Critics largely panned showrunner Seth MacFarlane's latest TV venture "The Orville" citing it as an unfunny, perplexing homage to the sci-fi classic "Star Trek."
The series received a 30 percent rating on RottenTomatoes, a website that gets the average score from a number of reviews from different entertainment sites. Here is what some of the critics had to say.
Christopher Lawrence from Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote, "The Orville isn't funny enough to be a comedy or technologically advanced enough to be respectable science fiction. It's neither fish nor fowl. It's closer to some sort of Island of Dr. Moreau experiment. A flounderpigeon, perhaps."
Actor and writer MacFarlane is known for his comedic work on the hit animated shows "Family Guy," "American Dad," and "The Cleveland Show." However, he seemingly fell short with his latest sci-fi outing which most critics did not find humorous or did not have MacFarlane's signature comedic flair.
Rob Lowman for the Los Angeles Daily News expressed, "MacFarlane may be boldly off in his own direction, but the question is who will go with him. Viewers may find the tone of series perplexing. As of now, 'The Orville' is lost in space."
People who check in to watch the show may be expecting a comedy, but most critics like Lowman worry that viewers might feel shortchanged and confused if they find the fun and jokes lacking.
Kelly Lawler of USA Today stated, "The final result is less a parody than a poor knockoff of Trek, an attempt at humorous homage that gets lost in space."
Critics generally see the similarities to the sci-fi masterpiece "Star Trek." However, the new show does not do the classic justice – even at a comedic standpoint.
Aside from MacFarlane who plays Ed Mercer, other characters include Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki), Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes), and Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald).
"The Orville" will premiere on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. EDT on Fox.
