TV Guide is reporting that FOX sci-fi drama The Orville will have its 13-episode first season reduced to 12, with the show’s season finale now set for December 1st. However, the news isn’t an indictment of the show’s ratings, which have been solid in L+SD measurements and grow stronger when looking at non-linear data; the reasoning has to do with scheduling, as the network wants to get every episode in before the calendar hits 2018.
Additionally, the episode originally set for this season will instead be included in the show’s second season, which has already been ordered. It’s as yet unclear how long The Orville‘s second season will be, but the early renewal and inclusion of a season one episode could mean it will be longer than season one.
From Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), The Orville is set 400 years in the future aboard the U.S.S. Orville, an exploratory vessel manned by bitter divorcee Ed Mercer (MacFarlane), a man who previously spent time working for peaceful civilization Planetary Union. Ed’s determination to set a course for a new direction in his life takes a hit when he realizes ex-wife Kelly (Adrianne Palicki) was assigned to his ship, but he gradually fills the crew with best friend Gordon and enough capable physicians, navigators, and security officers to make his dream of captaining his own ship a reality. Now he just has to figure out how to work together with Kelly.
In addition to MacFarlane and Palicki, The Orville stars Penny Johnson Jerald (24), Scott Grimes (American Dad!), Peter Macon (Shameless), Halston Sage (Neighbors), J. Lee (The Cleveland Show), and Mark Jackson (The Royal Today).
The Orville airs Thursdays at 9:00 on FOX.
