'The Orville' Renewed For A Second Season

The Orville has just been cleared to extend its mission into another season.

Fox has officially renewed The Orville, Seth MacFarlane's comedic love letter to Star Trek, for a second season.

"Once again Seth has struck a powerful chord with viewers," said Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company in a statement. "He has delivered a series full of optimism, drama and his trademark humor. We want to thank him and the rest of the talented cast, as well as the producers and crew, for an incredible first season. We can't wait to see where The Orville travels in the second."

The Orville was Fox's most-watched and highest-rated Fox premiere since the 2015 debut of Empire. Fox reports that The Orville has 14 million viewers across platforms and that the series ranks among the top three new dramas of the Fall 2017 season, averaging a 2.5/9 Live + 7 Day rating, a +67% lift from Live + Same Day, and more than 10 million multi-platform viewers, +108% vs. Live + Same Day.

The Orville star Mark Jackson, who plays the android Isaac, expressed to ComicBook.com in a previous interview how happy he and the rest of The Orville cast and crew have been with the show's success and reception.

"Yeah, it's a huge pleasure," Jackson said. "I was speaking to Seth yesterday, and the ratings for the second showing were really good, as well. So, it seems like things are going pretty well. Yeah, I mean, we all hoped it would be a big hit. A lot of work went into it. A lot of money went into it. It had a sort of buzz around it. So we were all hoping that it would come out well, and yeah, really pleased that it has.

"I'm a big fan of sci-fi anyway. So, I'm probably blinded to any possibilities of it not doing well. Because this is exactly the kind of show that I'd watch, even if I wasn't in it. You know? But, yeah, I think we're all aware that it's something different to what's on at the moment. That it was a mixing of genres that aren't necessarily seen mixed together very much. So, yeah, I think there was not necessarily doubt, but apprehension, which makes the success of it, so far, all the more wonderful."

The Orville airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.