Disney+ viewing could give The Orville a better chance at renewal

On August 10th, all three seasons of The Orville drop on Disney+, making it available to more viewers.

The Orville: New Horizons aired its third season finale on Thursday, August 4th, and that’s a wrap until we know whether the series has been renewed or cancelled. Right now, show creator Seth MacFarlane gives the series a 50-50 chance of renewal according to an interview he gave TVLine.

Though the actors have already been released from their contracts, MacFarlane says they’re the easy part when it comes to renewal. With everything that’s on his plate, adding a season four to the series will dump a lot more work on him, but he said he would find a way to make it work. Now the numbers just have to add up. Presently, The Orville has not cracked the top ten in Nielsen’s weekly streaming ratings. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee a cancellation as there are so many streaming series nowadays, the competition is fierce. But being in the top ten could only help it.

Disney+ viewing numbers could turn the tide for The Orville

One thing that’s in The Orville’s favor is its upcoming release on Disney+. All three seasons will be available for subscribers to watch, someting MacFarlane calls a “potential gamechanger.” With its approximately 87.6 million worldwide viewers (almost 50% more than what Hulu has), the channel could push the sci-fi series into the top ten.

MacFarlane believes the show’s biggest burden is preconceptions. Viewers don’t necessarily see The Orville as serious television, and for the first and part of the second seasons, the series did lean more toward the comedic. But it’s gone in a different direction for the third season, one that has all fans clamoring for an additional season.

Hopefully, The Orville will get the renewal it deserves. Although season three ended on a relatively positive note, there are many ends left to be tied. And three seasons isn’t enough to tell what needs to be told.