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Seth MacFarlane’s underrated sci-fi series Orville they may have been designed as comedy skits Star Trek: The Next Generationbut it wasn’t long before Jonathan Frakes gave his blessing. The man who invented Riker’s Maneuver not only directed “Pria,” the show’s fifth episode, but explained during Comic Con in 2016, “The Star Trek that we had really found its voice and Discovery he really found his voice. AND Orville she filled the void. For a lot of people Orville is their new Star Trek because it tells stories like (A new generation) and has a wild sense of humour.’
Jonathan Frakes is an Orville fan
Orville earned praise from Jonathan Frakes early on, with the actor-turned-director noting that Seth MacFarlane chose to fill the set with Star Trek veterans as a writer and production crew. Since hiring Brannon Brag, the writer behind some of Trek’s best TV episodes and its best film, First contactto another actor turned director Star Trek VoyagerTom Paris, Robert Duncan Macneil, who directed the second episode of the show, “Command Performance”. Even the same cinematographer, Marvin Rush, was brought on board, which Frakes approved of, stating, “He filled the room Next Gen people to make the show look and feel that way. I think he did.”
Go deeper why Orville was a success, Jonathan Frakes also stated, “I think Seth fans expected the show to be a lot more Family guy than he ever intended. Part of what he’s done by hiring (Star Trek veteran) Brannon (Braga) and others is tell Star Trek stories that happen to have moments of absurdity and humor that we’ve come to know. But it was never understated and never extended, and if you blinked occasionally, you missed the humor, and I think that approach worked in the first season. Now for season two we have these character studies.”
It was never just about capturing the moral at the heart of the best Star Trek episodes for MacFarlane, who captured the feel of the classic series. The Orvilles shot blocking, camera movements, and framing are all things Jonathan Frakes says fans are used to seeing on A new generation. Frakes believes there is room for fans to embrace MacFarlane’s loving tribute and Star Trek: Discoverywhich took the franchise in a bold new direction.
The fans weren’t on board Discovery, which unlike Orville, they eschewed classic Star Trek and adopted the cinematic style of JJ Abrams Kelvinverseeven Jonathan Frakes points out the difference, explaining that the style is “Much more cinematic, a lot of crane work and a lot of movement, a lot of Dutch angles.” Strange new worlds also adopted a more cinematic style, but was based more on the trappings of classic Trek compared to its parent series, which is why one is a fan favorite and the other… Discovery.
Orville is the spiritual successor of a new generation
Orville and Discovery both share the distinction of having Jonathan Frakes direct episodes in their first seasons. Frakes would eventually return to both shows Orville Season 2 episode, “Sanctuary”, where he brought Marina Sirtis along with him and then the next seven episodes Discovery and one Strange New World episode. So when he says it’s possible to be a fan of both and enjoy each series for different reasons, he knows what he’s talking about.
While Orville never been able to get Jonathan Frakes on camera, there’s still hope for a season 4. Tim Russ, Tuvok in Voyagerappeared, as did his colleague, Robert Picardoand Business it’s even represented thanks to John Billingsley, the Phlox who appeared in “Home.” That’s not even counting the main cast members who appeared in both franchises: Seth MacFarlane (Business), Penny Johnson Jerald (TNG and DS9) and Scott Grimes (TNG).
Not every fan Star Trek: The Next Generation he is a fan Orville like Jonathan Frakes, but they should be. Frakes is right; no other show has captured the look, feel and tone of the best science fiction series as a Macfarlane comedy. Now how do we get there Patrick Stewart appear in season 4?
