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"Follows the crew of the not-so-functional exploratory ship in the Earth's interstellar fleet, 300 years in the future" - IMDB
Star Trek spoof series "The Orville"
Has anybody watched any of these yet? Why did Seth MacFarlane get approved to do this? I mean I know hes always wanted to be Captain Kirk. And now they are bank rolling his dreams? Does he really have that much pull at Fox because of Family Guy? Its hard for me to take him seriously in a role like this. He comes across as Brian from Family Guy to me whenever i hear his voice. And this character seems similar to him as well. But the show, while full of comedy elements is not farcical at all. It seems to be trying to play it straight and truly be another Trek series. Ive only seen one episode so Im not sure what I think of it yet. Just hard for me to take him seriously. Its kind of like Star Trek: New Generation meets A Million Ways To Die In The West.
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I'm not a fan of any of Seth MacFarlane's other TV shows, but I've been watching "The Orville", and I like it. It's like a fun version of "Star Trek".
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I'm with gb, I also like the show. I like that it's starting to come into its own by branching out and not just giving us spoofs. Keeps this up and it just might stick around a while.
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The episode with the sex-reassignment dilemma of the child was depressing....
The series seems not as edgy as McFarlane is use to and actually wants to tell stories so we'll see how it goes.
The series seems not as edgy as McFarlane is use to and actually wants to tell stories so we'll see how it goes.
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On last night's season finale, this show gave me my first good laugh out loud moment with the opening scene of the Captain playing "Latchcomb" with the Moclans. The timing was perfect and the joke was completely unexpected which led to the laugh.
It was funny because, rather than my usual criticism that the show makes jokes using modern references that no one 400 years in the future would understand, the humor here was centered around alien customs and was a thinly veiled homage to the Klingons and their culture - this was a game only Klingons would play. (For spoilers, you can find a video of the scene on YouTube).
It was funny because, rather than my usual criticism that the show makes jokes using modern references that no one 400 years in the future would understand, the humor here was centered around alien customs and was a thinly veiled homage to the Klingons and their culture - this was a game only Klingons would play. (For spoilers, you can find a video of the scene on YouTube).
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Has anybody watched any of these yet? Why did Seth MacFarlane get approved to do this? I mean I know hes always wanted to be Captain Kirk. And now they are bank rolling his dreams? Does he really have that much pull at Fox because of Family Guy? Its hard for me to take him seriously in a role like this. He comes across as Brian from Family Guy to me whenever i hear his voice. And this character seems similar to him as well. But the show, while full of comedy elements is not farcical at all. It seems to be trying to play it straight and truly be another Trek series. Ive only seen one episode so Im not sure what I think of it yet. Just hard for me to take him seriously. Its kind of like Star Trek: New Generation meets A Million Ways To Die In The West.
But it seems to be finding its groove in between comedy and adventure.
The stories are somewhat hit or miss, but they seem to be acting the same way Trek stories did - as social commentary with a dose of morality (although many are still wondering what the message of the Moclan sex-reassignment episode was).
Personally, I liked the episode where Mercer and Malloy disguised themselves as the Krill and infiltrated their ship (I liked some of the subtle analogies made... depending on how you looked at it). The makeup in this episode was also pretty impressive.
I could go into some negatives...
Such as I really don't like Scott Grimes "Malloy" character, but maybe I think a helmsman with a beard just rubs me the wrong way... maybe I'd find him more acceptable if he shaved.
I found out he played "Malarkey" in Band of Brothers (an excellent WWII HBO series) which brought him up a notch in my book, but I'm still not sure if he fits the show's dynamic... it certainly doesn't need more comic relief and he seems an additional layer of comic relief.Still not sure how I feel about MacFarlane in the lead (satisfactory so far). I'm wondering if I also might have liked an unknown in the role, or at least someone who doesn't sound like "Brian." In this case, I guess it's a good thing I never watched much Family Guy.
I found Dr. Finn rather bland at first, but she's grown a bit.
Lamarr also seems a bit nondescript (despite being featured in 2 episodes.)
Bortus is okay, but seems just a Mr. Worf copy (which can be good or bad depending on how he's played - and I obviously enjoyed the "Latchcomb" joke of the finale.)
Isaac also seems mostly a copy of TNG's Mr. Data - especially his voice which sounds like a direct impersonation of Brent Spiner. He's interesting in that, unlike Data, he belongs to a race of sentient machines that considers organic beings inferior (for Trekkies, I interpret that he could be from the planet described in ST-TMP where a race of intelligent machines build the V-ger vessel.)
Yaphit (voiced by comedian Norm MacDonald) as a secondary character is also questionable - on first appearance he seemed to raise the goofball level.
I like Kelly and Alara (although I keep expecting Alara to act like a Vulcan since she has pointed ears.)
Last edited by Captain Steel; 12-08-17 at 10:20 PM.
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Its just hard for me to take it seriously. Ive seen a few episodes now and Im still not sure what they are trying to do. I find myself waiting for it to reveal itself as one giant long winded Family Guy joke. Plus Im not really into the characters. MacFarlend is always the same character no matter what program he's in. Having his ex wife there with them just seems to be an excuse for lots of jokes about how terrible marriage is. The doctor seems boring. The robot comes off as a Data caricature and the big guy comes off as a Warf caricature. The security chick is completely unbelievable in her role as head of security. I guess thats the point but it seems stupid to have this tiny little girl acting in that position because of her "super strength" which just seems like a joke because Halston Sage is like 85 pounds soaking wet and she's wasted anyway behind all that grease paint and lose fitting uniform. The notion that shes really strong because of the effect of gravity on her home world is eye rollingingly silly (gravity doesnt work that way! she would be 3 feet tall and rippling with muscles and barely able to walk in a 1G environment and her heart would probably explode!) Oh and the two helmsmen both come off as frat bros and why in the world do we need two of them exactly? And dont get me started on the blob guy. It is cool that theyve gotten a number of interesting cameos though. Liam Neeson and Charlize Theron are nothing to sneeze at.
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You'll note, @I. Rex, that I had a lot of the same observations (or criticisms), but after watching a season I'm willing to go with @gbgoodies' assessment... that it just feels like a more fun version of Star Trek.
Anyone notice the story of the finale (which was a fun story) bore some resemblance to a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Lisa places her tooth in a dish of cola and little people are formed who come to worship her as a god. The Orville used a phase shift where the planet would emerge every 11 months with 700 years having passed on its surface, whereas for Lisa, her civilization would advance centuries overnight.;
Anyone notice the story of the finale (which was a fun story) bore some resemblance to a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Lisa places her tooth in a dish of cola and little people are formed who come to worship her as a god. The Orville used a phase shift where the planet would emerge every 11 months with 700 years having passed on its surface, whereas for Lisa, her civilization would advance centuries overnight.;
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On last night's season finale, this show gave me my first good laugh out loud moment with the opening scene of the Captain playing "Latchcomb" with the Moclans. The timing was perfect and the joke was completely unexpected which led to the laugh.
It was funny because, rather than my usual criticism that the show makes jokes using modern references that no one 400 years in the future would understand, the humor here was centered around alien customs and was a thinly veiled homage to the Klingons and their culture - this was a game only Klingons would play. (For spoilers, you can find a video of the scene on YouTube).
It was funny because, rather than my usual criticism that the show makes jokes using modern references that no one 400 years in the future would understand, the humor here was centered around alien customs and was a thinly veiled homage to the Klingons and their culture - this was a game only Klingons would play. (For spoilers, you can find a video of the scene on YouTube).
As soon as I saw them playing Latchcomb, I knew something bad was going to happen. They're a Klingon-like race playing a game of Hot Potato. I immediately asked Hubby what he thought would happen if someone didn't get rid of it fast enough.
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I have to say I also didn't have any high hopes for this show (but sometimes lowered expectations make for better outcomes). I was never a big fan of Seth McFarlane and was afraid this show would just be "Family Guy in Space" or that it would be analogous to the 1970's TV space comedy Quark (which could be described as "screwball.")
But it seems to be finding its groove in between comedy and adventure.
The stories are somewhat hit or miss, but they seem to be acting the same way Trek stories did - as social commentary with a dose of morality (although many are still wondering what the message of the Moclan sex-reassignment episode was).
Personally, I liked the episode where Mercer and Malloy disguised themselves as the Krill and infiltrated their ship (I liked some of the subtle analogies made... depending on how you looked at it). The makeup in this episode was also pretty impressive.
I could go into some negatives...
Such as I really don't like Scott Grimes "Malloy" character, but maybe I think a helmsman with a beard just rubs me the wrong way... maybe I'd find him more acceptable if he shaved. I found out he played "Malarkey" in Band of Brothers (an excellent WWII HBO series) which brought him up a notch in my book, but I'm still not sure if he fits the show's dynamic... it certainly doesn't need more comic relief and he seems an additional layer of comic relief.
Still not sure how I feel about MacFarlane in the lead (satisfactory so far). I'm wondering if I also might have liked an unknown in the role, or at least someone who doesn't sound like "Brian." In this case, I guess it's a good thing I never watched much Family Guy.
I found Dr. Finn rather bland at first, but she's grown a bit.
Lamarr also seems a bit nondescript (despite being featured in 2 episodes.)
Bortus is okay, but seems just a Mr. Worf copy (which can be good or bad depending on how he's played - and I obviously enjoyed the "Latchcomb" joke of the finale.)
Isaac also seems mostly a copy of TNG's Mr. Data - especially his voice which sounds like a direct impersonation of Brent Spiner. He's interesting in that, unlike Data, he belongs to a race of sentient machines that considers organic beings inferior (for Trekkies, I interpret that he could be from the planet described in ST-TMP where a race of intelligent machines build the V-ger vessel.)
Yaphit (voiced by comedian Norm MacDonald) as a secondary character is also questionable - on first appearance he seemed to raise the goofball level.
I like Kelly and Alara (although I keep expecting Alara to act like a Vulcan since she has pointed ears.)
But it seems to be finding its groove in between comedy and adventure.
The stories are somewhat hit or miss, but they seem to be acting the same way Trek stories did - as social commentary with a dose of morality (although many are still wondering what the message of the Moclan sex-reassignment episode was).
Personally, I liked the episode where Mercer and Malloy disguised themselves as the Krill and infiltrated their ship (I liked some of the subtle analogies made... depending on how you looked at it). The makeup in this episode was also pretty impressive.
I could go into some negatives...
Such as I really don't like Scott Grimes "Malloy" character, but maybe I think a helmsman with a beard just rubs me the wrong way... maybe I'd find him more acceptable if he shaved.
I found out he played "Malarkey" in Band of Brothers (an excellent WWII HBO series) which brought him up a notch in my book, but I'm still not sure if he fits the show's dynamic... it certainly doesn't need more comic relief and he seems an additional layer of comic relief.Still not sure how I feel about MacFarlane in the lead (satisfactory so far). I'm wondering if I also might have liked an unknown in the role, or at least someone who doesn't sound like "Brian." In this case, I guess it's a good thing I never watched much Family Guy.
I found Dr. Finn rather bland at first, but she's grown a bit.
Lamarr also seems a bit nondescript (despite being featured in 2 episodes.)
Bortus is okay, but seems just a Mr. Worf copy (which can be good or bad depending on how he's played - and I obviously enjoyed the "Latchcomb" joke of the finale.)
Isaac also seems mostly a copy of TNG's Mr. Data - especially his voice which sounds like a direct impersonation of Brent Spiner. He's interesting in that, unlike Data, he belongs to a race of sentient machines that considers organic beings inferior (for Trekkies, I interpret that he could be from the planet described in ST-TMP where a race of intelligent machines build the V-ger vessel.)
Yaphit (voiced by comedian Norm MacDonald) as a secondary character is also questionable - on first appearance he seemed to raise the goofball level.
I like Kelly and Alara (although I keep expecting Alara to act like a Vulcan since she has pointed ears.)
I think Scott Grimes is the weak link on the show. He's supposed to be a likable character, but there's something about him that kind of annoys me a bit. I think it's because he's kind of goofy sometimes.
I think not watching any other Seth MacFarlane shows is a plus for me because I didn't know anything about him before watching this show, so I don't recognize him, (or his voice), as any other characters. He's just a newcomer to me, and he's very likable on the show.
I don't really see the point of Yaphit (Norm MacDonald) other than comic relief. He rarely has a large part in any episodes, so I don't really mind him being there just for laughs.
Isaac is the obligatory "logical" character on the show, so I wasn't surprised that he's basically a clone of Data. He's a "required" type of character in any "Star Trek" type of show.
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Its just hard for me to take it seriously. Ive seen a few episodes now and Im still not sure what they are trying to do. I find myself waiting for it to reveal itself as one giant long winded Family Guy joke. Plus Im not really into the characters. MacFarlend is always the same character no matter what program he's in. Having his ex wife there with them just seems to be an excuse for lots of jokes about how terrible marriage is. The doctor seems boring. The robot comes off as a Data caricature and the big guy comes off as a Warf caricature. The security chick is completely unbelievable in her role as head of security. I guess thats the point but it seems stupid to have this tiny little girl acting in that position because of her "super strength" which just seems like a joke because Halston Sage is like 85 pounds soaking wet and she's wasted anyway behind all that grease paint and lose fitting uniform. The notion that shes really strong because of the effect of gravity on her home world is eye rollingingly silly (gravity doesnt work that way! she would be 3 feet tall and rippling with muscles and barely able to walk in a 1G environment and her heart would probably explode!) Oh and the two helmsmen both come off as frat bros and why in the world do we need two of them exactly? And dont get me started on the blob guy. It is cool that theyve gotten a number of interesting cameos though. Liam Neeson and Charlize Theron are nothing to sneeze at.
You're reading too much into this show. Don't try to take it seriously. The show isn't a serious show. It's a light and fun version of Star Trek. It has a lot of Star Trek in-jokes and references, but it's not an "official" Star Trek show.
Don't compare it to Family Guy, or any other previous Seth MacFarlane shows. Just try watching it for what it is, "Star Trek Lite".
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You'll note, @I. Rex, that I had a lot of the same observations (or criticisms), but after watching a season I'm willing to go with @gbgoodies' assessment... that it just feels like a more fun version of Star Trek.
Anyone notice the story of the finale (which was a fun story) bore some resemblance to a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Lisa places her tooth in a dish of cola and little people are formed who come to worship her as a god. The Orville used a phase shift where the planet would emerge every 11 months with 700 years having passed on its surface, whereas for Lisa, her civilization would advance centuries overnight.;
Anyone notice the story of the finale (which was a fun story) bore some resemblance to a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Lisa places her tooth in a dish of cola and little people are formed who come to worship her as a god. The Orville used a phase shift where the planet would emerge every 11 months with 700 years having passed on its surface, whereas for Lisa, her civilization would advance centuries overnight.;
I don't watch "The Simpsons", but we've seen this type of "God worship" scenario before. The Ewoks worshipped C3PO as a God, and in the last episode of "DC's Legends of Tomorrow", there was a time travel episode where the people in the past worshipped a doll named "Beebo" as a God, and it screwed up our present timeline's Christmas.
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Don't compare it to Family Guy, or any other previous Seth MacFarlane shows. Just try watching it for what it is, "Star Trek Lite".
I will say the special effects on the show are excellent (ironic that a "Lite" version of Star Trek has the best special effects yet) and I saw an episode recently where the doctor from Star Trek Voyager plays the father of one of the cast members. More of that kind of thing will always help.
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"Star Trek Lite"? Yuck. Just what I want. Watered down sci fi pablum designed for people who cant handle "regular strength" Star Trek... And easy for you to say not to compare it to any other MacFarlane vehicle because its exactly like ALL of them.
I will say the special effects on the show are excellent (ironic that a "Lite" version of Star Trek has the best special effects yet) and I saw an episode recently where the doctor from Star Trek Voyager plays the father of one of the cast members. More of that kind of thing will always help.
I will say the special effects on the show are excellent (ironic that a "Lite" version of Star Trek has the best special effects yet) and I saw an episode recently where the doctor from Star Trek Voyager plays the father of one of the cast members. More of that kind of thing will always help.
(And Family Guy is just the Simpsons but with a TV show or movie reference or flashback every 2 minutes and more sexual innuendo.)
There've been a few ST alumni to show up so far (but none that I know of from the original series since most of them are dead). It would be a kick if they could get Shatner to appear.
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Well, it's not "exactly" like Family Guy.
There've been a few ST alumni to show up so far (but none that I know of from the original series since most of them are dead). It would be a kick if they could get Shatner to appear.
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Well since theres some folks here who inexplicably seem to really like this thing, I thought Id give you MacFarlane's original original Star Trek performance. Not sure why they only give you a little bit. Maybe the rest was terrible. But I wasnt joking in my original post about this being his dream. Hes been a geek about this since he was a kid:
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Well since theres some folks here who inexplicably seem to really like this thing, I thought Id give you MacFarlane's original original Star Trek performance. Not sure why they only give you a little bit. Maybe the rest was terrible. But I wasnt joking in my original post about this being his dream. Hes been a geek about this since he was a kid:
@I. Rex
You seem to be against this show because you don't like Seth MacFarlane, but I think the fact that he's been a Star Trek geek since he was a kid is a good thing. It means that he knows what most Star Trek fans like, because he's one of us. This is basically a Star Trek show that's made by a fan and for the fans.
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I've watched all 10 episodes of the fan-made web series "Star Trek Continues." It's very faithful to the feel of the original series and its production values are top notch - making it look very much like the original (all the sets, sound effects and music are spot on). I've got my criticisms, of course, and the stories are somewhat hit or miss, but the good ones are pretty good - especially the final two-parter (the lady who plays the Romulan Commander is a dead ringer for the original) and I liked how the very end begins to tie into the start of the movie franchise.
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