The Orville: New Horizons: Release Date, Cast And More

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Leave it to Seth MacFarlane to create an homage/spoof on "Star Trek" that, in the long run, has balanced the seemingly opposing tones of being both mercilessly self-deprecating and earnestly heartwarming in equal measure. Fans of "The Orville" have had no choice but to anxiously await news of the next season for quite a bit of time during some serious pandemic-induced downtime, which finally came through in recent days. Now that a firm release date has been announced, we can round up all the relevant information and take a look at everything you need to know about the third season of the popular sci-fi series, subtitled "New Horizons."

In a big change from the first two seasons, the next season of "The Orville" will debut on Hulu for subscribers of the streaming service on March 10, 2022 instead of its usual spot on Fox. Episodes of the newest season will drop on a weekly basis, for a total of 11 episodes — fewer than in previous seasons, but with the added bonus of running roughly 12-15 minutes longer per episode.

If all this feels a bit like wading into uncertain waters for fans, not even Seth MacFarlane himself is 100% sure about the future of the show. The creator and star took to Twitter in August 2021 to announce the recent end of filming on season 3 and reiterate his hopes that there will be many more seasons of "The Orville" to come:

"And that is a wrap on season 3 of The Orville! Thank you to our incredible cast and crew for all their tireless and brilliant work, and I sincerely hope this is not the last time we all go to space. #TheOrville"

And that is a wrap on season 3 of The Orville! Thank you to our incredible cast and crew for all their tireless and brilliant work, and I sincerely hope this is not the last time we all go to space. #TheOrville

— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) August 11, 2021

"The Orville: New Horizons" is the official title for the third season of the hit show that originally started off as a parody of all things "Star Trek." Over the years, however, the show has revealed itself to be more of an unabashed love letter to the ever-popular franchise. Upon the release of the oft-delayed "New Horizons," it will have been almost three long years since the conclusion of season 2. The series first premiered on Fox on September 10, 2017, with the second season receiving more positive reviews across the board and helping lead "The Orville" to relatively high ratings for the network before its impending move to Hulu.

Created by Seth MacFarlane, "The Orville: New Horizons" will be directed in its entirety by both MacFarlane and returning director Jon Cassar. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" actor Jonathan Frakes previously directed two episodes of "The Orville" (and has even expressed hope to make an appearance on the series), but will not be returning for the third season. As he put it:

"I'm not involved with the third season. They made a decision to have Seth and John Cassar, who's the producing director, direct all the episodes of the third season of that show, much to my chagrin, but that's the way it goes."

"The Orville: New Horizons" stars MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer, Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson, Penny Johnson Jerald (another veteran of a "Star Trek" production, having previously portrayed Kasidy Yates in "Deep Space Nine") as Doctor Claire Finn, Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy, Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus, Jessica Szohr as Lieutenant Talla Keyali, J. Lee as Lieutenant Commander John LaMarr, Mark Jackson as Isaac, and Anne Winters as Charly Burke. Chad Coleman returns as Klyden and Norm Macdonald, having shockingly passed away earlier in September 2021, will have one of his very last roles in "The Orville" as the voice of Lieutenant Yaphit.

Set 400 years in the future, "The Orville: New Horizons" finds the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continuing their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.