PaleyFest 2018 enters its final days this weekend, following a week of panels and Q&As with the cast and creators of some of today’s hottest television shows. Kicking off the panels last Saturday was a session with The Orville, Fox’s new hit sci-fi space dramedy, headed by Seth MacFarlane.

The show drew much chatter during its 12-episode freshman season, which began in September and wrapped in December 2017. Part of the conversation revolved around the “controversy” of the heavily Star Trek-inspired show debuting at the same time as the actual new Star Trek entry, Discovery on CBS All Access. Other frequent comments were about the show not being Family Guy in space, as fans had expected of a MacFarlane project, as he’s made his name in raunchy-esque comedy – a perceived far cry from, shall we say, space nerd fare.

Nevertheless, enough fans responded positively to earn the show a second season. In late November, Indiewire reported The Orville led all freshman series in viewership lift percentage.

So, naturally, during the PaleyFest panel – with show creators, key creator/star Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), and co-stars Adrianne Palicki (Cmdr. Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Cmdr. Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J. Lee (Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), and Chad L. Coleman (Klyden) – one of the first things to come up was the show defying expectations and rolling over criticism.

Defying expectations

“The judgment was massive before the show even aired. Then fans saw it and became supportive,” said Palicki (of Friday Night Lights and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D fame). “It wasn’t what you expected at a time when we need smart TV and unexpected TV.”

Coleman added that it was "dumb" for there to be so much skepticism because "you don’t know what something is until you see it."

One of the aspects people found so surprising about The Orville was that it tackled several real-life issues and philosophical dilemmas throughout the season – from gender bias to religious extremism, and more. MacFarlane noted that the initial reaction was people saying, “who do you think you are writing something like this?” yet fans showed that "they were game for any story you want to tell us.”

In his opinion, MacFarlane thinks it’s important to have a character-driven script, that’s also a topical show and in sci-fi, nothing should be off limits. He said in sci-fi, if you close yourself off to an issue, you’re not doing your job, and he’s not afraid of criticism.

“I’m happy to do things I would want to watch. I’m not out to win awards,” said MacFarlane.

Palicki remarked that the issues aren’t handled in a “wag of the finger way” but in a way that lets the audience take what they will from it. Johnson Jerald added that it starts a conversation, and fans are smarter than some people think – prompting the crowd to erupt in applause.

Tackling tough topics

Before the panel, the audience was treated to a screening of the season 1 finale, which revolved around a society that came to worship Commander Kelly – with religious leaders committing violent acts in her name. An audience member later joked about being mad on behalf of the Catholic church but then asked a serious question about the religious theme of the episode.

Johnson Jerald said, “I am a Bible-thumping Christian and I love doing The Orville. I have some people who want to judge, but we present the issues lovingly and gently enough to allow people to make their own decisions about their own life... If you’re not part of some light in the room, you just allow anything to be tossed out.”

J. Lee also expressed support for the show covering things people deal with in real life like race and religion, and Jackson said he thinks the show is "fantastic" for doing such unexpected things.

The moderator, Jim Halterman, West Coast Bureau Chief of TV Guide Magazine, asked MacFarlane how ideas come to him, and a fan asked what the hardest episode he had to write was. MacFarlane told the fan he’s never had such a smoother time writing as with The Orville – joking maybe everything he’s done so far was the wrong business for him. To Halterman’s point, MacFarlane noted that if your basic idea for something involves a galaxy, you should have a lot of ideas. About what issues to cover specifically, he said ideas come from everywhere.

“Something you read in the paper, a conversation with someone in the elevator, you just see where something catches fire. The idea comes when it comes,” said the creator.

On another serious note, Macon told a story about dressing as Kiss for Halloween when he was a kid – which was weird for a black boy in Chicago – and said he’s happy to be playing a character kids today can portray on the holiday without their race being an issue.

Having fun and making memories

There were plenty of lighter moments as well. True to his character, Grimes made a “doodie” joke when Macon said the word “duty.”

Halterman led a game of “guess who said the line” — which people nailed pretty easily, supporting MacFarlane’s pride in that no two characters on the show say the same thing.

They talked about prosthetics needed for the characters – Grimes said the one episode when he had to do it was exhausting, while Sage, who has to do it all the time, thinks it’s fun.

They also talked about some of their most memorable moments on the show. Johnson Jerald discussed shooting the episode where she gets intimate with Norm MacDonald’s green gelatinous character Yaphit, joking about how much tongue she was asked to give in her kiss scene, which she acted out alone.

Macon noted how his family tells him they can’t get the scene of him as Bortus sitting naked on an egg. Sage remarked that she sees it every time she closes her eyes. Coleman, who plays Bortus’ husband, subsequently complained that he didn’t get to be the one to sit on the egg – to which Palicki pointedly asked him if he really wanted to.

Flash Forward

They were pretty tight-lipped on what’s to come next season, though Coleman hinted that the audience will see things happen in parts of the ship that haven’t been on display as much. Johnson Jerald, barely restraining herself from saying too much, noted “you’re going to be sooooo surprised” about what happens to her character.

No word on future guest stars – though prior to PaleyFest it was disclosed that Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl, Shameless) was joining as a series regular. MacFarlane has also told media that the second season will lean more on sci-fi and less on comedy.

Whatever the future brings, the cast and creators reminded us why we love the show so much, all but ensuring PaleyFest attendees will be waiting anxiously for the show’s return. They were playful with the audience – MacFarlane even signed a toy banana – and it was clear the group’s fantastic on-screen chemistry exists off-screen as well. They shared great insight into the show, brought the laughs and energy, and set the bar high for the rest of the week’s events.