About the Show
Four hundred years from now, Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) finally gets his own starship — the exploratory vessel USS Orville — only to find his ex-wife Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) assigned as his first officer. With a crew of misfits, including best friend Gordon Malloy at the helm and the super-strong Alara Kitan on security, the Orville sets out on weekly missions across the Planetary Union.
Launched on FOX in 2017 and later moving to Hulu as The Orville: New Horizons, the series begins as a workplace comedy in space and steadily reveals itself as a thoughtful, optimistic science fiction drama — tackling identity, religion, time travel and first contact with genuine care across its three seasons.
Why This Show Matters to Sci-Fi
The Orville did something few expected: it revived the standalone, issue-of-the-week spirit of classic Star Trek at a time when franchise sci-fi had gone dark and serialised. Fans and critics who came for the jokes stayed for episodes that stand comfortably beside the genre’s best moral dilemmas — proof that hopeful, episodic exploration still has a place on television.
Where to Watch
Watch on YouTube (rent or buy) — Season 1 of The Orville is available to rent or buy on YouTube. The series also streams on Hulu.
Preview: The Orville — Official Trailer (on YouTube).
