It’s been almost eighteen months since the last episode of “The Orville” was released, and it doesn’t look like the show will be returning to our screens anytime soon.

Set 400 years in the future, the series follows the adventures of The Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship. Its crew, both human and alien, face the wonders and dangers of outer space. In the new, third season, the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continue their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.

The ensemble cast includes Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J Lee, Mark Jackson, Chad L. Coleman, Jessica Szohr and Anne Winters.

With most shows, there is an official announcement that the show is cancelled or won’t be returning for any more episodes, but with “The Orville”, it’s been left pretty wide open. However, recently, Adrianne Palicki, spoke on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, where she was asked if the show had been cancelled; where Adrianne said:

“I don’t know, truly, the answer to that. I think there’s talk that it could possibly be something that certain people want to do, but it’s a really difficult show to shoot, man. We shot 33 episodes in six years.

It became an actual issue because there would be so much time in between seasons because Seth [MacFarlane] wanted to write everything himself. So it would just take so much time. At one point, we were like we have to fight the studio to give us a holding fee or something. J. Lee was eating saltines and gatorade at one point because we just couldn’t afford anything. It was horrible.

I don’t know, truly, the answer to that.  I think there’s talk that it could possibly be something that certain people want to do…but it’s a really difficult show to shoot, man.”

It does seem like the door is wide open for a return of “The Orville”, as previously Seth MacFarlane has said that he’s just so busy working on other projects like “Family Guy” and the “Ted” prequel series.  Seth said on social media:

The industry is in the midst of a time of upheaval and transition. I wish I could provide a definitive answer to your question. At the moment, all I can say is that I remain… cautiously optimistic

Hopefully, at some point in the future, it’s possible “The Orville” could come back, but ultimately, it’s an expensive show to create due to all the special effects and to justify those costs, it needs high ratings to make that worthwhile.

You can watch all three seasons of “The Orville” on Disney+ and Hulu now.

Would you like to see a fourth season of “The Orville”?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

View all posts