One of the main reasons I liked “The Orville”

Posted By: Peter DavidPosted On:

I have seen any number of ads for “Star Trek: Discovery” and here’s my problem with it.

I have no idea what any of it looks like.

Every single scene was apparently filmed in a power outage. The sets are dark, the costumes are dark, everything is so dámņëd dark. I mean, yes, people said that the new Enterprise in the Abrams film looked like an Apple store, but at least you could see it. I can’t see crap in ST:D.

Wait.

ST:D? The abbreviation for the new show is STD? I admit I haven’t been active on Trek boards, but has anyone else commented on that? TOS, TNG, that’s fine. But STD? Jesus Christ, was anyone thinking about that?

Okay, anyway: “The Orville” is at least lit like the original series. Everything is bright. Everything is open. The bridge, while having some commonality with the TNG bridge, is sufficiently different. It’s certainly larger. They have a panoramic array of windows rather than just staring at a viewscreen.

The whole place is colorful and cheerful and old-style pleasant. People are crying it’s a rip off of “Star Trek.” Okay, here’s a news flash: I LIKE “Star Trek.” It seems to me that MacFarlane is trying to do something that evokes all the best things about “Trek” and leaving out all the stuff we hate. And I’m fine with that. The same people who are harshly judging it after one episode gave STTNG three freaking YEARS to find its footing.

So I’m aboard for “The Orville.”

I’ve also posted a Cowboy Pete review over on my Patreon account.

PAD

51 comments on “One of the main reasons I liked “The Orville””

  2. We did figure out the STD/DIS thing pretty quickly on the boards. Quick enough to be informed the same day the “official” shorthand is “DSC.” Also, Voyager is supposed to be referred to as VGR, not VOY. Who knew?

  3. Actually, when watching the Orville, I kept thinking about New Frontier. Because one of the best things about NF was that it brought a bunch of the messy interpersonal stuff onto the bridge of a starship. And that was great. It was also very funny.
    To be honest, I didn’t find much about the first episode of The Orville very funny. Which was a bit of a disappointment. But I won’t give up on it yet, by any means.

  5. I also enjoyed Orville completely. I loved that transporters (or an equivalent to them) were nowhere to be seen and that transportation was done by shuttle. I loved that MacFarlane is not playing a cliched (SIC?) skirt-chasing captain. I loved that there were prominent aliens instead of the crew being almost entirely human.
    I felt that the show was right there alongside Galaxy Quest.
    Having said all that, I did NOT like that there are three engines sticking way out away from the ship just asking to be blown up.

    1. Well, the nacelles on the Enterprise were pretty easy to spot, and were even further out from the ship. Taking out the warp drive would have been a snap; indeed, the Enterprise did that to Khan’s ship in ST II. I actually kind of liked the engines, the way they lit up sequentially before leaping to light speed.
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      PAD

      1. I’m not saying they didn’t look good. I’m just saying that they’re stupid… which is probably the point. Like you said, the Enterprises’ nacelles were away from the ship also. Orville’s engines are probably supposed to be stupid on purpose. After all, two out of three of them were taken out in the very first episode. I’m wondering if MacFarlane doesn’t address the bad design in a future episode and point out how they don’t make sense.

      2. HJK – The late science fiction writer (and science prof) Hal Clement once wrote an article on how he’d redesign the Enterprise. One of the key points was to add cross bracing to the nacelle pylons which seemed, to him, to be woefully insufficient to withstand the stresses they’d have to undergo.

    2. Is it realistically possible to design a starship whose engine is not a big target? Where else would engines be but on the outside of the vessel, in an easily, functionally discernbile section?

      1. Well, we can look at what is commonly cited as one of the ur-examples of science done right in SF, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and well, you had a living quarters and the engine separated by a long, rather spindly beam. You’ve got high energy reactions, likely generating lots of waste heat and radiation – yeah, you’re not going to be nuzzling them up next to the Bridge or living quarters.

  6. I enjoyed the Orville. It was a bit rough around the edges, but it was the first episode. I can’t think of a single Trek series that had a great first show.

    The best description of Orville I’ve seen is that it’s “Starfleet with regular people”. This isn’t the “finest ship in the fleet” or anything like that. They gossip, want their sodas at their workstations, and have struggled to get work. Given the tendency for shows to present either the heroic archetype, or brooding anti-heroes, this was a welcome change.

    As for ST:D/STDSC or whatever its abbreviation may be, I’m still not sold on it. In fact, the recent decision by CBS to slap a TV-MA on it has turned me off. While the writers have promised “hard PG-13”, I’m not crazy about the potential for turning into ST:GOT. Star Trek has always been edgy, but still family friendly. I should be able to watch it with a 10-year old without much concern.

  7. Yeah, nothing official from the website but I thought the same early on STD?!?! So, I have done my best effort to type ST:D.

  8. There’s a saying by historian Robert Conquest that “The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.”

    I sometimes get the feeling that STD is being promoted by a team from NBC, ABC, FOX and the CW. I still know virtually nothing about it and every new revelation makes me wonder if there is anything worth knowing. I hope this is one of those things where we look back and say “Boy, remember when the early word was dire, but it all worked out?”

  9. Haven’t watched The Orville yet, but it’s sitting on the DVR waiting.
    .
    I’m not a Seth MacFarlane fan. I am a Star Trek fan. I say this to give perspective when I say that I have far more interest in The Orville than I do in Discovery.
    .
    The Orville looks…fun. Discovery looks…not fun. And, I’ll admit that I’m also turned off of Discovery by the whole CBS All Access nonsense. Paying for yet another subscription service just to watch one series *with* commercials just doesn’t pass my cost/benefit analysis.
    .
    –Daryl

      1. If you lived in the US when the original series was being aired, it was NOT “free”–it was paid for by little pesky things called “commercials” that interrupted the story on a periodic basis (usually for 2 minutes about every 12 minutes or so).

      2. That’s quite true, JosephW. Here’s one of the problems: If you pay to get CBS Access, there are STILL commercials. You have to pay EXTRA to get it without commercials. So CBS wants to have it both ways: get money directly and still make you watch commercials unless you’re willing to cough up even more money.
        .
        Let me put it to you this way: my last panel at Dragon*Con on the Star Trek track, I asked a room that had about 40 people in it, “How many of you are going to watch the show on CBS Access.” Four people raised their hands. I then said, “How many would watch it if it were airing on CBS for free.” EVERYONE raised their hands.
        .
        I’m unsure this project is going to turn out the way CBS is hoping.
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        PAD

    2. I’d like to watch ST:D, but I’m not paying for CBS All Access. I’m paying for cable, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I don’t want to pay for more.

      1. And that’s important. Disney is looking to pull this crap too.

        They’re pulling their stuff as fast as contracts allow off Netflix and prepping their own “PAY US monthly!” service.

        Why do people hate cable companies (at least one of the reasons)? The nickle-and-diming-to-death they engage in.
        It is a logical outgrowth however. How many folks complain about having to buy a “higher tier package” to get the 2-3 channels they want and never watch the other 100+ channels that are part of the package and cry out for “ala carte” to buy only the channels they want? This is the natural consequence. “You want only these programs on this channel? Here you go, what’s your credit card number?”

        Never mind the tons of separate little monthly charges that add up quick and different interfaces for each service….

    3. Yeah, TOS had commercials, but far fewer of them per hour. A TOS ep without commercials is about 50 minutes. A TNG one is about 42 minutes and change. An ENT episode is about 40-41. Commercial creep has become a problem.

    4. OK, I’m caught up now. I’m sold.
      .
      But, I have to wonder…has Seth MacFarlane read New Frontier? I mean, it’s not a 1:1 comparison, but I see enough similarities to make me ask the question.
      .
      –Daryl

  10. I liked it, too. I found some of the humor a little forced, but I’m wondering/hoping that it could be reminiscent of The West Wing at times — a drama with funny moments because some of the characters were witty people.

    I did notice one thing that irked me somewhat. The “aging ray” (I can’t remember what they actually called it) was being tested in a very high end scientific research lab. The Krill spy revealed himself, and the female scientist fell into the ray and aged to death in a matter of seconds.

    So, this high-end lab, a playground for scientists, was testing this device which clearly could have lethal effects… and they had absolutely no safety precautions?

  11. I liked it. I wish they had more jokes in it, and more with the supporting crew, but I suspect that they’ll fix that in the future episodes. I also hope Macfarlane got all the “my ex-wife is a bìŧçh” jokes out of his system.

    1. Well, they seemed to have reached a rapproachment by the end of the first episode, so they might snark at each other, but it wouldn’t make sense to keep recycling the insults of the pilot.
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      PAD

      1. I would think and hope you’re right. It depends on whether THE ORVILLE maintains continuity from one episode to the next, or if it’s like Macfarlane’s FAMILY GUY where whatever happens in one episode has no bearing on any other episodes. We shall see.

  12. I enjoyed it quite a bit too. One of my favorite parts was when the captain walked through the slime alien. It was a tiny part of the episode, but I liked that there are non-humanoid aliens on the ship (even if they rarely show up due to practical reasons like budget!)

  13. I agree that it’s unfair to write off THE ORVILLE after one episode. Of course, I am also opposed to writing off STAR TREK: DISCOVERY on the basis of the commercials, which do not even constitute an entire episode. Is there a difference? Though I have to side with those irritated about the whole CBS Access thing. I wonder how many are going to actually subscribe to this service, and how much revenue they are going to lose to bootlegging. (Yo ho)

    ST:D is, indeed, a set of initials that invites smutty laughs. Sometimes that is difficult to avoid, without creating a Committee To Oversee Title Reductions. Disney World has an attraction, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, the initials of which have been the source of amusement for more than one Disney Chat Board.

  14. My impression of The Orville is that it was what Star Trek would be like as a sitcom. An hour-long sitcom. With jokes provided by Seth MacFarlane.

    Unfortunately, none of those three elements really appeals to me. Star Trek had humor but it was essentially a drama. A version in which the crew was made up of “ordinary Joes” would be interesting but that’s also not what The Orville provides.

    I honestly can’t think of any hour-long sitcoms. There’s probably a good reason for that.

    I’m not a fan of the Family Guy/American Dad type of humor.

    For these reasons, I cannot say that I really liked The Orville. I didn’t hate it and I will probably watch some of the upcoming episodes (at least, if there’s nothing else on that I DO want to watch) but that’s about it.

  15. Has CBS changed their plans to show the first episode of ST:D on regular CBS before it moves to the streaming service? I’ve also decided I’m not interested in another streaming service so this would be my only chance to see the pilot before it lands on DVD.
    Peter, have you said anything yet about the Syfy channel’s Krypton series? I don’t know what the hëll to think of this thing. It’s ancient history but it’s got a load of characters traveling back in time to mess with that history?

    1. Nope. The first episode of ST:D is on at 8:30 PM on Sunday, September 24 on CBS. Although that time is debatable because there’s a football game before it and so it might air up to a half hour later.
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      PAD

      1. So STD is going to be on TV at the same time as The Orville is??
        I’m going to have to decide which one I want to watch more.

  16. I enjoyed “The Orville”. It’s good for what it is… an homage of Star Trek. It’s not really supposed to be a parody, despite the marketing. Yes, there are jokes, but it’s not a comedy.
    .
    I quite liked the interior of the ship, especially the spiral staircase. The exterior, notsomuch, because of those silly engines. But them lighting up looked really cool, so at least there’s that.
    .
    I’m guessing that by the end of the season, the Captain and the Ex-O will be back together. She clearly still cares about him, and I’d say he still has feelings for her, he’s just hurt and angry.
    .
    And no matter how good ST:D is, Orville will be many times better simply because I’ll be able to watch more than the first ep…

  18. I remember thinking “It’s too dark” about Star Trek Generations. I mean, did Starfleet suddenly become worried about energy consumption and demand Picard have half the lights on the Enterprise D turned off?

    1. That was actually because the S:TNG sets were built to the standard of TV lighting and not film lighting. It’s one of the reasons why they blew it up.

  19. I haven’t seen the Orville yet, I currently have no cable and I presume Fox’s streaming site doesn’t allow access from Canada. However, I saw an interview with McFarlane, and according to what he said there, he is trying to return to the optimistic view of the future that early Trek had. If that holds true, then I think it’s worth giving his show a chance.

  20. The Ex-O is an Ex? Oh! Yeah, very funny. For about three seconds.
    .
    One of the more important aspects of being part of a team/crew ‘out there’ is that you need unshakeable trust in the people around you. The knowledge that, in a pinch, they’ll be there for you. For the fleet to saddle the captain with an Executive Officer he KNOWS he can’t trust … that’s not funny, it’s beyond stupid. Yeah, “the only one available… blah blah …” So? Pick someone from the crew and promote them. That’s what they’d do in an emergency and far better that than having to look over his shoulder for the next betrayal. I know, probably won’t work out that way in the show. But it still strains suspension of disbelief past the breaking point.

    1. Actually, if you watch the show, you’ll see that her appointment as X-O makes absolutely perfect sense within the context of the episode. It’s revealed why in the last scene.
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      PAD

  21. I dunno. I enjoyed the original Trek, but the Enterprise sets always looked military and utilitarian to me (everything was so gray). Futuristic for the 60’s, sure, but military and utilitarian. Next Gen Enterprise looked a lot less Spartan.

    As to The Orville, I question the wisdom of doing any show that is so blatantly derivative and not an outright parody (it may be intended as an outright parody, I suspect that given the presence of, you know, Seth McFarlane, but it doesn’t feel quite funny enough; it feels more like a light SF show with funny bits). I don’t know that homage can sustain a series. A movie or a mini-series, sure, but not a series. If McFarlane can’t find a way to distinguish The Orville from Star Trek, I don’t see much of a future for this show. If people want Star Trek, they’ll just watch Star Trek, whichever version of it is their favorite.

  22. I’m fairly certain that if Peter had asked the Dragon-Con audience, “How many of you would feel little-to-no guilt about downloading every episode of ST:D instead of paying for CBS all-Access?” you’d get a fairly large percentage of the audience, too.
    .
    The Orville was a bit hit a miss. I enjoyed a lot of the show, but some of the humor was really forced. It almost came off a little schizophrenic — leaning into Police Squad/Angie Tribeca territory. Also, its seemed to me that McFarlane was trying *really* hard to rein himself in to be more family friendly (something I actually appreciate in intent) in a way that Family Guy so isn’t.
    .
    I am certainly willing to give The Orville a little more time to find itself, but the humor needs work. Lots of hour-long “dramas” (Pick pretty much any Joss Whedon show) managed to pepper humor effectively without being jarring. Right now, Mcfarlane is trying to be McFarlane lite, and I’m not sure it is working as well as it should.

    1. “I’m fairly certain that if Peter had asked the Dragon-Con audience, “How many of you would feel little-to-no guilt about downloading every episode of ST:D instead of paying for CBS all-Access?” you’d get a fairly large percentage of the audience, too.”
      .
      Which misses the point.
      .
      If you asked me if I would pay the Netflix sub to watch the Netflix Marvel originals or something like Santa Clarita Diet, I would say yes. I do in fact pay for Netflix and, even as they’ve been reducing overall selection over the years, I enjoy a number of the originals that hit Netflix.
      .
      I also subscribe to Shudder.
      .
      I haven’t subscribed to Starz because all they had to offer that I wanted was Ash vs Evil Dead. By the time American Gods came along, I figured I’d just buy the Blu-Ray set.
      .
      I don’t pay for Starz just for those two shows.
      .
      STD does not appeal to me enough to make me want to get off the fence and pay for the CBS service. Many have said the same.

  23. I am a Star Trek fan; I have been since I saw the original series in syndication in the ’70s.

    The Orville is the best new Trek I’ve seen in 15 years. Voyager was so-so, Enterprise was a mess and JJ Trek made me check out of Star Trek. Discovery doesn’t look any better (especially since they’re lying about the timeline. It can’t be ‘Prime’ timeline because it’s produced under the Bad Robot license which excludes making anything from the real timeline).

    The Orville is bright and hopeful. It’s everything I liked about Star Trek … with quippy dialogue. That’s not a bad thing.

  24. I’ve seen the first 2 episodes of The Orville, and I like it so far. It’s not Star Trek, but it’s fun to watch. I think we all need a weekly dose of fun, hopeful escapism now.

    The biggest “problem” I’m having now is I really, really want a new New Frontier book.

    I was hopeful about DSC at first, but everything I’ve seen since has disappointed me more and more. It seems like a bad mashup of the Kelvinverse, Star Wars & Stargate. The final nail in the coffin was the most recent trailer. Seems the only thing Star Trek about it is the name.

  25. Just printed off the fall schedule from epguides and The Orville’s move to Thursday will put it up against the new slot for Arrow on the CW.
    The networks really should consult with me. It’s funny how there are nights with nothing I wish to see and others with 3 shows across from each other.

  26. Well, I have to give them credit. This week’s solution with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer was funny.
    Mind you I dislike McFarlane’s humor, but the episode wasn’t bad.

    TAC

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