No one quite knewwhat to expectwhenFamily Guycreator Seth MacFarlane announced plans forThe Orville, but the show’s surprisingly earnest homage toStar Trekand other sci-fi series — mixed with MacFarlane’s signature humor, of course — proved to be a hit with audiences. The second season ofThe Orvillepremieres December 30 and now we have a new teaser to keep excitement high as the season 2 premiere gets closer.
Created by MacFarlane,The Orvillechronicles the cosmic adventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Orville, an exploratory vessel in the 25th century. MacFarlane himself leads the cast as Ed Mercer, the ship’s captain. His eccentric crew includes his ex-wife Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki), helmsman Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes), security officer Alara Kitan (Halston Sage), chief medical officer Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald), second officer Bortus (Peter Macon), navigator John LaMarr (J. Lee), and science officer Isaac (Mark Jackson).
In late October, a new teaser for season 2 ofThe Orvillewas released, offering a bit more footage from the second story arc of the series. The debut of the teaser followed a few months after the release of the first, fulltrailer for season 2 ofThe Orville, which premiered during San Diego’s Comic-Con International in July 2018.
In February, the show added a new crew member to the USS Orville for the show’s sophomore story arc.
According toDeadline,ShamelessandGossip Girlactress Jessica Szohr (pictured below) will officially join the cast for the show’s second season. She’ll play an unidentified crew member.
The Orvillewas renewed for a second season in November 2017, just seven episodes into its first season. The series was the first new series of the 2017 season to earn a renewal from Fox, and although it wasn’t received well by critics, it was a bona fide hit with audiences and quickly became the network’s highest-rated show in the 9 p.m. Thursday time slot. Its debut gave it the most-viewed drama premiere for Fox since the debut ofEmpirein 2015.
“Once again Seth has struck a powerful chord with viewers,” Michael Thorn, Fox Broadcasting Company’s president of entertainment, said 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 whereThe Orvilletravels in the second season.”
During a panel forThe Orvilleheld at New York Comic Con in October 2017, MacFarlane offered a hint ofwhere he would like to see the series goin its second season.
“I think next season we’re going to deal with Isaac,” he said. “There are character arcs that are introduced in [the first] season that I think are going to go a long way.”
Updated on August 15, 2025: Added a new teaser for season 2 of the series.
