Where Is The Orville And What Happened At Fox?
This article is more than 2 years old
Fans of comedy science fiction comedy show, The Orville, may be wondering why they won’t see the show on television anymore. So what happened to The Orville?
Although The Orville hasn’t been shut down, its third season has been relocated to the streaming service Hulu. This deal allows the show to continue as planned, just with a different viewing platform.
The move came after early reports claiming the show was being renewed at Fox for a third season. Despite troubles at Fox though, the growing fan base and good reception have kept the show going, and are sure to help it continue in its new home.
If you’ve been out of the loop, The Orville follows the antics of the crew of the USS Orville as they explore the galaxy. It stars Seth MacFarlane as Ed Mercer, newly appointed captain of the ship. With him is Adrianne Palicki, who plays Kelly Grayson, Mercer’s ex-wife and first officer. The show blends elements of classic science fiction shows with MacFarlane’s unique brand of comedy.
Why Isn’t The Orville On Fox Anymore?
The show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, decided on the move when it was clear that the production timeline for season 3 wasn’t going to meet the needs of television broadcast. The Orville’s next season won’t be ready until late in 2020, which wouldn’t have worked well with Fox’s lineup plans.
Why is it taking so long to produce the show? They’re trying to do it right. As the show has developed they’ve taken on a ambitious production process. As Seth sought to create an even better finished product, the amount of time needed to make that happen continued to grow.
It’s an unexpected reason for moving to a streaming platform, since most shows making the move do so because they are in danger of being cancelled. However, Hulu and similar services provide shows with greater flexibility and more creative freedom. In that sense, it’s not surprising that The Orville has moved as it evolves. It also helps that the Fox network was willing to support the move, rather than forcing the show to commit to a deadline that wasn’t working.
Where To Watch The Orville Now
There’s no clear date for The Orville’s third season to debut, but viewers can expect it to be around the end of 2020. It will officially be released on Hulu, so it won’t be shown on television, according to its previous schedule.
Hulu can be viewed through their website by using a desktop computer, or on their mobile app. You can also access Hulu through various streaming devices. This includes Chromecast, Roku, and Fire Tv.
Unfortunately, since The Orville is moving to a paid streaming service, fans of the series will no longer be able to watch it for free, with standard cable. It also won’t be available on other streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime.
While Seth and his team prep the third season, you can still find the first and second seasons of the show through multiple services. If you want to buy either of the two seasons in their entirety, you can find them on Amazon Prime Video. You can also check the on demand library of your cable provider. For the time being, Fox may still allow access to the show as part of the Fox network.
Although there’s currently no way to tell what will happen to The Orville after it’s third season, it’s worth noting that Fox has been purchased by Disney, who is starting their own Disney+ streaming service. It’s unknown whether that will allow this new service to show previous seasons of the show, or to perhaps make a deal for future seasons.
Why Hulu Picked Seth MacFarlane’s Show
Now that some time has passed since The Orville jumped from Fox to Hulu, the people involved are speaking out about why the decision was made. When Hulu exec Craig Erwich was asked why his network picked up the show, he had this to say…
“The Orville has a very loyal following on Hulu so when there was an opportunity to bring a new season to our viewers we jumped at it, I will see the first episode next week. We’ll monitor and evaluate the show as it goes.“
– -Hulu’s Craig Erwich
That actually sounds a little ominous. It sounds like they aren’t totally committed to making this a long term relationship, and are instead in a “wait and see how this goes” mindset. That means The Orville is going to need serious fan support, if we want Hulu to give The Orville a season 4.
How To Watch The Orville On Hulu
To watch The Orville on Hulu, first you’ll need a Hulu account. Do that using their mobile app or their website.
Hulu offers a free 30 day trial, to help you determine if you want to keep the service long-term. From there, they offer several plans.
The cheapest option is gain access to the Hulu streaming library, with limited ads that show whenever you’re watching a program. You can remove the ads and gain access to other libraries like HBO and Showtime, but you will have to pay an additional cost. You can also get Hulu with live television, although that is one of their most expensive plans.
Regardless, at this point, you have to expect to pay in order to watch the show. Luckily, Hulu has competitively priced options that can help keep your costs down. May Avis guide you on your journey through The Orville’s new streaming universe.
