Seth MacFarlane and the cast members of “The Orville” visited the Indigo Ballroom at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday for a discussion of where the show is headed when it returns later this year, and to drop a new trailer, which you can watch below.
The panel itself was a laugh riot, that still got pretty thoughtful thoughtful at times. Featuring the announced lineup of stars Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, and Scott Grimes, along with executive producers David A. Goodman, Brannon Braga, and Jon Cassar, fans in attendance got a surprise when the panel was rounded out by co-stars J. Lee, Peter Macon and Mark Jackson, as well as recurring guest star Chad Coleman.
One of the more interesting moments came when J. Lee, who plays John Lamarr, explained his surprise at how Peter Macon, who plays the alien Bortus, approaches his role. Citing Macon’s classical acting background, Lee related how Macon explained that he plays Bortus like someone for whom English is his second language.
Later on, MacFarlane talked about the reaction to season one. Explaining that “comedy doesn’t always go well in science fiction,” and that his goal was to try to make it work, he said he was glad fans liked it, and promised that the second season would push that delicate balance further.
“The Orville” returns to Fox’s primetime schedule in midseason. The show was a ratings hit for Fox this past fall, when its launch alongside NFL football helped goose its Nielsen ratings early on.
Click here for Fox’s fall premiere dates and here for its nightly and hourly schedule.