Oh, and hes looking to do it all with amazing, cinema-worthy special effects.
How will he pull off all these ambitions?
We talked to him to find out.
Michael Becker/FOX
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Lets start at the beginning.
What was the genesis of this project?
You know, an hourlong show is an entirely different beast as far as writing is concerned.
A lot of sci-fi these days is very dark.
I really miss episodic storytelling in that genre.
You really only see it in comedy anymore.
And yeah, it was important that it be an hour.
I wouldnt want to do a half-hour sci-fi comedy.
It would be too light.
So they did step up, and weve taken that really seriously.
A lot of theOrvillefly-by shots are physical models.
Its the way they used to do theStar Warsmovies in the 70s and 80s.
And were taking that as seriously as if we were doing a movie.
I think you have to.
The effects have to be taken seriously.
You really have to make people believe that that world exists, even with the comedic element.
You have an extensive background in visual arts.
It would have to be designed for extreme comfort and extreme sustainability, or youd start losing your mind.
So its a combination of what, to me, is the realism of that concept.
And also, I mean, I like the Kramdens apartment, but Id rather be in theFriendsapartment.
I mean, rather than drab monochrome, we said, no, lets make it colorful.
You mentionedStar Trek, and obviously thats an influence, as are works likeGalaxy Quest.
All the female officers on the show are referred to as sir.
I mean, theres always something kind of odd about saying maam.
It always sounds like you should be holding a mint julep when youre addressing a superior officer as maam.
So, I mean, andStar Trekused to do it.
I dont know if it originated with them, but it was always their solution to that same thing.
Its just making sir a universal title.
Whether its male or female, thats how you address a superior officer.
So its something we just kind of went with.
Its beyond our solar system.
Whats the worst or most effed-up planet well be seeing this season?Probably Earth.
WillThe Orvillebe as reflexive in that sense?In its own way.
I mean, good science fiction does not ignore current events and sociopolitics and things like that.
I always feel that thats the duty of science fiction to comment on those kinds of things.
So yeah, you will be seeing allegorical references to plenty of stuff thats going on today.
You just have to sniff it out a little bit more.
The Orvillepremieres tonight, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m.
