The Orville Wiki
The Orville Wiki
Advertisement
The Orville Wiki

We are, without a doubt, the weirdest ship in the fleet.— Helmsman Gordon Malloy[1]

The USS Orville (ECV-197) was a mid-level Exploratory-class vessel in Planetary Union service in the early 25th century. The ship was led by an unnamed captain and first officer until 2419. Captain Ed Mercer and First Officer Kelly Grayson assumed command of the Orville in September 2419.

The Orville was designed for long-distance exploration and cartography of uncharted space. Therefore, nearly 300 crew members and their families lived on the Orville,[2] working in Science, Medical, Engineering, and Security sections. The ship hosted a quantum drive capable of brief spurts of speeds[n 1] over 10 light years per hour.[3] In 2422 the ship was upgraded, with its speed now at 17 light years per hour.

The Orville was not intended for combat, though it was equipped with essential military and defensive armaments. The ship participated in many military conflicts, most notably the Battle of Earth in early 2421.

Description[]

Orville deck grid schematics 2

A deck grid view of the Orville from a wall panel in the Mess Hall. Second Officer Bortus's bridge screen displays this same view with the ship's quantum rings included.

The Orville's only mid-size. You should see the heavy cruisers.🔈ℹ︎— Lieutenant Alara Kitan to Lysella[4]

The Orville was one of 3,000 ships in the Planetary Union. It was classified as exploratory, a spacecraft within the Union's military wing with the purpose of exploring and charting the outer reaches of the Union's home quadrant of the galaxy. The ship had a complement of 300 crewmembers.

Schematics[]

Orville exterior

Rooms and hallways of the Orville viewed from outside.

As a mid-level ship, the Orville was considerably smaller than a Union heavy cruiser. Like other Union vessels, it was directed by a captain and first officer from the bridge and complemented by a Sick Bay, Brig, engineering decks, residential quarters, a Shuttle Bay, a Communications wing, and a Mess Hall.

The Orville held at least one communication buoy, which it ejected from a hole at its mid-dorsal section. The buoy was used to physically deposit messages in space when the ship could not remain, such as leaving a message for an away team when the Orville was needed for an emergency rendezvous with another ship.

Additionally, the vessel housed shuttlecraft within the Shuttle Bay with at least four six-seat shuttles: ECV-197-1 and back-ups ECV-197-2 through -4. ECV-197-4 was lost to the Krill in late 2420.[5]

People could enter the ship on foot through the ship's starboard hatch.[6]

Floor schematics[]

Floors of the Orville, more commonly known as decks, were ordered by letter, or rarely by number, from the peak of the ship downward.

Decks were accessible by an elevator known as the lift,[7] or informally as the elevator,[8] or through a central, spiral staircase. The lift could be inoperable in the event of a power fluctuation.[7] In a dream of Marcus Finn, the lift collapsed when its cables snap - though because it was a dream, it is not certain if this accurately reflects the engineering of an actual lift.[9]

A deck was further subdivided by section. For example, Chief of Security Alara Kitan stated that she encountered a Clown on Deck C in Section 4.[10]

Alternate Orville grid

Alternate grid view with a panel of Deck C quarters. Isaac circled and highlighted Toren and Korick's unit. Note that this grid view includes the ship's quantum rings.

Orville schematics

The Orville's schematics after losing the Battle of Earth in an alternate timeline.

Ship Systems[]

TractorBeam

The Orville uses its tractor beam to capture the Calivon buoy.

All systems could be encrypted by the chief of security during a security lock-out.[6] Ship systems included the:

  • Communications array - A network of transmitters and receivers to send information within the ship or across space.
  • Environmental controls - Environmental controls maintained atmospheric qualities within the ship, such as temperatures in quarters.[n 7] Environmental controls could be individually programmed, such as Environmental Subprogram 43 Isaac, which simulated rain on the ship's bridge.[13] The Orville had a regenerative environmental system to sustain its crew for extended periods without having to offload typical metabolic waste. The walls of the ship were made of a synthetic fiber that was an artificial ecosystem, taking in carbon dioxide exhaled by the crew and expelling oxygen. The ship also had a water recycling system that was entirely self-sustaining.(citation needed)
  • Navigational array - Space travel was navigated through spatial manifolds located in Engineering or by traditional star charts. Though capable of that velocity, the speed could not be sustained for long periods of travel; and slower velocities were used during typical interstellar cruising.[n 1]
  • Quantum drive array - The craft's propulsion system, based on dysonium-powered quantum engines.[14] The drive configuration on the Orville provided the ship with speeds over 10 light-years per hour - more than 87,660 times the speed of light. In 2422 the ship had a fourth generation Quantum drive core that let them go at 17 light years per hour
  • Scanner array - The ship's scanner array housed both external and internal scanners. External scanners detected and recorded information about foreign objects or the outside environment. Internal scanners recorded security information in the form of video and audio recordings, as well as tracked the location of persons. Isaac upgraded the scanner array in the summer of 2420.[15]
  • Tractor beam - The ship featured a tractor beam, an attenuated beam of gravity that could attract objects to the ship or could be reversed to repel objects away from the ship;[n 8] as well as a beam capable of slicing a multi-kilometer long asteroid in a matter of seconds, which was colloquially called a "cutting beam."[16]
  • Weapons array - The interconnected external system of offensive ship weapons, including Plasma Torpedoes and Plasma Cannons. (See sub-section Armament below.)

Additionally, the ship's Deflector Screens and force field were probably separate systems as well - although they have not been canonically identified as such.

Crew Quarters[]

071b462cb50ef3eae158f77cadb8955c

The Orville's quantum engines allow it to travel through space at faster-than-light speeds.

Living aboard for long duration, The ship possesses generous accommodations for crew and it's extended family. Most of the crew quarters are on Decks C and G, save for the captain's and first officer's, which were two two-floor units spanning Decks A and B. Even a basic cabin is extremely generous, given the space constraints aboard ships, and consists of a bedroom, living room with kitchen space, and a bathroom.

Armament[]

Orville-plasmacannons

The Orville's plasma cannons, plus cannons when firing

The Orville was tasked with the primary mission of space exploration, stellar cartography with secondary assignments in diplomacy, science, humanitarian service and cultural studies. The Orville was not specifically designed for combat or warfare. Nevertheless, in the interest of Union defense and the execution of crucial military details and defense policy, the Orville did have armaments to defend itself.

  • Deflector Screens: The Orville boasted a high-capacity shield grid to protect itself from various threats, such as impacts from bolides and debris, various space-related and energetic phenomena and hostile weaponry. Deflectors could be optimized to deal with specific threats such as plasma storms and radiation. The deflectors were upgraded in mid-2421 by the Moclan Fleet.
    Orville-Forwardtorpedolaunchers

    The Orville's forward torpedo tubes

  • Plasma Cannons: The Orville's primary weaponry. Plasma cannons fired pulses of high energy plasma particles. More precise than the torpedoes, able to make precision strikes against strategic points on an enemy ship, but not powerful enough to immediately penetrate the deflectors of a capital ship. The Orville possessed dual plasma cannons located on the nacelles of its lower quantum drive, the ventral tensor coils, which was a substantial blindside since the cannons could not fire directly above without hitting the upper tensor coils.
  • Plasma Torpedoes: The Orville had a total of six torpedo tubes, two were located aft parallel with its shuttle bay and four on the ventral side of its main hull. Capable of rapid fire, the Orville could launch its entire torpedo inventory in a single volley if necessary in any direction, which suggested the ship shared a common magazine. Torpedoes were more powerful than the energy pulse cannons and more effective against more powerful deflectors, but not as precise.
Orville 2422

The Orville leaving spacedock in 2422

History[]

ORV101 PROMO STILLS 2017-05-10 002

The senior and junior staff gather for first roll call under their new captain, Ed Mercer.

The USS Orville entered service sometime before 2419 under the command of an unknown series of captains. Ed Mercer was appointed captain in September 2419 by Admiral Tom Halsey. Little is known of the captain previous to Ed aside from the fact that the person was retiring from the Planetary Union. Most of her crew simply remained aboard the Orville, but several key leadership positions opened up; Ed quickly recruited his old friend and colleague, Lieutenant Gordon Malloy, as helmsman, while Planetary Union Central assigned Kelly Grayson and Doctor Claire Finn to serve as first officer and chief medical officer respectively.[17]

Several ship systems were changed during Ed's tenure. The communications array was replaced after Pria Lavesque damaged it in November 2419.[3] The navigational array,[18] Deflector Screens,[19] the communications array,[12] and the weapons array[12] were all upgraded in 2420.

The Orville made its first departure under Captain Ed Mercer on September 10, 2419 from the Union Dockyard orbiting Earth on a mission to deliver supplies to the Epsilon Science Station. The re-supply mission was interrupted by a surprise attack from the Krill in a conflict known as the Battle of Epsilon 2.[17]

For 21 days over September and October 2419, Chief of Security Alara Kitan served as acting captain of the Orville. The ship's Shuttle Bay was heavily damaged during this time when a Calivon buoy exploded. Repairs took several weeks.[n 9]

Second Officer Bortus served as acting captain in November 2419, leading the ship to victory in the Rescue of the USS Druyan against the Krill.[20]

T8AG99T

As a mid-level exploratory vessel, the Orville is dwarfed by larger Planetary Union ships like this heavy cruiser.

Several weeks later, the ship was nearly destroyed in a dark matter storm and heavily damaged. The ship was temporarily commandeered by Pria Lavesque, who brought the ship to the 29th century to be sold to a Benzian collector, but the crew re-took control and returned to the 25th century.[3]

The Orville successfully fought in the Battle of Kastra 4 in December 2419, destroying the much larger Krill destroyer Kakov.[21]

A brush with an ion storm in March 2420 caused an explosion in Engineering, triggering major structural damage and killing Lieutenant Harrison Payne. Repairs took four weeks.[22]

Several weeks later, the Orville experienced minor structural damage, as well as damage to the quantum drive, when it passed through an unmapped spatial anomaly that turned out to be a pocket of two-dimensional space. With the quantum drive offline for repairs, the Orville passed through an aperture into two-dimensional space by creating a quantum bubble around the ship that preserved three dimensions. The Orville then underwent repairs at a Union station.[14]

The Kaylon took over the Orville in January and February 2421 for the beginning to the Battle of Earth. Ed and the crew retook command thanks to the daring help of Isaac and Ty Finn, and fought in the battle for the Union. The ship was nearly evacuated and destroyed in a final kamikaze attack to stop the Kaylon from reaching Earth, but the last-minute intervention of the Krill turned the tide of battle.[23]

The Orville experienced heavy damage during a mission inside the Cruxis system. Deck C's hull breached; structural integrity of the upper quantum ring degraded; sensors and main power failed; and the ship underwent a catastrophic systems failure.[24]

In early 2422, the Orville spent time at the Union Dockyard for major upgrades: A complete recalibration of the navigational scanners, a new deflector-synch manifold, and an increase of the dysonium flow rates by a factor of .28 over preexisting performance standards, resulting in a 56 percent increase in the vessel's maximum velocity. The vessel's containment field strength was increased by 27 percent, and the quantum core stabilizers had a new inversion threshold of .986. In theory, with the power boost given from the previous Moclan upgrade, the Orville's quantum drive was almost on par with a heavy cruiser. These upgrades were complemented with the addition of a one-person Fighter-class vessel known as the Pterodon.[9]

Alternate timelines[]

Pria timeline[]

In an alternate timeline in which the time travelling antiquities thief Pria Lavesque did not steal the Orville, the ship is destroyed in a dark matter storm in late 2419.[3]

The Road Not Taken timeline[]

In an alternate timeline when Kelly Grayson turns down a second date with Ed Mercer,[25] Ed never becomes captain of the Orville. Instead after the Orville's original captain retires, she is replaced by Captain Griffith in September 2419. As a result, Kelly, Gordon Malloy, and Doctor Claire Finn never joined the crew.[26]

During the Battle of Earth, the Orville is badly damaged and crashes at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Most of the crew perished or evacuated, but Bortus (as acting captain) was stranded on the ship for months. Between six and nine months later, Kelly, Ed, Gordon, Claire, her sons Ty and Marcus Finn, John, and Talla Keyali retrieve the Orville and rescue Bortus.[26]

The Orville is destroyed by the Kaylon while sending Claire to the year 2414.[26]

Personnel[]

The ship stores personnel files on each officer.[n 10]

  Position Rank Name Species / Type Service period Notes
Commanding Officer Captain Unnamed previous captain N/A Unknown-2419

Ed Mercer

Human male 2419-Present Joins in Old Wounds
Executive Officer Commander Unnamed previous first officer N/A Unknown-2419

Kelly Grayson

Human female 2419-Present Joins in Old Wounds
Second Officer Lieutenant Commander Bortus Moclan male Unknown-Present
Chief Security Officer Lieutenant Alara Kitan Xelayan female 2419-2420 Joins in Old Wounds.[27] Departs in Home.
Lieutenant Tharl Unknown male 2420 Interim security chief
Lieutenant Commander Talla Keyali Xelayan female Late 2420-Present Joins in All the World is Birthday Cake
Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Comander Unnamed previous chief medical officer

N/A

Unknown-2419
Claire Finn Human female 2419-Present Requests assignment to the Orville. Joins in Old Wounds.
Science Officer, Engineering Officer - Isaac Kaylon individual Unknown-Present
Helmsman Lieutenant Unnamed previous helmsman N/A Unkown-2419
Lieutenant Gordon Malloy Human male 2419-Present Joins in Old Wounds
Navigator Lieutenant John LaMarr Human male Unknown-2420 Promoted to Chief Engineer in New Dimensions.
Unfilled 2420-2422 Multiple interim navigators
Ensign Charly Burke Human female 2421-2422
Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Steve Newton Human male Unknown-2420 Accepts new position aboard a space station in New Dimensions.
John LaMarr Human male 2420-Present Promoted in New Dimensions.
Crew
  Position Rank Person Species / Type Observed Service Years[n 11] Notes
Chief of Repairs - Kit Stolen Human male 2419 [n 12]
Engineer Lieutenant Dann Dann's species male Late 2419 or Early 2420-Present [14][11]
Engineer Lieutenant Harrison Payne Human male 2420 Died from damage incurred by an ion storm.[22]
Engineer Lieutenant Unk Unk's species male 2420 [28]
Engineer Lieutenant Yaphit Gelatin 2419-Present Second-ranked in Engineering.
Repairs - Gary Rake Human male 2419 [n 12]
Repairs - Sabrina Plaice Human female 2419 [n 12]
Repairs - Tony Lattanzio Human male 2419 [n 12]
Shuttle Bay Operator Ensign Brooks Human male 2420 [11]
Technician Ensign Jennings Human male 2419 [16]
Technician Ensign Reed Human male 2419 [16]
- Ensign Jenny Turco Human female 2420 [29]
- Ensign Parker Human male 2419 [10]
Assistant Medical Officer - Alex Maynard N/A 2419 [n 12]
Assistant Science Officer - Jack Lineweaver N/A 2419 [n 12]
Dark Matter Cartographer Lieutenant Janel Tyler Human female 2420 Position created in August 2420.[30] Joined in Ja'loja. Departed in Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes.
Medical Officer - Dorsett Human female 2420 [29]
Medical Officer Nurse Henry Park Human male 2420 [22]
Medical Officer - Linda Herrera Human female 2419 [n 12]
Medical Officer - Matt Chase N/A 2419 [n 12]
Medical Officer Doctor Parley N/A Late 2419 or Early 2420 Doctor and full-time substitute for Claire while she is away on Arboreus Prime.[18]
- Lieutenant Palovis Olix's species male 2419-Present Works the Science section, waters the ship's plants, and described as "the lizard-looking guy."[29]
Chief - Josh Pierce N/A 2419 [n 12]
Director of Operations - Laura Lamour N/A 2419 [n 12]
Teacher - Cassius Human male Unknown - 2420 Transferred to another ship
Teacher - Unnamed schoolteacher Human female 2420 - Present [12]
- Lieutenant Morris N/A 2420 Works beside Janel Tyler.[29]
- Ensign Davis N/A Late 2419 or Early 2420 Reports that he spilled soy sauce on his pants in a damage report.[18]
Unnamed Crewmembers
  Position Rank Credited Title Species / Type Observed Service Years[n 13] Notes
Engineer Ensign Engineer #1 Human male 2420 [14]
Engineer Ensign Engineer #2 Human female 2420 [14]
- Ensign Crew Member Human male 2420 [30]
Shuttle Bay Lieutenant Lieutenant Shuttle Bay Lieutenant Human male 2420 [30]
Shuttle Bay Officer Ensign Shuttle Bay Officer #1 Human male 2419 [10]
Security Officer Ensign Security Station Officer Human male 2419 Acting Chief of Security.[20]
- Ensign Crewman #1 Human male 2419-Present Recurring extra.[16][20]
- - Voice from Comm Human male 2420 Bridge officer[11]

Passengers[]

Production[]

Orville Studio set

A photo of The Orville's famous two-story set from The World of the Orville.

The idea of the Orville was birthed by the show's creator Seth MacFarlane, who oversaw most creative developments of the ship. The name of the ship comes from David McCullough's description of Orville Wright in his biography The Wright Brothers, which MacFarlane was reading at the time he wrote the pilot script.[31] "Early on [in his book] there seemed to be some depiction of Orville as the 'beta' brother. Seemed like a good fit for our midlevel craft."[32]

Supervising producer and science consultant André Bormanis tweaked the details of the ship for scientific plausibility, and to keep the futuristic ship believable for general audiences. A group of artists led by production designer Stephen J. Lineweaver went through over 140 different concept designs of the ship before landing upon the final version.[n 14] "It took us a long time to get there but, boy, did we celebrate when we finally did," Lineweaver said.[33]

"The design of the Orville was a long process," recalled visual effects supervisor Luke McDonald.

It took about six months and at least ten different artists having a go at it. I had a design that had the three rings [spatial tensor coils] and someone else had one that had this front end almost like a yacht, and we eventually circled this and circled that and combined them to get the final look.[34]

Final architectural plans were drafted by set designer Eugene Adamov.[35]

Building the set[]

Orville model

The scale model during filming.

Construction coordinator Tony Lattanzio supervised construction of the Orville set. To save money, the construction team built the spaceship reusing the scaffolding and "bones" of a house left on the stage from the show American Horror Story: Roanoke.[36] Construction took 40 days, consuming 25,000 square feet of set space.[37]

All lights of the ship were installed by the director of photography Marvin Rush, and can be controlled remotely to emit any color light in any pattern.[38] Lighting was specifically tailored for the quarters of each character to reflect their personalities.[38] Ship doors open and shut automatically by a pneumatic door opening device and pulleys.[39]

To create an authenticate atmosphere, Fox television financed the construction of a two-story studio set of the Orville. The idea came from Lineweaver, who wanted as immersive a set for the actors as possible.[40] Many in the show's production staff had worked on the 1990s science fiction show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that utilized a two-story set as well, and they found it particularly convenient.[38] "I don't think you get an idea of how much money and how impressive the actual Orville spaceship sets are until you actually walk around on them," Jeff Bond, author of The World of the Orville, later noted in an interview. "Because they literally built the first two . . . decks of the ship; and it's all one structure, and you can walk up that spiral staircase onto the Bridge."[41]

Final approval to build a two-story set was mostly due to space and budget constraints. The Orville was to be shot in Studio 15, where the cancelled series Gang Related was filmed on a two-story build.[38] Plus, Fox could afford to construct additional sets vertically, but the high cost of additional, lateral studio space was prohibitive. "We knew we needed multiple sets, but we didn't have the floor space" executive produce Jason Clark recounted in Bond's book. "So we said, 'What if we had a two-story set? What if we built the second floor on a platform that already exists?' So that made it affordable."[37]

The impressive set turned out to be a highlight of the show. According to Penny Johnson Jerald (Claire Finn), the entire cast fell silent in awe when they stepped onto the set for the first time.[42]

Designing the Orville[]

USS Orville concept sketch

The first concept sketch of the Orville by Seth MacFarlane.

While the earliest designs of the Orville more closely resembled a cargo ship or "a Mack truck in space,"[43] artists used a drawing by Seth MacFarlane to create the Orville seen on screen: sophisticated, sleek, and curvaceous. The ship then became the template for all Planetary Union ships.[44]

The Orville was designed as a self-contained world: to television audiences, it functions as the ground of most plot developments of the show; and within the universe of The Orville, as the home to a crew of 300 people. Bormanis later reflected:

This is a starship that can travel for months at a time and sustain a crew of 300 people. So we have to have a space for them that is not just necessary for survival, but is comfortable, that has the feeling of a place that you would want to live. So there's a psychological dimension: How do you keep a crew not only physically safe and alive, but how do you keep them psychologically fit?[2]
Orville concept design

Later concept art for the ship. By then, the Orville had attained much of its sleek look.

Therefore, the show's creative team designed the ship to be spacious and welcoming. Living quarters were drawn to resemble futuristic apartments. A mess hall was added as a cafeteria and social space.

The science behind living on a ship for long periods of time posed a challenge to the show's producers. Bormanis wanted a self-sustaining ecosystem integrated into the ship in order to account for the vast quantities of water, breathable air, and supplies needed to sustain a crew. Bormanis decided that the walls of the ship would be synthetic fiber, the intent being that in the future, the fibers are an artificial means to recycle air, much like plants.[45] Jeff Bond, who wrote The World of the Orville, said that under close examination, one would be able to see nano-sized machines grooming and growing the fibers.[46]

Early designs of the walls had grass growing but Lineweaver decided simplicity was best, and built the walls of the set with Chilewich matting to create an unusual texture.[45]

Construction and filming[]

USS Orville model

The scale model of the Orville on display at the August 8, 2017 press tour.

MacFarlane and director Jon Favreau (Old Wounds) had long joked about building a physical model of the Orville, but it was visual effects supervisor Luke McDonald who convinced them that constructing and shooting a highly-detailed 5 ft. (1.5 m) scale model was feasible.[47] Glenn Derry labored in collaboration with Favreau, Rob Legato, and The Orville visual effects team to design and build it. Most footage for the entire season was filmed before a blue screen in a single shoot, the same strategy used by Star Trek: The Next Generation.[48]

Space battles and other high-speed action sequences were accomplished by CGI. The physical model was imaged and transitioned to a 3D model by the previs company Halon Entertainment. Over a period of nine months, team of 10 modeled and rendered video of the ship in space battles, around wormholes or explosions.[49]

Orville model 2

The model of the Orville between passes.

Halon developed large point-of-view video to be displayed on the set of the bridge so that actors on the bridge of the Orville could get a sense of what their characters see.[49] The technique was highly effective:

[W]hen the effects team played the full rolling pitching video on the giant screen in the Orville bridge set, the crew standing inside immediately fell over - thrown by the optical illusion of the ship rolling when the set was actually static. Basically, one's brain either causes you to lean over, and thus topple over or you suffer massive motion sickness.[48]

Visual effects producer Natasha Francis elaborated that spending money on the screen saved them money in the long run by eliminating high green screen costs.[50]

Visual effects company Crafty Apes designed a number of additional effects for the ship, such as hugging the donkey, a battle tactic used by Helmsman Gordon Malloy in Old Wounds.[48][51]

Production changes in Season 2[]

On April 19, 2018, Unit Production Manager Jason Roberts confirmed that the ship would receive an updated look for the second season.[38]

In June, production designer Stephen J. Lineweaver and art director Robert Strohmaier jointly published an article where they revealed that a school classroom, an armory, and increased hallway space were built for the new season.[52] Season 2 architectural blueprints drafted by set designer Eugene Adamov for the ship's set were released as well.[35]

Production changes in Season 3[]

On March 26, 2020, Jennifer Oullette of Ars Technica reported that the Orville would receive an updated look.[44] This was explained within the series as the Orville undergoing a refit to better respond to the Kaylon threat.

Trivia[]

Orville magnetar

The Orville in the vicinity of the magnetar.

  • In September 2420, the Orville's Medical Level requests a DNA specialist for a short-term assignment.[27] It is unclear whether that request was ever filled or by whom.
  • Ed mentions that the ship can go over 10 light-years per hour. Since the International Astronomical Union defines the light-year as the distance light travels in one Julian year (365.25 days), that translates to 87,660 times light speed.[3]
    • However, the ship cannot travel at its top speed for very long. In Into the Fold, Isaac states that it would take weeks for the Orville to traverse 1,000 light years. If the Orville were capable of traveling at its top speed for the entire trip, the ship could arrive in just four days.
  • The items listed on the Fantastic Plastics Models website includes a 15 inch long, 1/1400 scale resin model kit of the Orville. It was released in October 2018.[53]
  • The iconic winding staircase connecting the Bridge to the ship's lower levels is a redesigned set piece from the show American Horror Story: Roanoke, which was filmed in the same studio.[38]
  • The name of the ship comes from David McCullough's description of Orville Wright in his biography The Wright Brothers.[31]
  • In the captain's office, a picture can be seen hanging on the wall depicting the plane flown by the Wright Brothers and further reinforcing the origin of the ship's namesake.
  • According to Howard Berger, the first season makeup department head, just over 40 alien species live on the ship.[33]
  • While the Orville remains in active service as of the end of Season 2, the ship has been shown to be destroyed on-screen twice. The first was as a simulation in Firestorm, while the second time was genuine, albeit within an alternate timeline, in The Road Not Taken. In addition, Pria Lavesque claims that the Orville was meant to be destroyed earlier in the timeline before she travelled back and saved it.
  • The morning shift on the bridge of the Orville begins at 0800 hours.[n 15]
  • Chief Engineer John LaMarr made a sword out of the ship's hull plating for Chief of Security Talla Keyali.[54]

Notes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 In Into the Fold, Isaac states that it would take weeks for the Orville to traverse 1,000 light years. If the Orville were capable of traveling at its top speed for the entire trip, the ship could arrive in just four days.
  2. In a dream of Marcus Finn, his family's quarters are on the same floor as the Mess Hall. Episode 3x01: Electric Sheep
  3. Pria Lavesque is placed in Unit 6 on Deck C. Episode 1x05: Pria
  4. There are two reasons: First, because the base of the ship's spiral staircase can be seen; Second, because a young ensign states the Kaylon dragged him up from the Shuttle Bay, which is on Deck E. Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2
  5. Based on relative heights and that in The Word of Avis, Pt. 1, the access doors to the Observation Deck are independent of Shuttle Bay's.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Yaphit travels along a conduit from the Shuttle Bay floor to the Armory and to the Communications Array without ascending or descending. Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":22" defined multiple times with different content
  7. Janel Tyler: "Oh, it's chilly in here." Ed Mercer: "It's the environmental controls. I keep telling John he's got to fix 'em." Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
  8. Both uses of the tractor beam are seen in Episode 5: Pria.
  9. Repairs are completed before the episode concludes, which means that the repairs must take less than 21 days (because of Bortus's 21-day incubation period). Episode 2: Command Performance
  10. Isaac refers to the ship files in A Happy Refrain.
  11. Listed is the year a character is seen. However, recurring characters (those appearing across multiple episodes) are assumed to be static members of the Orville, and are given the year of first observation and listed until the present.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 Crew manifest in Episode 1: Old Wounds.
  13. Listed is the year a character is seen. However, recurring characters (those appearing across multiple episodes) are assumed to be static members of the Orville, and are given the year of first observation and listed until the present.
  14. See Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 11. But Lineweaver has also said that the number of drafts exceeded 150. See Miller, Bruce R. "Ready for launch: 'The Orville' gets set to blast off". Sioux City Journal. Aug. 18, 2018.
  15. Bortus says that his shift begins at 0800 hours. On one occasion at 0830 hours, Gordon is late for his shift. Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions

References[]

  1. A Happy Refrain
  2. 2.0 2.1 "The Science Of THE ORVILLE: The Reality Of Space Travel | Season 1 | THE ORVILLE". The Orville Official YouTube. Sept. 25, 2017.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Episode 1x05: Pria
  4. Majority Rule
  5. Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
  6. 6.0 6.1 Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1
  7. 7.0 7.1 Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions
  8. Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
  9. 9.0 9.1 Episode 3x01: Electric Sheep
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Episode Two: Command Performance.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Episode Nine: Cupid's Dagger.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
  13. Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Episode 1x11: New Dimensions
  15. Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Episode Three: About a Girl.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Episode 1x08: Into the Fold
  19. Episode 2x07: Deflectors
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
  21. Episode 1x06: Krill
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Episode Ten: Firestorm. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":5" defined multiple times with different content
  23. Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2
  24. Artifacts, Pt. 1
  25. Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
  27. 27.0 27.1 Episode 2x03: Home
  28. Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Episode Twelve: Mad Idolatry. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":3" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":3" defined multiple times with different content
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
  31. 31.0 31.1 "Seth Macfarlane Google Questions answers". ThePatrickShow. May 18, 2018.
  32. /u/SethMacFarlane_. "I am Seth MacFarlane. AMA.". Reddit. Sept. 27, 2017.
  33. 33.0 33.1 Miller, Bruce R. "Ready for launch: 'The Orville' gets set to blast off". Sioux City Journal. Aug. 18, 2018.
  34. Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Page 17.
  35. 35.0 35.1 Lineweaver, Stephen & Robert Strohmaier. "The Orville: A Chance to Design the Future." ADG Perspective. July-Aug. 2018. Pg. 96-97.
  36. "Prop Culture Ep 1 Pt 2 - Bryan Rodgers Sons Of Anarchy American Horror Story and The Orville". The Manstalgia Podcast. Oct. 21, 2017.
  37. 37.0 37.1 Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 14.
  38. 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 "The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Jason Roberts (The Orville Unit Production Manager)". Planetary Union Network. April 19, 2018.
  39. @TomCostantino. "Hey @KiwiEV the doors work for real with pneumatics and pulleys. (Play with sound). Sometimes we retime in VFX. Info via @megamanex @TheOrville #theOrville @SethMacFarlane @planetary_union". Twitter. Feb. 22, 2019.
  40. Grobar, Matt. "How ‘The Orville’s Production Designer Created The Two-Story Spaceship For “Aspirational” Series – Production Value Video Series". Deadline. April 26, 2018.
  41. "The Orville Fan Podcast w/ Jeff Bond (15)". Planetary Union Podcast. Jan. 22, 2018.
  42. Casey-Wolf Center. "UCSB Script to Screen: 2017 Comic Con - The Orville". Vimeo. July 22, 2018.
  43. Brandon Fayette in Jennifer Oullette, "Go behind the scenes of The Orville as series embarks on a new season", Ars Technica (March 26, 2020).
  44. 44.0 44.1 Oullette, Jennifer. "Go behind the scenes of The Orville as series embarks on a new season". Ars Technica. March 26, 2020.
  45. 45.0 45.1 Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 30.
  46. Alvarez, Chris. "Sci-fi television - The World of The Orville - Jeff Bond interview - AAD 88". YouTube. Dec. 20, 2018.
  47. Goch, Barry. "The Orville VFX supervisor on mixing practical and visual effects". Post Perspective. June 21, 2018.
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 Seymore, Mike. "Orville, a new Seth MacFarlane enterprise." fxguide. Sept. 14, 2017.
  49. 49.0 49.1 "The Orville". Halon Entertainment. Online. Last accessed Dec. 27, 2017.
  50. Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 31.
  51. "The Orville (season 1)". Crafty Apes. Online. Last accessed Dec. 27, 2017.
  52. Lineweaver, Stephen & Robert Strohmaier. "The Orville: A Chance to Design the Future". ADG Perspective. July-Aug. 2018. Pg. 99-101.
  53. Fantastic Plastic Models - The Orville.
  54. Episode 2.5x04: Heroes, Pt. 2
Advertisement