New Series--The Orville

[Badger]

To be truthful, the more the "critics" pan something, the more I seem to like a show. I guess I am far enough away from the "mainstream" to no longer click. A lot, as in LOT, of what people seem to like in film/TV I find to be meh or outright garbage. On the bright side less TV leaves more time to read and game

 

In recent memory?  What the critics say is often at odds with what I say.

[Jagged]

Having watched the show now I was surprised that it is not a parody at all. There were very few jokes, it did not seem like a Seth Mcfarlane show at all.

 

Basically it was a pretty standard episode of Startrek with no teleportation. I would rate the pilot as above average for TNG.

 

So I will continue to watch while wondering how this managed to get past the Paramount lawyers.

[Pattern Ghost]

The parody was there in the form of plenty of commentaries on Trek tropes, it was just more low key than we might expect from Seth McFarlane. He seems to be aiming for more of a light adventure feel vs. sitcom.

[Armory]

I'd call it more of a comedy homage to sci-fi in general, and ST in particular.  But I wouldn't exactly call it a parody.  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, so I guess those critics are good for something:  they lowered my expectations.

[Pattern Ghost]

It meets the legal requirements for parody and the plain old dictionary definition of parody. Which is all it needs to do to borrow so liberally from ST.

[zslane]

I see a similar affection for Star Trek that was evident in Galaxy Quest, a movie I adored. This show doesn't have a feature film budget, and so its vfx will be appropriately modest in quality, but I can look past that if the show is otherwise fun and puts a smile on my face now and then. I just have to try and not allow myself to get too distracted by the glaring asymmetry of Seth's and Adrienne's eyes. Turns out these are two people who look better from a small distance...

[DShomshak]

I just saw the first episode and was deeply not impressed. I have very little knowledge of Seth McFarlane's work, but this does not encourage me to seek more.

 

The last SF show that turned me off this quickly was Star Tr ek: Enterprise, which seemed witless in its first episode and actively, aggressively moronic in its second, when I stopped watching. The Orville seems witless in its first episode. I will watch the second, but expect no improvement.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Bazza]

*Waits for Dean Shomshak'a mystical take on Star Trek where humanism is replaced with Hermeticism.*

[zslane]

I just saw the first episode and was deeply not impressed.

 

That's pretty much how I've felt about 99% of the comedy series made in the last 20 years.

[Iuz the Evil]

It was okay, I'm going to watch the next episode anyway.

[Badger]

That's pretty much how I've felt about 99% of the comedy series made in the last 20 years.

 

JUst 99%?

[Hermit]

*Waits for Dean Shomshak'a mystical take on Star Trek where humanism is replaced with Hermeticism.*

 

 

Hermiticism you say? 

[Bazza]

Hermiticism you say?

Yes. The Corpus Hermeticum, or Hermetica, written attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Related disciplines are alchemy, astrology etc.

[Old Man]

I'd like to hear more about this Hermiticism. What are its tenets? How can we worship the Hermit? Will he provide his followers with comely women?

[Bazza]

I'd like to hear more about this Hermiticism. What are its tenets? How can we worship the Hermit? Will he provide his followers with comely women?

I hear he promises 7 virgins every year to his followers.

[Hermit]

Yes. The Corpus Hermeticum, or Hermetica, written attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Related disciplines are alchemy, astrology etc.

 

 

Yes, I know, see I was being punny and...

 

*Sigh*

 

this planet just isn't fun some days

[Bazza]

Yes, I know, see I was being punny and...

 

*Sigh*

 

this planet just isn't fun some days

Oh I got that. But I also couldn't quite tell if it was a pun or not. Plus I replied at 3:45 am ish.

[DShomshak]

*Waits for Dean Shomshak'a mystical take on Star Trek where humanism is replaced with Hermeticism.*

<Adds suggestion to my pile of campaign ideas>

 

Dean Shomshak

[DShomshak]

I've been reminded that I also wasn't much impressed with the first episode of Babylon-5, and I thought that turned out pretty darn good. Series pilots can be, um, rough. A friend also said he'd read a review saying the first two eps were nuthin' special but the third was thought-provoking. So I'll stick around for three episodes. Then we'll see.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Badger]

Hmm, gotta admit putting "thought-provoking" with Seth MacFarlane, makes me extremely nervous.

[Iuz the Evil]

Hmm, gotta admit putting "thought-provoking" with Seth MacFarlane, makes me extremely nervous.

Mixed in with the potty humor on Family Guy he had some pretty existential stuff. Politically topical on occasion too... I don't doubt he's capable of it, would be interested to see if he can climb up out of the gutter with any consistency though, and that's as someone who enjoys his past efforts.

[Pattern Ghost]

Just finished the second episode. It was also OK-ish.

 

Regarding the "Sir"-ing of female officers: They were slinging them all over the place, so looks like they're just copying the Trek thing after all.

[slikmar]

Hmmm, went to watch the second episode and apparently it consisted mostly of the 4th quarter of the Denver vs Dallas football game, which had a delay. I don't see anywhere it is being repeated for now either. Anyone else have this problem? Did I give up to soon on my recording? The game said 12+ minutes left, and since I only recorded an hour, I figured wasn't worth it.

[Badger]

Mixed in with the potty humor on Family Guy he had some pretty existential stuff. Politically topical on occasion too... I don't doubt he's capable of it, would be interested to see if he can climb up out of the gutter with any consistency though, and that's as someone who enjoys his past efforts.

 

Ehh, I always found him talented when he wanted to be, he just didn't want to be often. Politics on Family Guy?  Wasn't a big reason, why I quit watching (I think we've already mentioned the main reason why one would quit watching) but he got to a point where he got too heavy handed on politics and religion.  Something I didn't mind because it was a show that was supposed to an insult everything show (though, it became decidedly one-sided as time went on). 

 

I think I gave up on it, mainly because I just grew up, but I cant deny some of that other stuff didn't have a hand in it.  (and with politics, I've gotten to a point I cant even talk about it anymore, which is why I've largely given up on the Politics thread.  I'm utterly disgusted by everything with politics, and I don't see turn around on the horizon).

 

Note:  In any case, I could name parts of Family Guy I really liked from the older shows.  I also cant deny, after the return from cancellation those moments became rapidly non-existent for me. 

[Iuz the Evil]

Ehh, I always found him talented when he wanted to be, he just didn't want to be often. Politics on Family Guy? Wasn't a big reason, why I quit watching (I think we've already mentioned the main reason why one would quit watching) but he got to a point where he got too heavy handed on politics and religion. Something I didn't mind because it was a show that was supposed to an insult everything show (though, it became decidedly one-sided as time went on).

 

I think I gave up on it, mainly because I just grew up, but I cant deny some of that other stuff didn't have a hand in it. (and with politics, I've gotten to a point I cant even talk about it anymore, which is why I've largely given up on the Politics thread. I'm utterly disgusted by everything with politics, and I don't see turn around on the horizon).

 

Note: In any case, I could name parts of Family Guy I really liked from the older shows. I also cant deny, after the return from cancellation those moments became rapidly non-existent for me.

Totally fair, I think politics have always been part of the Star Trek series (and to a large extent Science Fiction as a genre). Hopefully he'll be good at it.