Discovery and "The Orville" Comparisons

[KirkusOveractus]

Just found out one more issue with Discovery....I don't have cable, only Hulu and Netflix. The first "free" episode did not come up on Hulu. I already have the CBS app for a different show so I thought I could at least watch the first episode. Well they won't even let me watch the first "free" episode without signing up for their paid service.

That's really screwed up. I could have sworn the first episode was available for free without the sign up. I would have left the first one as free for anyone, just as it was when shown on CBS.

 

[BillJ]

The presence of The Orville has actually tempered my disappointment in Discovery.

 

[eschaton]

In fairness, I think it's probably easier to be grabbed by The Orville. It's a lighter, it's episodic and the universe of The Orville has different rules, like characters talking about dicks on the bridge. All those things make it more accessible to the casual viewer. It also doesn't have 50 years of history to try and honour and a fan base who all have different, often contradictory and unrealistic expectations of what it should be.

The Orville has continually entertained me (other than the pilot, which was fairly weak) even though it has yet to do anything better than a "good but not great" Trek episode. In contrast, I don't find watching Discovery enjoyable so far, but I'm willing to stick around for the eventual payoff.

 

[KirkusOveractus]

The presence of The Orville has actually tempered my disappointment in Discovery.

I feel the same. Actually, when I saw The Orville, I started to get a little anxiety that we were not going to get that feeling from Discovery.

 

[BillJ]

Even though Discovery is supposed to be high-brow, intellectual entertainment, it could sorely use some dick jokes.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Yeah, but I wouldn't call myself a "casual viewer" where Star Trek is involved. And, Discovery should've ditched that fifty-years of history and started fresh. I say this as someone who owns all the series, bought them multiple times over the years, buys merchandise, buys technical manuals (and used to buy novels), buys comics.

I agree it should have started fresh, but then it probably would have been criticised for that as well. I remember how Voyager got criticised for having no conflict, or danger and how people would have preferred if the crew had behaved more like the Equinox crew. When Battlestar Galactica started airing, lots of people on this very board were of the opinion that Voyager should have been more like Battlestar Galactica. We're kinda seeing that with Discovery, but it's apparently 'too dark' and 'not star trek'. So what exactly do people want?

 

[KirkusOveractus]

Even though Discovery is supposed to be high-brow, intellectual entertainment, it could sorely use some dick jokes.

It could sorely use some humor somewhere. I find myself just watching it, as opposed to other Trek series, which brought me into the story and made me feel like I was there.

 

[KirkusOveractus]

I agree it should have started fresh, but then it probably would have been criticised for that as well. I remember how Voyager got criticised for having no conflict, or danger and how people would have preferred if the crew had behaved more like the Equinox crew. When Battlestar Galactica started airing, lots of people on this very board were of the opinion that Voyager should have been more like Battlestar Galactica. We're kinda seeing that with Discovery, but it's apparently 'too dark' and 'not star trek'. So what exactly do people want?

A show closer to what The Orville is, with a touch more drama. Give us interesting characters, new worlds, smart writing. Throw in a dash of humor and people to root for.

 

[BillJ]

It could sorely use some humor somewhere. I find myself just watching it, as opposed to other Trek series, which brought me into the story and made me feel like I was there.

Yep. It is because I've yet to see anything that makes me want to be part of their world.

A show closer to what The Orville is, with a touch more drama. Give us interesting characters, new worlds, smart writing. Throw in a dash of humor and people to root for.

A huge problem is so much of Discovery for me is the "been there, done that" feeling of it all. The Orville has that feeling as well, but wrapped itself in a place I feel like I'd want to be.

 

[eschaton]

A show closer to what The Orville is, with a touch more drama. Give us interesting characters, new worlds, smart writing. Throw in a dash of humor and people to root for.

So Deep Space Nine on a ship with modern production values?

 

[NOVE9]

Because, you know, a lot of us don't think much of Discovery and wouldn't be speaking any more enthusiastically of it if The Orville didn't exist.

So of course it won't compare well to a show we like.

You put similar things next to one another, people will compare and have preferences. It's that simple.

I'd say the majority of people here seem to be happy to enjoy both, giving them both a shot and don't think it's necessary to constantly put one down if they don't like/appreciate it.

 

[KirkusOveractus]

So Deep Space Nine on a ship with modern production values?

More TOS with modern production values.

 

[Mudd]

I feel the same. Actually, when I saw The Orville, I started to get a little anxiety that we were not going to get that feeling from Discovery.

And I sure haven't.

Yeah The Orville is something I really look forward to. I'm watching Discovery with rapidly-diminishing curiosity.

STD is worse than bad...it's "meh."

 

[eschaton]

More TOS with modern production values.

TOS did not have particularly interesting characters though. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were given real personalities and had good chemistry, but there was zero continuity between episodes, so they had no development as characters. And the rest of the crew had nearly interchangable lines (except for Checkov's Russia jokes).

 

[Sophie74656]

That's really screwed up. I could have sworn the first episode was available for free without the sign up. I would have left the first one as free for anyone, just as it was when shown on CBS.

Yep, now I'm really not going to watch it.

 

[seigezunt]

Maybe the positive in this is that it gives certain TNG fans who want all subsequent Trek to be exactly like TNG a place to celebrate that. So maybe there's that.

 

[KirkusOveractus]

TOS did not have particularly interesting characters though. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were given real personalities and had good chemistry, but there was zero continuity between episodes, so they had no development as characters. And the rest of the crew had nearly interchangable lines (except for Checkov's Russia jokes).

To me, they were all interesting enough to go from episode to episode. Then again, TOS is my favorite of the Trek series, and continuity is sometimes what kills a good story. I'd much rather have a weekly adventure out there, on its own, without having to worry if they're saying something that fits with a couple episodes before or if they identify a ship's class correctly.

It had charm, adventure, fun, charisma. It brought you in each week (or each rerun) and you were along for the ride. TOS was mainly about Kirk (and later Kirk, Spock and McCoy) anyway, with the others being a good supporting cast.

 

[Tesophius]

My overall feeling right now when I'm watching a new episode of The Orville is "Yay, new Trek! Finally!" and of Discovery is "Ugh, I'm sticking with this for now and maybe it'll get good when this boring war ends and they turn the lights on"

 

[Mudd]

Maybe the positive in this is that it gives certain TNG fans who want all subsequent Trek to be exactly like TNG a place to celebrate that. So maybe there's that.

Oh, there are many positives to it...for Orvillians.

The show looks like TNG, but reminds me more of TOS. I'm not into 24th century Trek.

 

[Mudd]

To me, they were all interesting enough to go from episode to episode. Then again, TOS is my favorite of the Trek series, and continuity is sometimes what kills a good story. I'd much rather have a weekly adventure out there, on its own, without having to worry if they're saying something that fits with a couple episodes before or if they identify a ship's class correctly.

It had charm, adventure, fun, charisma. It brought you in each week (or each rerun) and you were along for the ride. TOS was mainly about Kirk (and later Kirk, Spock and McCoy) anyway, with the others being a good supporting cast.

Yep.