Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville , availablewith a Hulu subscription, started life as a comedic take on classic Star Trek, and while it never lost the humor, over the course of three seasons, the show became a loving homage to the sci-fi franchise, complete with the same positive and inspirational message. A show with such unbridled optimism is somewhat rare today, which is exactly why MacFarlane says he made it.
Appearing on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, hosted by Orville cast member Ted Danson, Seth MacFarlane says he specifically created The Orville as a sort of counterbalance to the rest of television, which he says is too pessimistic. MacFarlane said:
