We have not seen a new episode from the space-based series The Orville since its Season 2 finale aired on FOX on April 25, 2019, but that show will finally make its return on June 2nd (moving to Hulu) when its third season premieres after a hiatus of over three years. That is definitely a long time between seasons, and there has been speculation during that break that the show will be coming to an end after its upcoming run on Hulu. Rumors first spread of the show’s demise last year, and now there is more evidence that the voyages of The Orville could be coming to an end.
Seth McFarlane’s sci fi series debuted on FOX in September of 2017 (five years ago!) and became an unexpected hit for that network in its first season. Its numbers slipped some in its second year, but it still performed well enough to get a third-season nod. That was right about the time that Disney bought FOX Entertainment and brought The Orville under the umbrella of the House of Mouse. The decision was made to shift the show over to Hulu (Disney has a majority ownership stake in that streaming service), but production of the third season was put on hold due to the pandemic-related shutdowns. The arrival of the show’s third year continued to experience delays, and that led to rumors suggesting that it could be in trouble.
In late Summer of last year, The Cinema Spot made the claim that the show’s third season would be its last, but did not cite any official sources. The Orville‘s producer Tom Costantino responded to the rumors on Twitter stating “We can barely figure out how to get back to work. Wouldn’t worry about 2021. Or 22”. He later replied to somebody on Twitter asking for clarification on the cancellation rumor saying “No Truth. Don’t Worry.” But that very month, the cast of the show was quietly released when the options to their contracts expired.
Also last year, McFarlane signed a multi-million dollar development deal with NBCUniversal and he has been working on productions for that company. That includes a prequel series to his Ted films and Orville alum Scott Grimes will have a lead role in the pilot for that show. So with McFarlane busy on development and the cast members moving on to other projects, the prospects of a fourth season do not look great at this point.
According to Deadline, a continuation of the show beyond its third year is not off the table, though, and if McFarlane wants to bring the cast and crew back together the execs at Disney will certainly consider it. At this point, it may all depend on how the show performs when it does return with new episodes in June. If it draws high viewership and (most importantly) brings new subscribers to Hulu, the Mouse House will almost certainly be open to a fourth season. If the response is tepid (not impossible after a three-year layoff), the third season may be its swansong for now. It will have 37 episodes at that point which is comparable to the runs of many of the recent streaming originals, so Disney may decide to just cap it off there.
If fans do want to see a fourth season of the show, they definitely need to watch when it returns (streaming viewing is not subject to the Nielsen filters, so everyone that watches will be counted). And they need to do what they can to bring attention to the show. They should be active on the social networks and stage watch-parties to help keep viewership up and keep it trending. Even if a fourth season does happen, there may be another long hiatus before it returns because of McFarlane’s schedule and the challenges of bringing all the actors back together. But if the fans can prove that the show will draw viewers and subscribers to Hulu, there always a chance it will continue.
Will you be watching The Orville when it returns and will you support fan efforts to lobby for a fourth season?
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Why not Will in the title