Star Trek since it’s inception has had a difficult time with its owners finding the right way to promote the product to its very passionate fan base. Originally sold to CBS as “Wagon Train” to the stars, it was supposed to be a space western. Instead, it was a space was a space-based drama about a liberal version of the human condition. Starting with a multiracial crew that is the norm for today but was unheard of in television in the 60s. The show dealt with race, religion, drugs, DNA tampering, and sex roles. In no way was this a space western, and it was canceled after 2½ and never to die. Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future with the flip phone, the computer assistant, and social acceptance all became a reality and the fans never gave up even after cancellation. The show has spawned more spin-off shows than any other television property in history as well as one of the longest series of movies.
Enter Seth MacFarlane. Seth MacFarlane has made is living with the animated series Family Guy, and he has also been successful with the cartoons American Dad!, The Cleveland Show and the film Ted. But not everything he touches turns to gold.
However, He Who Lives in a Glass House, The Gay Knight, Die, Sweet Roadrunner, Die, A Trip to the Psychiatrist, Things You Never Hear, Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show, The Negotiating Table, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (TV Series) and The Winner all failed.
Orville is a live-action spoof of Star Trek. Spoof have never had long-term success on episodic television. So it was a gamble to bet on Orville much like Unibet Welcome Bonus NJ.
However, the gamble paid off. Just as Star Trek was not a Wagon Train to the stars. Orville isn’t just a parody of Star Trek. Where there are humorous situations in the show, the characters take themselves seriously within the context of the show. It has become what if Star Trek was filled with regular people with all their quirks and eccentricities. The show deals with the difficulties of interspecies romance and cultural imperialism. It follows many of the themes of original series of Star Trek.
Gene Roddenberry’s vision was a utopian future where man endured and society came together to deal with complex social issues. The Orville does this week in and week out. While Star Trek Discovery deals with war and death to be more topical but drifts far away from the original concept.
Now the second season is coming up on Fox this December.
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