SETH MACFARLANE". When I was a kid, we had utopian science fiction.
We had shows and movies that were hopeful and aspirational,
and presented a future that was
a model for what we could do
as opposed to a warning about what will happen if we don't get our act together.
It's a real departure
from all other science fiction that you're seeing right now.
The Orville is a science-fiction series that takes place in the 25th century...
that centers on a mid-level exploratory craft.
Ed is kind of one of those guys that is not anybody's go-to guy for the job,
but they need captains.
There's a ship available, and we're offering you command.
- You're kidding. - HALSEY: The USS Orville.
SETH: And so he finds himself thrust into this job,
which happens to be his dream from childhood.
He finds himself at a high,
and then it's immediately ripped out from underneath him
when he finds out that his first officer is gonna be his ex-wife.
No.
They'd had their issues: He was working nonstop,
and she ends up in bed with an alien,
-in which he walks in on. - Oh no.
Kelly's position is first officer.
SETH: She's somebody who is an extremely capable officer.
She's also a little bit more savvy.
Mercer to Bonus.
The Krill are here in peace.
Uh, they just came down for...
The lab is having a pizza party, and the Krill are invited.
- Oh! Bortus, can we please go down there? - Man, can we go?
When Ed gets command of the Orville,
the first person he recommends is-- is Gordon.
I can get you the best helmsman in the fleet.
You mean Lieutenant Malloy?
When Ed got the job as captain,
he thought of his best friend who might be able to drive the ship.
- GORDON: Whoa! - Knock-- knock it off right now.
- This is not safe. - You realize this is-- this is wasted.
ED: This is not funny or safe. Knock it off right now!
- This is like my first beer ever. -(engines roar)
Sorry.
Isaac, our science and engineering officer, hailing from Kaylon I.
ISAAC: Affirmative, sir.
Isaac is an artificial life-form from a planet of artificial life-forms.
He is played by Mark Jackson.
ISAAC: My planet regards humans and other biological life-forms as inferior.
- Oh, that's great, thanks. - ISAAC: You are welcome.
Bortus is Moclan. He's the third in command.
SETH: Bonus is a member of a single-gender species. They're all male.
That instantly sets up an interesting dynamic.
Moclans urinate only once per year.
Really? That's-- I mean, I'm-- I'm up two, three times a night. (chuckles)
That is unfortunate.
It is.
Alara comes from a race of academics.
HALSTON SAGE: She is the Orville': chief security officer.
(grunts)
She comes from a different planet
where the gravitational pull is
actually higher than it is on Earth, which gives me super strength.
You wanna open this jar of pickles for me?
(Alara grunts)
I loosened it for you.
What's interesting about the ship's doctor, Claire--
she's, in a lot of ways, the adult of the group.
PENNY JOHNSON JERALD: I'd like to say I am the mother of the ship,
in that I see things the way they really are.
- We don't mean your family any harm. - Well, we did just shoot his dad.
Aside from shooting your dad, we don't mean your family any harm.
- He's only stunned. - John is our navigator.
He's a very easygoing, free spirit kind of guy.
Gordon and I, we kind of get along very quickly,
and then we're just sort of like best buds.
- Ha-ha! (exhales hard) - Yes! Whoo!
The coolest thing to me that we're doing is we are doing model work.
The more complex shots of the Orville are CG],
but when you see the Orville fly by, if it's a close shot,
or if it doesn't have to do something really acrobatic, those are models.
We built an actual model of the Orville.
As a sci-fi nerd, that's probably the--
might be the biggest thrill for me. (chuckles)
(music continues)
This is one of those cases where there was really only one person in town
who has the mastery of tone
to walk this line between comedy and drama, and that was Jon.
JON FAVREAU". It felt like it was written by somebody who really loved the genre
and somebody who had a very specific point of view.
It's clear that Seth is a huge sci-fi fan,
and so we kinda geeked out a little bit over that.
SETH: It's an understatement to say that I've learned
a great deal from this guy during this process,
and it's been one of the most joyful experiences of my-- my career.
I've wanted to do a show like this since I was a kid.
It's gotta be fun, it's gotta be funny, it has to be dramatic,
but it also has to be aspirational.
(weapons firing)
SETH: I wanted it to be a place where you would want to be.
If you see people who are good at their jobs,
you see people that have a moral code, the people who like being there--
has to be something that sets out to solve some problems
and be a place that you want to live in.
Engage quantum drive.
(theme music playing)
'