Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville took home a top honor at this year’s Saturn Awards celebration.
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The Orville was honored as the Best Science Fiction Television Series, winning over fellow nominees The 100, Colony, Doctor Who, The Expanse, Salvation, and The X-Files.
This win could be considered a major upset for The Orville, a first season series, having won over long-running series Doctor Who, which said goodbye to star Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat this season, and The X-Files, which was likely in its final season.
The Orville was nominated in three total Saturn Awards categories. In addition to Best Science Fiction Television Series, MacFarlane was nominated for Best Actor on Television, which was award to Kyle MacLachlan for Twin Peaks: The Return, and Adrianne Palicki was nominated for Best Actress on Television, which went to Sonequa Martin-Green for Star Trek: Discovery.
The Orville is headed for San Diego Comic-Con, where FOX will reveal a sneak peak at the second season of the comedic Star Trek homage during a panel on Saturday in the Indigo Ballroom. Panelists include stars MacFarlane, Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, and Scott Grimes, as well as executive producers David A. Goodman, Brannon Braga, and Jon Cassar.
The Orville will return on Sunday, December 30th following a Sunday Night Football double-header. The series will then resume in its usual Thursday timeslot following the conclusion of the NFL season. This midseason return plan is similar to The Orville‘s debut, which followed a Sunday Night Football game before moving to Thursdays for the remainder of the season.
The Orville Season Two is currently in production. The series is adding Jessica Szohr as a new series regular and Chris Johnson in a recurring role in its second season. A veteran Star Trek writer was also brought on as an additional executive producer, and a fan-favorite Star Trek actor is confirmed to return as a guest star. Star Trek: The Next Generation star and director Jonathan Frakes will also contribute to the new season of The Orville.
The Orville was Fox’s biggest premiere since Empire and had an audience of approximately 14 million viewers across all platforms during its first season. The new season of The Orville will consist of 14 episodes.
Did The Orville deserve to win the Best Science Fiction Television Series Saturn Award this year? Are you excited for the show’s Comic-Con panel and Season Two premiere? Let us know how you feel in the comments!
