The Orville Renewed by Fox

Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi dramedy The Orville will be back in action for season three. Fox renewed the show today after a season of modest ratings, seeing a 0.74 average and a 40% decline. That was higher than its Gotham lead-in, which was enough for Fox to grant it another season. The show was also helped out by California tax credits that it will receive for the third season, which makes production of the show cheaper than it would have previously been. Besides MacFarlane, the show stars Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald and Scott Grimes.

What do you think of this news? Will you be tuning in to season three of The Orville? Let us know in the comments below!

Aasim’s Top 5 New Shows of 2017

If you're wondering what's up with the GIF above, let's just say that's how I feel about 2017. While 2017 was horrible for many people, I think it's fair to say the year wasn't very kind to me. My longtime crush rejected me, both my siblings have grown distant from me (both physically and mentally), and worst of all, my cat died. But despite my misfortune, I was able to ease my troubles thanks to the world of television. The Golden Age of television is the gift that keeps on giving and 2017 gave us some of the best shows to grace our screens. Good TV has been a positive constant in my life and so dear reader, I wish to share with you my top 5 shows of 2017:

#5. Patriot (Amazon)

Patriot is one of those shows the critics love but no one watches. It's a damn shame really because it's one of the only spy comedies (and by default the best) on air right now. At first glance, the show looks like a standard spy comedy about an incompetent spy who fails at both his real job and his cover job. But after a while I realised the spy wasn't incompetent, he was just apathetic which made it even funnier. If the show's first five minutes don't pull you in then I guess it's not for you. But if you continue, be ready for a quiet yet ridiculous drama filled with deadpan humor and an odd bunch of characters.

#4. The Orville (FOX)

I was never a Trekkie (Star Wars 4 Life!!) But I decided to give The Orville a chance. Seth MacFarlane is known for his crass sense of humor but The Orville didn't seem that way to me. The show proved to be a solid space drama which focused on its ensemble cast as well as create stories worthy of being part of the sci-fi genre. I highly recommend Episode 10 as it was reminiscent of the horror film Event Horizon.

#3. American Vandal (Netflix)

When I first saw its trailer, I thought Netflix was trying to follow up on the success of Making a Murderer by creating a parody of the documentary genre. But American Vandal made what could have been a joke into a serious look into the consequences of actions, no matter how small. I'll be honest, I didn't find the show funny at all but I found myself invested in the mystery and search for the truth. I even felt sympathy for the accused, Dylan Maxwell especially since we got to see beyond his scumbag facade. Had I not known of its fictional nature beforehand, I would have believed American Vandal was a real documentary. The presentation of evidence, testimonies, faults in the timeline, all contributed to the realness of the show. Netflix uploaded a great deal of original content this year but American Vandal was one of their best shows this year.

#2. Legion (FX)

Long time readers of this website will know of my obvious love for this show but for those of you who don't, I'll just say more Legion was the perfect combination of weird and cool. It managed to provide something refreshing to the superhero genre while also remaining a character study of the main character. Its short order allowed it to be a thrilling and mind bending ride which really left me hankering for more. Legion was going to be my choice for #1 but then I watched...

#1. The Deuce (HBO)

I'm sure you were expecting something like American Gods or The Handmaid's Tale but no, my choice for #1 is The Deuce. Those shows may be amazing but I was more inclined to choose this because I'm a sucker for anything made by David Simon, the man behind The Wire. His latest work once again acted as a gritty portrayal of a city and its residents, this time being New York in the 1970's. David Simon's work isn't really for everyone and I'm sure the subject matter of this show will make most people shy away from it but I urge you, dear readers to check it out for its talented cast and crew who bring about a realistic portrayal of New York and its inhabitants.

What were your favorite debutants? Let me know in the comments below.

The Orville Renewed by FOX

FOX has renewed Seth MacFarlane's futuristic drama The Orville for a second season. The show airs Thursdays at 9pm and has been a hefty improvement upon previous time slot occupants. Its ratings so far can be found here.

What do you think of this news? Let us know in the comments below!

The Orville 'Old Wounds' [Season 1 Episode 1] Review

***Spoilers Ahead***

Old Wounds

Fox Broadcasting Co.

A show or film with the Seth MacFarlane label usually contains an excessive amount of offensive, polarizing, and crude jokes. Because of this, it makes perfect sense why I enjoy his animated and live-action comedies. But, I can also understand why some steer clear of his work, his style definitely isn't for everyone. With that said, The Orville is a much different beast compared to Family Guy or Ted. While the sci-fi series still exhibits the comedy style of MacFarlane's other works, it tones down the comedy in favor of action and drama. That's certainly not a bad thing and it generally works in the show's favor.

The plot of 'Old Wounds' is relatively straightforward. Ed (MacFarlane) is chosen to be the captain of The Orville. The only problem is, he has to work with his ex-wife Kelly (Adrianne Palicki). The bittersweet relationship between these two is easily the weakest aspect of an entertaining pilot. While watching, it was obvious that Ed would want Kelly to stay on the ship by the end of the episode. Outside of those two, there are a variety of interesting and creative characters onboard. I mainly enjoyed the non-human cast members, Bortus and Issac, they really helped strengthened the sci-fi atmosphere and easily stole the show in the outing. Since they are both stern and straightforward, they played off of the enthusiastic LaMarr and Malloy incredibly well. The other main members of the crew, Dr. Finn & Alara, don't get too much to do in the pilot, but I did enjoy Alara's super strength gimmick and Finn's amusing introduction.

The first quarter of the episode is expectedly uneventful, but the episode really shines once plot exposition is out of the way and the antagonist is established. Once it is revealed that there is a traitor in the midst, the installment turns into a fun-filled, action-packed ride. It was really enjoyable seeing the Orville crew face off against the Krill and ultimately prevail in their mission. While most reviewers will compare it to Star Trek, I felt that it also gave off a vibe reminiscent of 80's Saturday morning cartoons like He-Man.

As stated earlier, most MacFarlane shows are filled to the brim with crude jokes, but 'Old Wounds' doesn't seem to have any. The humor in the show is more observational and occasionally bathroom-oriented instead of being offensive. But, despite being a little different from past MacFarlane shows, a good majority of the comedy still came from the least edgy gags found in an episode of Family Guy. Ultimately, I felt that the comedy was very hit-and-miss, but there were still some solid jokes (I was particularly amused by the scene where MacFarlane tells the Krill to move to the center of the screen). Because of the absence of off-putting jokes, this show is a lot more universal and will likely appeal to people outside of the MacFarlane fandom.

In the end, 'Old Wounds' was a solid pilot. There are still kinks that need to be worked out, but for the most part, it was a pleasant surprise. The action was on-point and the soundtrack gave it a cinematic feel. In the end, it should appeal to both Star Trek and Family Guy fans.

Stray Thoughts

• Loved Brian George's role. You may remember him from that one episode of 'Seinfeld'.
• MacFarlane wanting to command his own ship probably connects to how he's wanted to bring back a 'Star Trek'-esque show to television for a long time.
• For some reason, I cracked up when MacFarlane ran into that 'blob guy'.
• Happy Arbor Day!

Pros	Cons
Great Soundtrack	Drama between Ed & Kelly
Engaging Action Scenes	Bathroom jokes
Interesting cast of characters

Grade: B+

What did you think of 'Old Wounds'? Vote in the poll and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Predict the Premiere Ratings for 'The Orville'

Tomorrow, Fox will debut the first new series of the 2017-18 season, The Orville. While the series will typically air on Thursdays, Fox is giving it two chances to gain an audience by airing after two different football games. The series is set to air live coast-to-coast for its series premiere. The show has done well on social media so far, though that could be more because of its star Seth MacFarlane than the show itself. The show is also a huge departure from the typical MacFarlane series, with it being his first starring role in a live-action series, as well as his first role in a drama series. Do you think this will translate to a strong start or a big disappointment? Vote in the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.