Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Season 1 – The Orville

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – The Orville Sep 2017 Comedy Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
31% Tomatometer 55 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Set 400 years in the future, Seth MacFarlane's hit space adventure series follows the U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship. Its crew, both human and alien, face the wonders and dangers of outer space, while also dealing with the problems of everyday life. The ensemble series stars MacFarlane as the ship's Captain, Ed Mercer, and Adrianne Palicki as his ex-wife, who's assigned as his first officer. Additional cast members include Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon and J Lee.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Orville — Season 1

The Orville — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

An odd jumble of campiness and sincerity, homage and satire, The Orville never quite achieves liftoff.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Mey Rude Autostraddle Oct 5, 2021
The tone of the show makes it even more confusing, as it has an air of self importance and intellectualism about it, but mixes that with a complete lack of understanding about the current cultural and political climate, and dick jokes. Go to Full Review Graeme Blundell The Australian Sep 28, 2018
There are few buzzes, though, and little hilarity in this depressing effort. Go to Full Review Carol Midgley The Times (UK) Dec 29, 2017
2/5
I don't love it at all. Indeed I could summarise that first episode in three words. Not. Very. Funny. Go to Full Review CJ Sheu Review Film Review Aug 4, 2022
I was first drawn by the fact that Kelly Grayson is played by Adrianne Palicki and her great hair, and that Kelly and Ed Mercer (MacFarlane) are divorced Commander and Captain[.] [...] The greatest merit [...] is [...] the casualization of starship life. Go to Full Review Alberto Carlos Espinof Aug 12, 2019
The third episode, despite its good intentions and even being clearly better than the pilot, fails to completely redeem the series. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Rachel Leishman The Mary Sue Feb 4, 2019
Overall, the show is entertaining, and it's a great look at how we view our favorite sci-fi shows-and how we can make them feel fresh in the modern age. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Chrispy T @Chrispy999 Aug 31, 2026 This is one of the best shows to come out in a long time. It has the humor of Family Guy but also on a more serious note. It really brings the feel and magic of Star Trek back but with a twist. The alien creatures and worlds give a vibrant exploration into a new universe. I can only compare that desire to learn more about the creatures and worlds to a feeling I had within the Star Wars universes. All complex with their own identities. Highly recommend and great seeing Seth in a role like this with classic guest stars from Star Trek and other favourites! See more Steven B @RT05971472 Aug 3, 2026 Not many shows/movies are able to strike the right balance of juvenile humor and taking things seriously. Usually you can tell that more effort is placed in one more than the other. But this show blends the two perfectly, by having the characters react to real scenarios in a way that's both respectful and silly. See more Rigetii R @Riget May 31, 2026 This is ridiculus, written by preteen. See more Ross S @RT51013533 May 11, 2026 Love it there are a few episodes that are a miss but over all it's a great Show. See more Kitty B. @RT39361253 Apr 22, 2026 100% LOVED this season!! I can say out of all the creations Seth has made. The Orville is my #1 favorite! See more Kurt H. @The_Dark_Lord_of_Dragons Apr 2, 2026 Love the fresh concept, love the fact that they don't always win! See more Read all reviews
The Orville — Season 1

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Seth MacFarlane

Captain Ed Mercer

Adrianne Palicki

Commander Kelly Grayson

Penny Johnson

Dr. Claire Finn

Scott Grimes

Lieutenant Gordon Malloy

Peter Macon

Lieutenant Commander Bortus

Halston Sage

Chief Security Officer Alara Kitan

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 10, 2017 Old Wounds Ed Mercer's enthusiasm about his promotion to captain dampens when his ex-wife, Kelly, gets assigned to be his first officer; an alien race ambushes the crew in an attempt to steal a time-accelerating device. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 17, 2017 Command Performance Ed and Kelly find themselves prisoners in a replica of their former home; Alara must take first command of the Orville to attempt a heroic rescue; Bortus and Klyden receive unexpected news. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 21, 2017 About a Girl The Orville travels to Bortus' planet; the crew debates controversial surgeries for newborns. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 28, 2017 If the Stars Should Appear Ed and the crew encounter a massive vessel adrift in space and in danger of colliding with a star; Bortus, Gordon, and John fend off a Krill attack on another Union ship. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 5, 2017 Pria The crew saves a stranded ship and its attractive Capt. Pria; Ed becomes smitten with Pria, but Kelly is suspicious; Gordon attempts to teach Isaac the art of pulling off a practical joke. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 12, 2017 Krill Ed and Gordon are sent on a dangerous undercover mission to infiltrate a Krill ship and obtain a copy of the Krill bible. Details Episode 7 Aired Oct 26, 2017 Majority Rule Ed sends a team to find missing anthropologists on a planet similar to 21st-century Earth; the mission goes awry when they realize the planet uses a public voting system to determine punishment. Details Episode 8 Aired Nov 2, 2017 Into the Fold Dr. Finn, her two sons, and Isaac get lost in space; Ed and the crew set out to save them. Details Episode 9 Aired Nov 9, 2017 Cupid's Dagger The Orville is called to mediate a peace treaty between two warring cultures; tensions run high between Ed and Kelly when a familiar face boards the ship; Yaphit declares his love for Dr. Finn. Details Episode 10 Aired Nov 16, 2017 Firestorm A fire breaks out on the ship, and a crew member dies; Alara questions her fitness for the job; unusual things start happening on the ship. Details Episode 11 Aired Nov 30, 2017 New Dimensions Kelly discovers that Lt. John Lamarr is smarter than he lets on; the Orville gets damaged by a mysterious spatial anomaly that affects all living things. Details Episode 12 Aired Dec 7, 2017 Mad Idolatry Ed and Kelly consider getting back together; Ed and the crew discover a planet from another universe; Kelly makes a decision with unforeseen long-term consequences for the planet, putting Ed in a difficult position. Details

More Like This

View All
Maggie 62% 78% Maggie Watchlist TRAILER for Maggie Moonbase 8 56% 67% Moonbase 8 Watchlist TRAILER for Moonbase 8 Final Space % 87% Final Space Watchlist TRAILER for Final Space American Dad! % 87% American Dad! Watchlist TRAILER for American Dad! Jeff & Some Aliens 100% 87% Jeff & Some Aliens Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related TV News

View All
More Like This: Love Star Trek: Picard? Here Are 5 More Series Like It Seth MacFarlane Addresses Critics’ Harsh Take on The Orville Story Line Marvel’s Iron Fist Breaks Tomatometer Record with Biggest Sophomore Bump
View All

The Orville — Season 1

The Orville View more photos

Season Info

Director
Jon Favreau
Executive Producer
Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, Jason Clark, Liz Heldens
Network
Hulu
Rating
TV-14 (V|D|S|L)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 10, 2017
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings