The Orville - Wikipedia The Orville This article is about the U.S. TV series. For other uses, see Orville ( disambiguation ). The Orville Genre Science fiction Comedy - drama Created by Seth MacFarlane Starring Seth MacFarlane Adrianne Palicki Penny Johnson Jerald Scott Grimes Peter Macon Halston Sage J. Lee Mark Jackson Chad L. Coleman Theme music composer Bruce Broughton Composer ( s ) Bruce Broughton ( Pilot ) Joel McNeely John Debney Andrew Cottee ( `` New Dimensions '' ) Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons No. of episodes 12 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) Seth MacFarlane Brannon Braga David A. Goodman Jason Clark Jon Favreau ( pilot ) Liz Heldens Lili Fuller Running time 43 minutes Production company ( s ) Fuzzy Door Productions 20th Century Fox Television Distributor 20th Television Release Original network Fox Original release September 10, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 10 ) -- present External links Website The Orville is an American science fiction comedy - drama series created by and starring Seth MacFarlane that premiered on Sunday, September 10, 2017, with new episodes airing Thursdays on Fox during the 2017 -- 18 season. MacFarlane stars as Ed Mercer, an officer in the Planetary Union 's line of exploratory space vessels whose career took a downturn following his divorce, and who is given the titular ship as his first command, only to discover that his ex-wife, Kelly Grayson ( Adrianne Palicki ), has been assigned to be his First Officer. Inspired by the television series Star Trek, the series tells the story of Mercer, Grayson, and the crew of the Orville as they embark on various diplomatic and exploratory missions. On November 2, 2017, Fox renewed the series for a second season, which is expected to premiere late in the 2018 -- 19 season. Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast and characters 2.1 Main 2.2 Recurring 2.3 Guest stars 3 Episodes 4 Production 4.1 Development 4.2 Casting 4.3 Filming 4.4 Music 5 Reception 5.1 Critical response 5.2 Audience response 5.3 Ratings 6 References 7 External links Premise The Orville is set on the titular U.S.S. Orville ( ECV - 197 ), a mid-level exploratory space vessel in the Planetary Union, a 25th - century interstellar alliance of Earth and many other planets. Cast and Characters Main Seth MacFarlane as Ed Mercer, the captain of the Orville. Mercer was an up - and - coming officer, believed to be on the fast track to commanding his own heavy cruiser by age 40. However, he caught his wife Kelly in bed with an alien. Over the course of the following year, he is cited for becoming lax in his duties, including six instances of reporting to duty while hung over, but is informed that due to the size of the fleet and the retirement of the former captain, the Orville, a mid-level exploratory ship, was in need of a new commanding officer. Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson, the first officer of the Orville and Ed Mercer 's ex-wife. The two divorced when Mercer caught Grayson in bed with an alien. Unbeknownst to Mercer, Grayson personally went to Admiral Halsey to plead her case to give her ex-husband a command, stating that despite some personal setbacks, he deserved his own command. She asked Halsey to keep that from him when assigned the Orville. Mercer and Grayson decide to put their differences aside, to work together as a team and stay as friends. Penny Johnson Jerald as Doctor Claire Finn, the Chief Medical Officer on the Orville, holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander. A physician of exceptional credentials, she has expertise in molecular surgery, DNA engineering and psychiatry, which could have afforded her the privilege of serving on the heavy cruiser of her choice. She instead chose the mid-level exploratory vessel because, as she explains to Mercer in the pilot, she prefers to request her transfers based on where she feels she is needed, as she feels more stimulated by such assignments. When she tells Mercer she felt he could use her help on his first command, he interprets this as lack of confidence on her part in his competence, though she denies this. Having never found the ideal opportunity to marry, she chose to become a single mother, and her two sons, Marcus and Ty, travel aboard the Orville with her. She repeatedly rebuffs Lt. Yaphit 's advances, though they become physically intimate in `` Cupid 's Dagger '' after falling victim to a Retepsian sex pheromone. 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 an attempt to impress a girl resulted in him shearing the door off a cargo bay during a precarious shuttle docking, losing cargo in the process. He was specifically requested by Mercer despite some hesitation by Admiral Halsey, who harbors concern over Malloy 's history of crude and juvenile pranks. He is generally comfortable with his reputation for limited intelligence, to the point where he had no problem answering a series of questions from Grayson in the knowledge that she expected him to get them wrong while attending a hearing on the Moclan homeworld regarding whether Brotus 's daughter should receive gender reassignment surgery, Grayson using Malloy as an example of how males were not always superior to females. Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus, the second officer aboard the U.S.S. Orville. Bortus is from Moclus, a planet whose primary industry is weapons manufacturing, and whose inhabitants, the Moclans, are a single - gender species ( although statistically, one female Moclan is born every seventy - five years ). Among the peculiarities of the Moclans are that they only urinate once a year. Halston Sage as Lieutenant Alara Kitan, the Orville 's young Chief of Security. She is a member of the Xelayan race, which inhabits a high - gravity planet, giving her greater - than - human strength, allowing her to knock down doors and walls by charging against them, or crush a handheld cube of solid titanium and reshape it into a sphere with her bare hands. She received the Sapphire Star for her role as acting commander after Mercer and Grayson were abducted by the Calivon while Bortus was incubating his egg. J. Lee as Lieutenant ( later Lieutenant Commander ) John LaMarr. He is navigator of the Orville for most of the first season. He and Malloy strike up an immediate friendship in the first episode. Though intellectually gifted, he learned to hide his intelligence and settle for modest ambitions growing up. When Grayson discovers his high aptitude in `` New Dimensions '', she encourages him to fulfill his potential. As a result, he acquits himself so well during that episode 's crisis that he replaces the outgoing Lt. Commander Newton as the Orville 's Chief Engineer. Mark Jackson as Isaac, the Orville 's Science and Engineering Officer. Isaac is a member of the artificial, non-biological race from Kaylon - 1 that views biological lifeforms, including humans, as inferior. Isaac explains to Mercer in the pilot that the Union 's Admiralty offered a posting to any Kaylon willing to accept it, as an attempt to initiate relations between the two powers. Isaac accepted the offer because he saw it as a way to study human behavior. During the course of his time with the crew, he comes to observe and understand aspects of human behavior, such as sarcasm, slang, and practical jokes. Isaac perceives his surroundings with his body 's internal sensors, and not with the two glowing blue `` eyes '' on his face, which are purely aesthetic. Recurring Victor Garber as Admiral Halsey, Mercer 's superior and an old friend of Grayson 's father Chad Coleman as Klyden, Bortus ' mate and father of their child He revealed that he was actually born a female and had the procedure to correct his gender when he was an infant, only learning about it when he was first examined by a non-Moclan doctor after joining Bortus on his first ship assignment. Norm Macdonald as the voice of Lt. Yaphit, an amorphous, gelatinous, shapeshifting engineer on the Orville, who repeatedly attempts to obtain a date with Dr. Finn, and frequently flirts with other females on the ship. Despite telling her in `` Cupid 's Dagger '' that he is in love with her, she does not reciprocate his attraction, but they become physically intimate in that episode after falling victim to a Retepsian sex pheromone. Larry Joe Campbell as Lieutenant Commander Steve Newton, Chief Engineer of the Orville until episode 1.11, when he leaves take a new job designing space stations, and is replaced by LaMarr BJ Tanner as Marcus Finn, eldest son of Doctor Claire Finn Kai Wener as Ty Finn, youngest son of Doctor Claire Finn Gavin Lee as Nurse Park Mike Henry as Dann, unnamed alien species member of the Engineering staff, who suggests music be played in the Orville 's elevators and makes unsuccessful attempts to befriend fellow crew members. Rachael MacFarlane as the voice of the Orville computer Ron Canada as Admiral Tucker Kelly Hu as Admiral Ozawa Guest stars Brian George as Doctor Aronov, the leader of the Epsilon II science station Jeffrey Tambor as Ben, Captain Mercer 's father Holland Taylor as Jeannie, Captain Mercer 's mother Jonathan Adams as the Moclan Arbitrator Rena Owen as Heveena Robert Knepper as Hamelac Liam Neeson as Jahavus Dorahl, Captain of the derelict multi-generation ship Charlize Theron as Pria Lavesque James Horan as Sazeron, the Krill high priest on the Krill destroyer Yakar Michaela McManus as Teleya, a Krill teacher serving on Krill destroyer Yakar Steven Culp as Wilks Brian Thompson as Drogen, a survivalist on a planet on which Finn, Isaac and Finn 's children crash in `` Into the Fold '' Rob Lowe as Darulio, the Retepsian archeologist whose affair with Kelly ended her marriage with Mercer Ralph Garman as Kanoot, a Karaoke announcer on the Orville Robert Picardo as Ildis Kitan, father of Alara Kitan Molly Hagan as Drenala Kitan, mother of Alara Kitan. Episodes No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod. code U.S. viewers ( millions ) `` Old Wounds '' Jon Favreau Seth MacFarlane September 10, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 10 ) 1LAB01 8.56 25th - century Union command officer Ed Mercer divorces his wife, Kelly Grayson, after catching her cheating on him. A year later, he accepts a position as Captain of the U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level research vessel, and learns to his dismay that his ex-wife has been assigned as his First Officer. During the Orville 's first mission, the hostile alien Krill captain ( Joel Swetow ) attempts to steal a device that accelerates time, which has both beneficial and dangerous applications. Mercer and Grayson rig the device to destroy itself and the Krill vessel. `` Command Performance '' Robert Duncan McNeill Seth MacFarlane September 17, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 17 ) 1LAB03 6.63 The technologically advanced Calivon imprison Mercer and Grayson in a replica of their former home as a zoo exhibit. Alara is left in command of the Orville, as Bortus has laid an egg and must incubate it. Alara is unsure of herself, but gains confidence with the help of Claire 's mentorship. Mercer and Grayson wonder if they could have made their relationship work, but finally conclude that they were never compatible for a long - term romantic relationship, despite their strong camaraderie. Admiral Tucker orders Alara to return to Earth instead of approaching the powerful Calivon ; Alara violates these orders and rescues Mercer and Grayson, along with an alien child, by trading an archive of Earth 's reality television for them. Mercer presents Alara with a medal of honor and believes he and Grayson can prevent her from being punished for insubordination. A female offspring hatches from Bortus ' egg, stunning him and Klyden, as Moclan females are extremely rare. `` About a Girl '' Brannon Braga Seth MacFarlane September 21, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 21 ) 1LAB04 4.05 When Doctor Finn refuses Bortus and Klyden 's request to have their daughter undergo sex reassignment surgery, which is standard practice for Moclans on the very rare occasions when a female is born, the parents petition Mercer to order the procedure. Mercer refuses, as he ( and the rest of the crew ) object to performing such a procedure on a healthy infant, so Bortus and Klyden arrange to have the procedure performed on a Moclan vessel. Gordon and John change Bortus ' mind by showing him Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer, but Klyden still wants to proceed, revealing that he was born female. The case is arbitrated on the Moclan planet, Moclus, where Grayson represents Bortus ; she casts doubt on the idea of male superiority by demonstrating that Alara is physically strong and Gordon is stupid. Mercer locates a female Moclan of advanced years, Heveena, who testifies that she lived a happy and fulfilling life in seclusion, and reveals that under the pseudonym `` Gondus Elden, '' she has become an esteemed novelist on Moclus. But Klyden and the tribunal are unconvinced, and the baby undergoes the surgery. Despite their disagreement, Bortus and Klyden are committed to one another and to giving their son, Topa, a good life. `` If the Stars Should Appear '' James L. Conway Seth MacFarlane September 28, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 28 ) 1LAB02 3.70 The Orville encounters an immense, 2000 - year - old derelict ship drifting into a star. Mercer, Grayson, Kitan, Finn, and Isaac enter, discovering an artificial biosphere and a civilization of 3 million who worship an entity called Dorahl, and do not know they are on a ship. Grayson is held prisoner by their theocratic dictator Hamelac, who imposes a death penalty on `` Reformers '' who believe anything exists beyond the known world. While Bortus takes the Orville to save a colony ship from a Krill attack, Grayson 's crewmates rescue her and lead a group of Reformers to the alien ship 's bridge. An ancient recording from Captain Jahavus Dorahl ( played by Liam Neeson ) reveals that it was a generation ship disabled by an ion storm. Isaac initiates repairs and opens the hull 's window, enabling the populace to see stars for the first time, moving even Hamelac. Mercer makes arrangements for the Union to train the people to operate their ship. Meanwhile, Klyden is frustrated that Bortus ' duties leave him little time for family. 5 `` Pria '' Jonathan Frakes Seth MacFarlane October 5, 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 05 ) 1LAB05 3.43 The Orville comes to the rescue of a mining ship. Grayson is suspicious of their new guest, Pria Lavesque ( Charlize Theron ), to whom Mercer is clearly attracted. Grayson 's concerns are shown to have merit when Pria is discovered to be a time - traveling artifact dealer from the 29th Century. Pria claims to have rescued the Orville from a dark matter storm that would have killed them all, mainly so she could sell the ship to an artifact buyer in her own time. She gains control of the ship with an advanced technological device, and their attempt to disable it knocks Isaac out. They travel to the future through a wormhole, but Isaac, whose mind was transferred to the ship 's computer while trying to counter-hack Pria 's control of the Orville, manages to recover the control of the ship and they to return to their time. They shot the wormhole to close it, and Pria disappears. Meanwhile, Malloy 's attempt to teach Isaac the concept of practical jokes backfires when Isaac anesthetizes Malloy and amputates his leg, forcing Dr. Finn to regenerate it, but Malloy later confirms that it was a good joke. 6 `` Krill '' Jon Cassar David A. Goodman October 12, 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 12 ) 1LAB06 3.37 After recovering a Krill shuttle intact, Mercer and Malloy are ordered to pose as Krill soldiers in order to board one of their vessels and get a copy of the Ankhana, a sacred religious text. They are forced to change priorities when they learn that the Krill plan to detonate a powerful bomb over a remote Union colony. Rather than destroy the bomb, and therefore the ship, they exploit the Krill 's natural weakness to sunlight to eliminate all the crew members, with the exception of a classroom full of children and their teacher Teleya, who warns Mercer that his actions will only reinforce the Krill 's hatred for the Union. 7 `` Majority Rule '' Tucker Gates Seth MacFarlane October 26, 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 26 ) 1LAB07 4.18 An undercover team led by Grayson lands on Sargas 4, an Earth - like planet with a culture similar to that of 21st - century human civilization, to locate two missing anthropologists. There, LaMarr is arrested after a video of him dancing with a beloved statue receives more than a million `` down '' votes, and must convince the public to pardon him or be subjected to `` treatment '' for his actions. Alara and Claire locate one of the missing, but find him in an irreversible lobotomized state. With LaMarr facing a final vote to determine his guilt, Mercer brings one of the planet 's inhabitants, Lysella, aboard the Orville and learns about the `` Master Feed '', which Isaac is able to hack and upload doctored images of John, narrowly swinging the vote in his favor. Now free, John and the others return to the ship and depart. The next day, Lysella decides against taking part in a public vote. 8 `` Into the Fold '' Brannon Braga Brannon Braga & André Bormanis November 2, 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 02 ) 1LAB08 3.83 While traveling to a recreational planet in a shuttle, Isaac, Finn, and her sons Marcus and Ty fall into a spatial fold, and crash on a planet devastated by famine and disease, and populated by cannibals. Finn is separated from the other three and captured by a survivalist named Drogen. While she works to escape, Isaac, who is unfamiliar with the care of human children, is forced to protect her sons while he tries to fix the shuttle 's communication systems in order to send a distress signal. Ty becomes ill with the planet 's indigenous disease. After Finn kills Drogen and reunites with the others, Isaac and Marcus hold off a large attack by the cannibals long enough for the Orville to rescue them. After Finn cures Ty 's infection, Isaac tells her that, for all the faults he sees in the children, he still thinks of them fondly. 9 `` Cupid 's Dagger '' Jamie Babbit Liz Heldens November 9, 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 09 ) 1LAB09 3.69 The Orville is dispatched to mediate talks between two alien species, the Navarians and the Bruidians, who have been at a centuries - old stalemate over which race lays proper claim over the planet Lapovius. Also assigned to the matter is Darulio ( Rob Lowe ), the Retepsian whose affair with Grayson a year prior ended her marriage to Mercer, to scan an ancient artifact from the planet for DNA to reveal which species was the original inhabitant. Unbeknownst to the crew, Darulio secretes a sex pheromone as part of his mating cycle, which affects the crew resulting in trysts between Darulio and Grayson, Darulio and Mercer, and Finn and Yaphit. This incapacitates the affected officers, resulting in the Navarian and Bruidian delegates canceling the mediation, and a full - scale battle in orbit around the planet. The crisis is resolved when Darulio and Alara expose the ambassadors to a modified version of the pheromone, resulting in a temporary infatuation that prompts a ceasefire. DNA test results from the artifact reveal that the planet 's inhabitants were common ancestors to both species, legitimizing a mutual claim to the planet. When Grayson asks Darulio if he was in heat a year ago, he only answers `` maybe ''. 10 `` Firestorm '' Brannon Braga Cherry Chevapravatdumrong November 16, 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 16 ) 1LAB10 3.32 When Lt. Payne is trapped beneath debris during a plasma storm, Alara 's pyrophobia causes her to hesitate, and after he dies, she blames herself. Mercer declines her resignation and suggests she discover the cause of her pyrophobia. She learns from her parents ( Robert Picardo and Molly Hagan ) that, as an infant, her mother fell asleep cradling her when a fire broke out in the kitchen. Alara 's cries woke her up just in time to save them both. Soon, the Orville encounters strange phenomena, including a scary clown, a giant spider that eats Malloy, and murderous versions of Finn and Isaac. It is revealed that Alara is in the holographic simulator, in a program she ordered Isaac to create to simulate any other potential fears she may have, and having Finn erase her short - term memory of having made the request to ensure an authentic reaction to the program. She completes the program, after which Mercer threatens to court martial her for invoking Directive 38 ( allowing the Chief of Security to override the captain 's clearance ) so that no one could abort the simulation early, but decides to let Alara off easy, saying he was impressed by her ability to overcome every obstacle. 11 `` New Dimensions '' Kelly Cronin Seth MacFarlane November 30, 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 30 ) 1LAB11 3.63 With Lt. Newton leaving the Orville, Mercer must find a new Chief Engineer. Although Yaphit is next in line for the position, Cmdr. Grayson discovers that LaMarr has been hiding intellectual gifts, stemming from wanting to be better accepted as a child growing up in his community. Grayson convinces Mercer to assign LaMarr to lead an engineering team assignment, in order to evaluate him as a candidate, but when Mercer learns that Grayson similarly pushed for Admiral Halsey to consider him for the Orville 's captaincy, he becomes wracked with doubt and resentment, despite Grayson 's insistence that he was granted his position on merit and Halsey 's confirmation that Mercer 's performance on the ship has borne this out. Meanwhile, the Orville encounters a thief with a cache of plasma rifles stolen from the Krill, who is killed when he passes into a region of two - dimensional space. To elude the thief 's Krill pursuers, the Orville takes refuge in that region. When the protective quantum bubble around the ship begins to fail, LaMarr, initially daunted by being placed in a leadership position, rises to the occasion, and works with Yaphit to help the ship escape the realm, for which LaMarr is made Chief Engineer and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. 12 `` Mad Idolatry '' Brannon Braga Seth MacFarlane December 7, 2017 ( 2017 - 12 - 07 ) 1LAB13 3.54 Grayson leads a shuttle team that crashes on a suddenly appearing planet with a Bronze Age society. After leaving the crew discovers the planet phases in to our universe for a short time every 11 days as 700 years passes on the planet. They discover their first visit has resulted in a religion that worships Cmdr. Grayson and has grown into a theocracy resembling Earth 's middle ages. Admiral Ozawa reprimands Mercer for omitting mention of the contamination, and orders no further contact with the planet. Mercer and Grayson defy this order by returning to the planet to inform the society 's religious leader, of the truth, but a subordinate assassinates him. As a result, by the time the planet next appears, its society is comparable to early 21st century Earth, with religious bickering and strife. Resolving to end the suffering, Isaac stays on the planet when it phases out, spending 700 years with them. When the planet emerges again, it has progressed to interstellar space travel, and two of its representatives return Isaac to the Orville where they inform the crew that despite the tumultuous effect of his arrival on the planet, its society developed away from worshiping Cmdr. Grayson naturally and suggested that when they progress millennia ahead, they may study the Union. Production Development MacFarlane originally wrote The Orville as a spec script, which was given a 13 - episode order by Fox on May 4, 2016, making it the first live - action television series created by MacFarlane, as well as his first live - action starring role on television. Following the project 's greenlight, MacFarlane stated, `` I 've wanted to do something like this show ever since I was a kid, and the timing finally feels right. (... ) I think this is gon na be something special. '' According to MacFarlane, The Orville was inspired by The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. He was also encouraged to sell the series due to the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool. On November 2, 2017, Fox renewed the series for a second season. On November 15, it was reported that episode thirteen of season one would be held back and instead air during the second season due to a gap in broadcast dates caused by the broadcaster 's lengthy Christmas programming. Casting On July 29, 2016, MacFarlane 's role was revealed to be Ed Mercer, the captain of the Orville, while Adrianne Palicki had been cast as Kelly Grayson, Ed 's ex-wife and the newly appointed first officer of the Orville, and Scott Grimes, who voices Steve Smith on American Dad ! ( another show created by MacFarlane ), was cast as Gordon Malloy, Ed 's best friend whom he hires to pilot the Orville. On August 19, Peter Macon and J Lee were cast as series regulars. On October 31, Halston Sage and Penny Johnson Jerald joined the cast. On December 8, Mark Jackson was cast. On April 3, 2017, Chad L. Coleman was added as a series regular and Larry Joe Campbell was cast in a recurring role. At San Diego Comic Con, MacFarlane said that Charlize Theron would guest - star in an episode. The two had previously co-starred in A Million Ways to Die in the West. Filming On August 24, 2016, Jon Favreau signed on to direct the pilot. Production on the pilot episode began in late 2016, and the rest of the episodes began filming on March 27, 2017. Production wrapped on August 23, 2017. Star Trek veterans Jonathan Frakes and Robert Duncan McNeill have each directed an episode of The Orville, having directed episodes of the Star Trek franchise. Four episodes were directed by Brannon Braga, Producer of Star Trek : Voyager and Co-Creator of Star Trek : Enterprise. Filming for the second season begins in February 2018. Music The show uses a 75 - piece orchestra for the music in each episode, alongside several different composers. MacFarlane said `` We score it like a movie '' and `` We really put as much into that as we do into the effects. '' Reception Critical response The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 21 % approval rating, with an average rating of 4.61 / 10 based on 39 critic reviews. The website 's consensus reads, `` An odd jumble of campiness and sincerity, homage, and satire, The Orville never quite achieves liftoff. '' Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 36 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating `` generally unfavorable reviews ''. Liz Miller writing for IndieWire compared the series to Star Trek, calling it a rip - off and `` Creatively, Morally, and Ethically Bankrupt ''. She criticized the lack of creativity, the blatant imitation, and was surprised that the show is `` uninterested in being a comedy ''. Tim Surette at TV Guide says, `` The truth is, The Orville was never going to win over critics because it 's a throwback and goes against everything modern television is. It 's not that The Orville does n't know what it wants it to be, as critics assume, it 's that it wants to be a little bit of everything ''. Erik Kain of Forbes gave a positive review of the show with the observation that `` All the optimism and sincerity and lightheartedness of Star Trek is here, and in many ways it 's kind of wonderful. I 'm honestly surprised something like this exists. '' He says the critics were wrong and suggests their opinions are based on disliking MacFarlane and his type of humor. Audience response In the October 15, 2017, episode of The Angry Joe Show, `` The Orville Mid-Season Angry Review '', host Joe Vargas noted the gulf between the response to the series among critics and viewers, contrasting the Rotten Tomatoes ' 19 % approval rating from professional critics to the 91 % viewer approval rating. Vargas compared this to Star Trek : Discovery, which received an 83 % rating from critics, and stated `` Star Trek fans -- at least the ones that watch my show -- like The Orville way more than they like Star Trek : Discovery ''. Tim Surette of TV Guide also wrote about the critic - to - viewer Rotten Tomatoes rating, noting the balance had shifted to 21 / 93, and that its Metacritic score was 36 % approval from critics, and 82 % from viewers. As a critic himself, Surette notes that, as a throwback, The Orville is an anomaly in modern television, and found showrunner David A. Goodman 's admission that MacFarlane wants to vary between dramatic and comedic episodes a potentially dangerous strategy, but concedes that the show 's viewers appear to like it for that reason. Ratings After its premiere on Sunday, September 10, 2017, the show moved to Thursday nights at 9 p.m. In its first broadcast in the new time slot, The Orville became Fox 's highest rated Thursday 9 p.m. broadcast in two years. After taking into account DVR and VOD, The Orville was Fox 's most - viewed drama debut since the premiere of Empire in 2015. No. Title Air date Rating / share ( 18 -- 49 ) Viewers ( millions ) DVR ( 18 -- 49 ) DVR viewers ( millions ) Total ( 18 -- 49 ) Total viewers ( millions ) `` Old Wounds '' September 10, 2017 2.7 / 9 8.56 N / A N / A N / A N / A `` Command Performance '' September 17, 2017 2.2 / 8 6.63 0.9 2.42 3.1 9.05 `` About a Girl '' September 21, 2017 1.1 / 4 4.05 N / A N / A N / A N / A `` If the Stars Should Appear '' September 28, 2017 1.1 / 4 3.70 1.0 3.11 2.1 6.81 5 `` Pria '' October 5, 2017 0.9 / 3 3.43 3.35 2.1 6.79 6 `` Krill '' October 12, 2017 1.0 / 4 3.37 1.1 3.32 2.1 6.69 7 `` Majority Rule '' October 26, 2017 1.2 / 5 4.18 1.1 3.11 2.3 7.29 8 `` Into the Fold '' November 2, 2017 1.0 / 4 3.83 1.0 2.89 2.0 6.72 9 `` Cupid 's Dagger '' November 9, 2017 1.0 / 4 3.69 1.1 3.01 2.1 6.70 10 `` Firestorm '' November 16, 2017 0.9 / 3 3.32 1.0 2.83 1.9 6.13 11 `` New Dimensions '' November 30, 2017 0.9 / 3 3.63 1.0 2.86 1.9 6.49 12 `` Mad Idolatry '' December 7, 2017 0.9 / 4 3.54 1.0 2.97 1.9 6.53 References ^ Jump up to : `` Shows A-Z -- orville, the on fox ''. The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Rubin, Rebecca. `` TV News Roundup : ' The Orville ' Becomes Fox 's Biggest Drama Debut in Two Years in Delayed Viewing ''. Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` The Orville : Seth MacFarlane Explains Why His New Show Is n't Just a Comedy ''. TV Line. August 8, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Burlingame, Jon ( September 7, 2017 ). `` Seth MacFarlane 's ' The Orville ' Gets Movie - Style Scoring From Emmy - Winning Composers ''. Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Seth MacFarlane to Create, Executive - Produce and Star in New Series ''. FOX.com. Retrieved August 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Surette, Tim ( June 22, 2017 ). `` Here 's When The Gifted, The Orville and Other Fox Shows Premiere ''. TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Martinelli, Marissa ( September 8, 2017 ). `` Seth MacFarlane 's The Orville Is More Earnest Star Trek Homage Than ' Family Guy in Space ' ''. Slate. ^ Jump up to : Nemetz, Dave ( November 2, 2017 ). `` The Orville Renewed for Season 2 ''. TV Line. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 2, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Orville Season 2 Will Be Bigger, But We 'll Probably Have to Wait for It ''. TVGuide.com. 2018 - 01 - 04. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 05. ^ Jump up to : Andreeva, Nellie ( July 29, 2016 ). `` Adrianne Palicki Stars In Seth MacFarlane Fox Series, Scott Grimes Co-Stars ''. Deadline Hollywood. United States : Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Old Wounds '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 1. Fox Broadcasting Company. September 10, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` About the Show : The Orville ''. Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved May 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Into the Fold '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 8. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 2, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` About a Girl '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 3. Fox Broadcasting Company. September 21, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` If the Stars Should Appear '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 4. Fox Broadcasting Company. September 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Cupid 's Dagger '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 9. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 9, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Command Performance '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 2. Fox Broadcasting Company. September 17, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` New Dimensions '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 11. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 30, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Mark Jackson Joins Seth MacFarlane 's Fox Series ' Orville ''. Deadline. December 8, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Pria '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 5. Fox Broadcasting Company. October 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Wiegand, David ( September 2, 2017 ). `` MacFarlane is lost in space with ' Orville ' ''. San Francisco Chronicle. ^ Jump up to : `` Into the Fold '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 8. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 2nd, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Orville Cast and Characters ''. TV Guide. Retrieved November 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Scoop : THE ORVILLE on FOX - Today, November 16, 2017 ''. Broadway World. November 16, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Majority Rule '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 7. Fox Broadcasting Company. October 26, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Krill '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 7. Fox Broadcasting Company. October 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Into the Fold '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 7. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 2, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Firestorm '', The Orville, Season 1, Episode 10. Fox Broadcasting Company. November 16, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( September 13, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville ' and ' SNF ' adjust up, Miss America and ' 20 / 20 ' adjust down : Sunday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 13, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( September 19, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville ' adjusts down, ' ' Sunday Night Football ' up : Sunday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( September 22, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville, ' ' Gotham, ' ' Zoo ' and CW originals unchanged : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( September 29, 2017 ). `` ' Will & Grace, ' ' Superstore, ' ' Good Place, ' ' Gotham ' adjust up ; ' How to Get Away ' adjusts down : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 29, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( October 6, 2017 ). `` ' Grey 's Anatomy ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 6, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( October 13, 2017 ). `` ' Will & Grace, ' ' Grey 's Anatomy, ' ' Gotham ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 13, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( October 27, 2017 ). `` NFL adjusts up, scripted shows all unchanged : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( November 3, 2017 ). `` ' Will & Grace ' adjusts up, ' Sheldon ' and other CBS shows adjust down : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 3, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( November 10, 2017 ). `` ' Big Bang Theory ' and ' Thursday Night Football ' adjust up : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 10, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( November 17, 2017 ). `` ' Supernatural ' and NFL adjust up, ' Young Sheldon ' adjusts down : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 17, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( December 4, 2017 ). `` ' Supernatural, ' ' Big Bang Theory ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 4, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Porter, Rick ( December 8, 2017 ). `` ' Supernatural ' and NFL adjust up : Thursday final ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 8, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Andreeva, Nellie ( May 4, 2016 ). `` Seth MacFarlane To Create & Star In Fox Sci - Fi Dramedy Series For 2017 -- 18 Season ''. Deadline Hollywood. United States : Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Seth MacFarlane Talks New Comedy ' Orville ' ''. Access Hollywood YouTube Page. May 17, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017. Jump up ^ `` How Seth MacFarlane Got Charlize Theron To Be On ' The Orville ' ''. Entertainment Weekly YouTube Page. July 26, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Orville is Losing an Episode ''. Jump up ^ Warner, Sam ( November 15, 2017 ). `` Seth MacFarlane 's The Orville season 1 is going to be cut short ''. Digital Spy. Jump up ^ Petski, Denise ( August 19, 2016 ). `` Peter Macon & J Lee Join Seth MacFarlane 's Fox Series ' Orville ' ''. Deadline Hollywood. United States : Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 19, 2016. Jump up ^ McLennan, Cindy ( August 23, 2016 ). `` Orville : Peter Macon and J Lee Join Seth MacFarlane 's New FOX Comedy ''. TV Series Finale. United States : DreamHost. Retrieved November 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Pedersen, Erik ( October 31, 2016 ). `` Halston Sage & Penny Johnson Jerald Join Seth MacFarlane 's Sci - Fi Dramedy At Fox ''. Deadline Hollywood. United States : Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved October 31, 2016. Jump up ^ Petski, Denise ( April 3, 2017 ). `` Chad L. Coleman & Larry Joe Campbell Join Seth MacFarlane 's Fox Series ' Orville ' ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Snierson, Dan ( July 21, 2017 ). `` Charlize Theron to guest on Seth MacFarlane 's space - set series The Orville ''. Entertainment Weekly. United States : Time Inc. Retrieved July 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( August 24, 2016 ). `` Jon Favreau To Direct Seth MacFarlane 's Space Comedic Drama Series For Fox ''. Deadline Hollywood. United States : Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Seth MacFarlane ( @ SethMacFarlane ) ( August 23, 2017 ). `` That is a wrap on season 1 of @ TheOrville -- Thanks to our incomparable cast and crew for everything ! '' ( Tweet ). Retrieved August 24, 2017 -- via Twitter. ^ Jump up to : Shannon Miller, Liz ( September 8, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville ' Review : Seth MacFarlane 's ' Star Trek ' Rip - Off is Creatively, Morally, and Ethically Bankrupt ''. IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved September 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Scott Grimes ( @ ScottGrimes ) ( December 12, 2017 ). `` # day1 of getting in shape to be back aboard # theorville in February ! ! Even in 400 years we still have to work out '' ( Tweet ). Retrieved December 12, 2017 -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ Kain, Erik ( September 16, 2017 ). `` Interview : Seth MacFarlane On The Orville 's Unique Tone, ' Star Trek ' Roots ''. Forbes. Jump up ^ `` The Orville : Season 1 ( 2017 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved November 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Orville -- Season 1 Reviews ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 9, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Surette, Tim ( November 24, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville ' Review : The Curious Case of The Orville : Why critics hate it but fans love it ''. TV Guide. TV Guide.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018. Jump up ^ Kain, Erik ( September 10, 2017 ). `` ' The Critics Must Be Crazy : Seth MacFarlane 's ' The Orville ' Captures The Spirit Of ' Star Trek ' ''. Forbes. Retrieved September 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Vargas, Jose Antonio ( 15 October 2017 ). `` The Orville Mid-Season Angry Review ''. The Angry Joe Show. Retrieved 27 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : Schneider, Michael. `` The Orville vs. Star Trek : Discovery Ratings : Both Open Competitively ''. IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 01. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( September 27, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville ' ties ' America 's Got Talent ' in 18 -- 49 : Broadcast Live + 7 ratings for Sept. 11 -- 17 ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( October 13, 2017 ). `` ' This Is Us ' and ' The Good Doctor ' score big in premiere week broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( October 18, 2017 ). `` ' The Orville, ' ' Once Upon a Time, ' 5 more shows double in week 2 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( October 25, 2017 ). `` ' The Good Doctor ' is the most - watched show on TV in week 3 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 25, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( November 9, 2017 ). `` ' Grey 's Anatomy ' keeps rolling along in week 5 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 9, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( November 17, 2017 ). `` ' This Is Us ' and 12 more shows double in week 6 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( November 27, 2017 ). `` ' This Is Us ' rides high in week 7 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( December 5, 2017 ). `` ' Jane the Virgin, ' 10 other shows double in week 8 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( December 14, 2017 ). `` CW crossovers get another bump in week 10 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 16, 2017. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( December 21, 2017 ). `` ' Agents of SHIELD ' gets a good bump in week 11 broadcast Live + 7 ratings ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 21, 2017. External links Official website The Orville on IMDb The Orville on Facebook Seth MacFarlane Filmography Awards Series created Family Guy American Dad ! The Cleveland Show The Orville Films directed Ted A Million Ways to Die in the West Ted 2 Studio albums Music Is Better Than Words Holiday for Swing No One Ever Tells You In Full Swing Novels A Million Ways to Die in the West Characters Peter Griffin Brian Griffin Stewie Griffin Glenn Quagmire Stan Smith Roger See also Fuzzy Door Productions The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve Rachael MacFarlane `` Everybody Needs a Best Friend '' Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Night of the Hurricane Fuzzy Door Productions Seth MacFarlane Television series Animated Family Guy ( 1999 -- 2003 ; since 2005 ) American Dad ! ( since 2005 ) The Cleveland Show ( 2009 -- 13 ) Bordertown ( 2016 ) Live - action The Winner ( 2007 ) Dads ( 2013 -- 14 ) Blunt Talk ( 2015 -- 16 ) The Orville ( since 2017 ) Documentary Cosmos : A Spacetime Odyssey ( 2014 ) Films Straight - to - DVD Stewie Griffin : The Untold Story ( 2005 ) Theatrical Ted ( 2012 ) A Million Ways to Die in the West ( 2014 ) Ted 2 ( 2015 ) Web series Seth MacFarlane 's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy ( 2008 -- 09 ) Studio albums No One Ever Tells You ( 2015 ) In Full Swing ( 2017 ) Night of the Hurricane Fox programming ( current and upcoming ) Primetime 9 - 1 - 1 ( since 2018 ) American Grit ( since 2016 ) Bob 's Burgers ( since 2011 ) Beat Shazam ( since 2017 ) Brooklyn Nine - Nine ( since 2013 ) Empire ( since 2015 ) The Exorcist ( since 2016 ) The F Word ( since 2017 ) Family Guy ( 1999 -- 2002 ; since 2005 ) The Four : Battle For Stardom ( since 2018 ) Ghosted ( since 2017 ) The Gifted ( since 2017 ) Gotham ( since 2014 ) Hell 's Kitchen ( since 2005 ) Home Free ( since 2015 ) Hotel Hell ( since 2012 ) LA to Vegas ( since 2018 ) The Last Man on Earth ( since 2015 ) Lethal Weapon ( since 2016 ) Love Connection ( since 2017 ) Lucifer ( since 2016 ) MasterChef ( since 2010 ) MasterChef Junior ( since 2013 ) The Mick ( since 2017 ) Miss Universe ( since 2015 ) Miss USA ( since 2016 ) New Girl ( since 2011 ) The Orville ( since 2017 ) Prison Break ( 2005 -- 2009 ; since 2017 ) The Resident ( since 2018 ) The Simpsons ( since 1989 ) So You Think You Can Dance ( since 2005 ) Star ( since 2016 ) The X-Files ( 1993 -- 2002 ; since 2016 ) News Fox News Sunday ( since 1996 ) Sports Fox College Football ( since 1999 ) MLB on Fox ( since 1996 ) Fox NASCAR ( since 2001 ) Fox NFL / Fox NFL Sunday ( since 1994 ) The OT ( since 2005 ) Fox USGA ( since 2014 ) Fox UFC ( since 2011 ) See also 4Kids TV Fox Kids Speed on Fox Weekend Marketplace Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Orville&oldid=821408843 '' Categories : 2017 American television series debuts 2010s American comedy - drama television series 2010s American science fiction television series American science fiction television series Comic science fiction English - language television programs Fox network shows Parodies of Star Trek Space adventure television series Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Fuzzy Door Productions Television series set in the future Television series created by Seth MacFarlane 25th century in fiction Hidden categories : Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands Polski Русский Suomi Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 20 January 2018, at 08 : 35. 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Question: who is the voice of yaphit on the orville
Answer: Norm Macdonald