Seth MacFarlane Says ‘The Orville’ Is More ‘Star Trek’ Than ‘Blazing Saddles in Space’

MacFarlane reveals that the show is more along the lines of “Star Trek” than some of his previous work… warning fans this is not “'Blazing Saddles' in space.”

What he loved about “Star Trek” was the element of fun, the lack of cynicism, and its “f**k you earnestness,” in other words… “the Julie Andrews of sci-fi.”

He wants to bring that same optimism to his show. “I loved the idea behind the stories, that we have figured s**t out in the future, and the world isn't going to be like 'Hunger Games.'”

The star continued, “It kind of sucks that people who are the age now that I was when I first saw 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' they don't have anything positive like that. There's a lot of dark stuff, but nothing that says, 'Here's another route you can go.' That's what I hope 'The Orville' can do. I hope people will see my love of the genre and respect that.”

MacFarlane and his castmates will bring the funny, but this isn't “Family Guy” or “Ted.” He explained, “If you come with an open mind and want to be told a story that treats the audience with respect, maybe you're getting something out of this that you never expected.”

For more with Seth, check out this behind-the-scenes video from his photo shoot!