Ghosted and The Orville Review

Ghosted and The Orville--- are the two sci fi themed comedy shows worth watching?

I was not sure what to expect from seeing the previews of the new show Ghosted on Fox. It is a half hour comedy show following an ex college professor who claims his wife was abducted by aliens (Adam Scott), and a retired missing person’s cop (Craig Robinson).

I thought it would be a spoof on the X-Files, but I was pleasantly surprised it was not. There are some elements of Men in Black, as you throw two unsuspecting people into the world the extra-terrestrial, and secret government agents.

It was funny, and engaging without being over the top. It had laugh out loud moments, and just simple moments that made you smile and chuckle. The cliff hanger at the end of the pilot made me definitely want to watch the next episode. I am excited to see where this show goes, and am definitely adding it to my fall line-up.

The Orville is a new show from the mind of Seth MacFarlane. It has a Star Trek feel, but with the humor of Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane is captain John Mercer of the ship the Orville. His commanding officers are rounding out by his ex-wife (Kelly Grayson played by Adrianne Palicki), his best friend, Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes), and navigator John Lamarr (J.Lee). It is rounded out by various other aliens and species. In the beginning it feels a little like a party with all of Seth MacFarlane's friends.

The stories, structure, and format is similar to (and dare I say steals from) the Star Trek series. Each week is a different adventure that forces us to learn a lesson and open our minds to how we interact with others in our species and other species. And adventure and excitement are just around every corner.

Because MacFarlane is the show-runner, his type of humor is dominant within the series. While much of it is amusing, it also feels out of place. Many of the jokes and gags are set to current pop culture references, which doesn't completely jive with the fact that they are 400 years int he future. It is still enjoyable, but every so often, you have to wonder-why would people talk or know about (fill in the blank) 400 years later?