We weren’t quite sure what to expect from Seth MacFarlane’s Star Trek parody The Orville after seeing its first trailer, but we’re now convinced it’s the Star Trek show we didn’t know we needed.
At the series’ Comic-Con panel on Saturday, MacFarlane revealed that the series isn’t a straight up spoof as many had assumed, but instead it’s an hour-long comedy-drama. The series’ trailer is heavy on jokes and silliness, but the show’s tone will be quite a bit different. Instead of feeling like a parody of Star Trek, it will instead feel like an actual Star Trek series — just an exceptionally funny one. The writers room is made up of half comedy writers and half dramatic writers, meaning we should expect just as many thrills and tension-filled moments as gags.
MacFarlane also revealed at the panel that this is the show he initially wanted to make when he first came to Hollywood, and his passion for Star Trek is on full display in the series. He mentioned that fans should expect some subtle references to Star Trek, as well as some actors from the various incarnations of the franchise — though he was careful not to say which ones. You can check out the new Comic-Con trailer below which features plenty of new footage and some great-looking alien creatures that would make Gene Roddenberry proud.
The Orville premieres on Fox on September 10 at 8/7C.
