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If you're a fan of classic Trek check out The Orville. There's just 3 episodes out but so far it's shaping up to be a true spiritual sequel to 90s Trek in ways

by avar 9y ago

If you're a fan of classic Trek check out The Orville. There's just 3 episodes out but so far it's shaping up to be a true spiritual sequel to 90s Trek in ways the JJ Abrahams-esque Discovery show won't be, judging from the first two episodes.

mikestew 9y ago
Umm, isn't The Orville a parody of (primarily) Star Trek? (I have not watched it.) I can't reconcile "parody" with "spiritual sequel". One would possibly make me laugh, the other is often a metaphor for more serious issues IRL.
- busterarm 9y ago
  Wait...Star Trek isn't parody? snerk
- avar 9y ago
  It's advertised as a comedy show and with Seth MacFarlane (of Family Guy) headlining it I also assumed it was some cheap Galaxy Quest-esque jab at Star Trek. There's some of that, in particular taking some jabs at Star Trek tropes (e.g. one situation being neatly resolved by the crew using seatbelts)[1]. But it's not just some cheap comedy. Yes there's campy humor that's basically the equivalent of TOS not taking itself quite seriously, but it's in every other way a proper modern day sequel to TNG, and the humor doesn't get in the way of that. I'm not going to spoil the 3rd episode of it that just came out, but it's a "moral conundrum" episode of the likes TNG was famous for, except it's IMNSHO executed better than any such TNG episode. Those tended to get resolved with some Deus Ex Machina or something resembling a stereotypically happy American ending, but The Orville took the hard way out. I was very impressed. 1. For those unfamiliar with Star Trek: Approximately half of on-screen fatalities could be prevented by some combination of seatbelt usage, and the computer consoles not being powered by 100,000 volts of electricity with no fuses or circuit breakers[2]. 2. The other half being prevented by not bringing no-name red shirts along on the away mission.
  - jeffhorton 9y ago
    Episode 3 was great. Very happy to see an outcome where earth culture didn't automatically win.
  - mikestew 9y ago
    Cool, thanks for a more in depth description. Sounds like it is worth watching an episode or two for myself, I'll give it a whirl.
    - MikusR 9y ago
      In this case watching second or third episode first would be better than starting with pilot.
  - cannonedhamster 9y ago
    I've been very pleased with the show as well and don't understand much of the criticism it's received. It's obviously still working out its footing but I've found it far better written than the first season of TNG.
- Jtsummers 9y ago
  Less a parody, more a comedy version of Star Trek. A parody implies they're making fun of Star Trek. So far the episodes have been a combination of humor [1] and a more played-straight sci-fi universe and story modeled after TNG. [0] See Galaxy Quest, which makes fun of the culture around ST as much as ST itself. [1] Sometimes too much taking me out of it, first episode was the worst for this, it's improving.
- randallsquared 9y ago
  More homage than parody. Virtually all the humor is due to the dialogue, but is driven by the sensibilities of the characters involved... so much so that one of my friends said The Orville was "so, basically Star Trek, but with realistic lines". When characters say funny things, they're mostly doing so intentionally, and the range of reactions to it is weirdly realistic. For a geek who spent some formative years viewing ST:TNG, this show seems like it's about and for my people. :)
- tzs 9y ago
  I read an article that I cannot find now that quoted its creators as saying that current incarnations of Star Trek have moved to darker and grim settings. They wanted to make a show that had the bright optimism toward the future that the original Star Trek had. It's also a comedy, but the comedy is not parodying Star Trek. It's more like what Star Trek might have been if Star Trek had been meant as a comedy-drama instead of just a drama. The first three episodes had some good jokes, and have took on a couple serious issues. They were OK, but not great, but that's fine. The first episodes of a show are more about building up background and establishing characters. There were enough good elements in these episodes to hint that given time it can develop into a great show. But its on Fox, which is notorious for not giving science fiction shows enough time (see Firefly and Terra Nova).

by avar 9y ago

mikestew 9y ago

Umm, isn't The Orville a parody of (primarily) Star Trek? (I have not watched it.) I can't reconcile "parody" with "spiritual sequel". One would possibly make me laugh, the other is often a metaphor for more serious issues IRL.

busterarm 9y ago
Wait...Star Trek isn't parody? snerk
avar 9y ago
It's advertised as a comedy show and with Seth MacFarlane (of Family Guy) headlining it I also assumed it was some cheap Galaxy Quest-esque jab at Star Trek. There's some of that, in particular taking some jabs at Star Trek tropes (e.g. one situation being neatly resolved by the crew using seatbelts)[1]. But it's not just some cheap comedy. Yes there's campy humor that's basically the equivalent of TOS not taking itself quite seriously, but it's in every other way a proper modern day sequel to TNG, and the humor doesn't get in the way of that. I'm not going to spoil the 3rd episode of it that just came out, but it's a "moral conundrum" episode of the likes TNG was famous for, except it's IMNSHO executed better than any such TNG episode. Those tended to get resolved with some Deus Ex Machina or something resembling a stereotypically happy American ending, but The Orville took the hard way out. I was very impressed. 1. For those unfamiliar with Star Trek: Approximately half of on-screen fatalities could be prevented by some combination of seatbelt usage, and the computer consoles not being powered by 100,000 volts of electricity with no fuses or circuit breakers[2]. 2. The other half being prevented by not bringing no-name red shirts along on the away mission.
- jeffhorton 9y ago
  Episode 3 was great. Very happy to see an outcome where earth culture didn't automatically win.
- mikestew 9y ago
  Cool, thanks for a more in depth description. Sounds like it is worth watching an episode or two for myself, I'll give it a whirl.
  - MikusR 9y ago
    In this case watching second or third episode first would be better than starting with pilot.
- cannonedhamster 9y ago
  I've been very pleased with the show as well and don't understand much of the criticism it's received. It's obviously still working out its footing but I've found it far better written than the first season of TNG.
Jtsummers 9y ago
Less a parody, more a comedy version of Star Trek. A parody implies they're making fun of Star Trek. So far the episodes have been a combination of humor [1] and a more played-straight sci-fi universe and story modeled after TNG. [0] See Galaxy Quest, which makes fun of the culture around ST as much as ST itself. [1] Sometimes too much taking me out of it, first episode was the worst for this, it's improving.
randallsquared 9y ago
More homage than parody. Virtually all the humor is due to the dialogue, but is driven by the sensibilities of the characters involved... so much so that one of my friends said The Orville was "so, basically Star Trek, but with realistic lines". When characters say funny things, they're mostly doing so intentionally, and the range of reactions to it is weirdly realistic. For a geek who spent some formative years viewing ST:TNG, this show seems like it's about and for my people. :)
tzs 9y ago
I read an article that I cannot find now that quoted its creators as saying that current incarnations of Star Trek have moved to darker and grim settings. They wanted to make a show that had the bright optimism toward the future that the original Star Trek had. It's also a comedy, but the comedy is not parodying Star Trek. It's more like what Star Trek might have been if Star Trek had been meant as a comedy-drama instead of just a drama. The first three episodes had some good jokes, and have took on a couple serious issues. They were OK, but not great, but that's fine. The first episodes of a show are more about building up background and establishing characters. There were enough good elements in these episodes to hint that given time it can develop into a great show. But its on Fox, which is notorious for not giving science fiction shows enough time (see Firefly and Terra Nova).