The Orville season 1
The first season of the comedy-drama science fiction television series The Orville was broadcast on Fox from September 10 to December 7, 2017. The series was created and written by Seth MacFarlane, who stars as Captain Ed Mercer of the exploratory ship Orville. The series also stars Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson, Mercer's ex-wife and first officer. The Orville is set about 400 years in the future and follows the crew of the titular spaceship who face the dangers and wonders of outer space, while dealing with the familiar problems of everyday life.
Summary
Storylines include Ed and Kelly repairing their relationship, Alara facing challenges as a Union officer, Bortus questioning his people's culture following the birth of his child and the crew's conflict with a hostile alien species, the Krill.Cast
Main
- Seth MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer, who commands the Orville. Mercer was an up-and-coming officer, on the fast track to commanding his own heavy cruiser. Following the end of his marriage to his wife Kelly due to her adultery, he is cited for being lax in performance of his duties and for being hung over on the job. Due to Kelly's intervention, however, he is allowed to remain on active duty by taking over as captain of the research and science ship Orville.
- Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson, first officer of the Orville and Ed Mercer's ex-wife. She persuades Union higher-ups to give her ex-husband a new command, on the sole condition that she is appointed as his second-in-command.
- Penny Johnson Jerald as Dr. Claire Finn, chief medical officer on the Orville, holding the rank of lieutenant commander. She has expertise in molecular surgery, DNA engineering, and psychiatry. Despite having the credentials to serve on more prestigious ships, she chooses a posting on the Orville as she prefers to be "where the action is".
- Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy, the helmsman of the Orville and Mercer's best friend. Considered the best helmsman in the fleet, he was relegated to desk duty after he attempted to impress a girl with a precarious shuttle docking maneuver, damaging the vessel and losing cargo in the process. Mercer subsequently requests him when the Orville needs a new helmsman.
- Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus, the tactical officer aboard the Orville and third in command after Mercer and Grayson. Bortus is from Moclus, a planet dominated by weapons manufacturing, and whose society is all male. He is noted for his strong sense of duty, disciplined demeaner, and open-mindedness when interacting with his comrades aboard the ship.
- Halston Sage as Lieutenant Alara Kitan, a Xelayan female who serves as security chief, communications officer, and fourth in command of the Orville. Despite her small stature, Alara possesses superhuman physical strength and resiliency. She is eager to prove herself after enlisting in the Union fleet against her parents' wishes.
- J Lee as Lieutenant John LaMarr, Gordon's partner-in-crime and navigation officer of the Orville.
- Mark Jackson as Isaac, a Kaylon recruited by the Union to serve as science officer of the Orville for diplomatic purposes. He is the only artificial life-form on the ship's crew.
Recurring
- Victor Garber as Admiral Tom Halsey
- Chad L. Coleman as Klyden
- Larry Joe Campbell as Lieutenant Commander Steve Newton, Chief Engineer
- Norm Macdonald as the voice of Lt. Yaphit
- Rachael MacFarlane as the voice of Orville Computer
- BJ Tanner as Marcus Finn
- Kai Wener as Ty Finn
- Mike Henry as Dann
- Kelly Hu as Admiral Ozawa
- Ron Canada as Admiral Tucker
Guest
Development
The Orville was written by Seth MacFarlane as a spec script. Fox ordered thirteen episodes for the first season, but only twelve were broadcast due to a gap in broadcast dates caused by the broadcaster's lengthy Christmas programming. The leftover episode, "Primal Urges", aired during season 2, which was ordered by Fox on November 2, 2017.Episodes
Reception
Critical response
The first season of The Orville was met with a negative response from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 30% approval rating from critics, with an average rating of 5.2/10 based on 53 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "An odd jumble of campiness and sincerity, homage, and satire, The Orville never quite achieves liftoff." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, it has a score of 36 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.Ratings
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | |
| 2018 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Best Original Score for Television | Bruce Broughton, John Debney, Joel McNeely, Andrew Cottee | Won | |
| 2018 | Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Best Special Make-Up Effects – Television and New Media Series | Howard Berger, Tami Lane, Garrett Immel | Nomitated | |
| 2018 | ICG Publicists Awards | Maxwell Weinberg Publicist Showmanship Television Award | Erin Moody | Nomitated | |
| 2018 | Saturn Awards | Best Science Fiction Television Series | The Orville | Won | |
| 2018 | Best Actor on Television | Seth MacFarlane | Nomitated | - | |
| 2018 | Best Actress on Television | Adrianne Palicki | Nomitated | - |