The Orville and 8 other genre shows we’re afraid will be cancelled in 2023
By Dan Selcke
2022 brought with it an embarrassment of riches for fans of sci-fi and fantasy TV. Shows like House of the Dragon, Stranger Things, The Sandman, Star Wars: Andor and more were absolutely bringing the heat, and all of them will be back.
But there were other shows that were just as good but in much greater danger. Let’s go over some of the series we’re afraid might get cancelled in the near future (as well as a few we could probably live without) and outline their chances of living to fight another day.
The Orville
Seth MacFarlane’s sci-fi show began as a kind of Star Trek parody series, mixing sci-fi adventures with light comedy. It still gives off all the Star Trek vibes, but somewhere along the way it found a beating heart, an ambitious streak and a sky-high budget. The third season, subtitled New Horizons, ran on Hulu, and it was an order of magnitude better than anything that came before. The Orville isn’t just a great parody show; it’s a great show, period.
Although The Orville has a passionate fanbase that includes lots of critics, it’s not explosively popular. That means we’re not sure whether it’ll come back for a fourth season, although at least no one has confirmed that it’s dead. MacFarlane is in the same boat as the rest of us: waiting for word.
We are currently awaiting season 4 news! Thanks to the fans for the continued support! https://t.co/KSfrCRuFdd
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) November 15, 2022
Even the season 3 finale seems to be poking fun at the show’s uncertain future; it’s titled “Future Unknown.”
If The Orville doesn’t come back for a fourth season, it will have went out on a high note. But after having seen the show perform at its peak, it’s hard not to want it to keep flying.