It’s been a long wait for fans of The Orville. The series was last seen in 2022 with a great third-season finale that seemed to work as a series finale as well. While there have been mentions now and then of MacFarlane wanting to continue it, the show appears to have stalled for various reasons, such as the 2023 Hollywood strikes and scheduling.
However, talking to The Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane gave fans an update they’ve wanted by confirming that all of season 4 has been written! Now he just need to find the time to make it.
“I will be honest with you: Season four is written," MacFarlane said. "It’s just a question of when we have the time to produce it."
"The 10 scripts are done," he added. "I’m the problem. It’s [a matter of] when I can make that my year, with all the other stuff we have in the works. But we can hit the ground running when it happens.”
Debuting in 2017 on Fox, The Orville initially looked like a satire of Star Trek, following the crew of the titular spaceship for the intergalactic Union. MacFarlane played Ed Mercer, the captain, with Adrianne Palicki as his second-in-command and ex-wife Kelly Grayson. The early trailers promised a wild comedy.
However, as the series continued, it deepened, becoming often more serious and embracing sci-fi conventions. Indeed, quite a few fans would openly claim that Orville was more like classic Star Trek than some modern Trek series.
The show wrapped its first season in 2017, with a second season the following year. Despite good ratings, the series's high production values led to it moving to Hulu in 2022 for its third season, subtitled The Orville: New Horizons. That’s been a long four years of waiting since then, with fans remaining hopeful it can continue.
What’s stopping The Orville season 4?
There are a lot of obstacles before season 4 of The Orville can arrive. MacFarlane summed up the biggest issue: the schedules of not just himself but also the other actors. MacFarlane is pretty busy with Peacock’s Ted series, along with his numerous animated shows and films. Yet while he claims he’s the problem, that doesn’t discount other issues.
For one, Palicki had stated in 2023 that it was unlikely she’d be back for season 4, as the long breaks in between seasons were a detriment to her career. It's likely other members of the cast may be in the same boat, depending on their schedules. While obviously many would love to return to the roles, it’s equally possible that season 4 could have some new cast members, meaning changing some of those scripts.
There’s also the production itself as the show requires a lot of time and money for its special effects work, along with post-production work. While Hulu helped in that, it still means the show will take longer to produce. Also, the fact that it will be about five years between seasons may add up to a less excited fanbase.
Hopefully, it comes together, as this show was one of the best sci-fi series of the last 15 years and seeing it return would be a boon for the entire genre.
The Orville seasons 1-3 are streaming on Hulu.