much to the disappointment of "Star Trek"-loving "Orville" fans, Visitor's agent didn't tell the actor ...
32 Great Sci-Fi TV Shows From The '70s And '80s
Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1975) While many of the most acclaimed new Star Trek TV shows are animated these days, the first series from Gene Roddenberry's space exploration saga to adopt ...

The Orville Cast and Character Guide

Every Movie Coming to Major Streaming Services in September 2024

Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane)

Clare Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald)

Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki)

Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes)

Isaac (Mark Jackson)

Bortus (Peter Macon)

Yaphit (Norm MacDonald)

John Lamarr (J. Lee)

Talla Keyali (Jessica Szohr)

The Orville - Full Cast & Crew

Screenwriter

‘The Orville’ Season 3 Cast and Character Guide: Meet the Crew of 'New Horizons'

Seth MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer

Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson

Penny Johnson Jerald as Doctor Claire Finn

Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy

Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus

Halston Sage as Lieutenant Alara Kitan

J. Lee as Lieutenant John LaMarr

Mark Jackson as Isaac

Norm Macdonald as Yaphit

Jessica Szohr as Lieutenant Talla Keyali

Anne Winters as Charly Burke

The Orville: The Best Star Trek Homages

Ensign Burke and Ensign Ro

Dinal and Q

The Orville Has Two Versions of The Borg

The War with the Kaylon and The Dominion War

An Emotional Experience for Isaac and Data

Mercer & Teleya and Chakotay & Seska

Alara Kitan and Tasha Yar

Double Dip Casting

Latest TV reviews

Big news! 'The Orville' is getting a 4th season, actor confirms

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Most Popular

Interview: ‘The Orville’ Producers Talk Epic Scale And Big Cameos In ‘New Horizons’ Season

New Horizons next Thursday

Related Articles

Interview: Nicholas Meyer On Why ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ Endures And His “Toxic” Memos With Gene Roddenberry

Interview: Author Derek Tyler Attico On Exploring Star Trek’s Utopia In ‘The Autobiography Of Benjamin Sisko’

Interview: Wilson Cruz On Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Was The Most Fun; Imagines ‘Academy’ Role

Interview: Wil Wheaton On Fans Celebrating Wesley “Coming Home,” Sweaters, And More ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

The Orville

Cast & Crew

More Like This

Robert Knepper

Background [ ]

The Orville [ ]

References [ ]

Screen Rant

The Orville Season 4 Will Have A Key Decision To Make After A Big Season 3 Change

Seth MacFarlane

Scott Grimes

Norm Macdonald

Patrick Warburton

Adrianne Palicki

Marina Sirtis

Hollywood Guest Stars

10 Best Ideas The Orville Borrows From Star Trek

The Orville Season 4: Will It Happen? Everything We Know

The Orville's Planetary Union Holds All The Same Ideals As Star Trek's United Federation Of Planets

The USS Orville Has A Non-Human Crew Member Who Slowly Becomes More Human

Quantum Drive Is Essentially Just Warp Drive Under A Different Name

The Union Ships Have A Very Similar Layout To Starfleet Ships

The Planetary Union's Ranking System Is The Same As Starfleet's

10 Ways The Orville Is Better Than Modern Star Trek

Many Star Trek Species Have A Counterpart In The Orville Universe

The Weapons In The Orville Could Comfortably Belong In The Star Trek Universe

The Orville & Star Trek Both Star An Ensemble Cast With No Main Character

The Union's Uniforms Are Color-Coded By Division Like In Starfleet

The Orville Borrows Some Of The Star Trek Franchise's Biggest Stars

The Orville Can't End Until This Star Trek Star Makes A Guest Appearance

The Orville

Mortality Paradox