Hollywood Showdown: The Orville Season 4's Fate Hangs in the Balance

Summary

The ongoing strikes in Hollywood have left the fate of The Orville season 4 uncertain, with its renewal being delayed.

The Orville may benefit from the strikes' impact on new content, as subscribers are in search of fresh shows to watch.

Although the strikes might result in The Orville's cancellation, Hulu has an opportunity to capitalize on the show's expanding viewership.

With TV and movie production at a standstill due to ongoing strikes in Hollywood, the fate of The Orville season 4 hangs in the balance. The third season of The Orville concluded over a year ago with an episode titled "Future Unknown," and the future of the show is still uncertain. Earlier this year, creator and star Seth McFarlane expressed cautious optimism about the show's renewal. However, his optimism was overshadowed when the Writers Guild of America initiated a strike, further prolonging the show's renewal process.

Despite the lack of confirmation from Hulu, the network that airs The Orville, fans can still hold out hope for a fourth season. When season 3 wrapped up, Seth McFarlane hinted that the show's renewal would depend on its performance on Hulu and Disney+. With Hollywood productions halted due to the strikes, there is a shortage of new content on streaming platforms, potentially piquing subscribers' interest in shows like The Orville for their much-needed entertainment. This could ultimately work in favor of the show, as its future hangs in the balance.

Hollywood Strikes Should Make Renewing The Orville An Easy Choice For Hulu

Once all parties agree to a fairer deal for writers and actors, streaming services like Hulu will likely seek to make up for lost time. Despite the release of the cast from their contracts after The Orville season 3, the sets and costumes are presumably still in storage as the show was never officially canceled. Season 3 left several unresolved storylines for The Orville to conclude in season 4, suggesting that production could potentially start soon after a deal is reached.

As the absence of new content begins to impact streamers, they may lose subscribers or find that subscribers are turning to older titles on the platform that they missed initially. The Orville already saw an increase in interest following the conclusion of season 3, leading to a substantial rise in its Rotten Tomatoes score. The longer the strikes continue, the higher the likelihood that The Orville will continue to attract an audience eager for more from Ed and his dedicated crew. Therefore, confirming The Orville season 4 would be an ideal way for Hulu to capitalize on this growing audience while filling a gap in their programming schedule.

Why Hollywood Strikes May Finally End The Orville Season 4 Hopes

Hulu may possibly decide to cancel The Orville due to the ongoing strikes in Hollywood. In June, it was announced that Apple TV+ had canceled their remake of Fritz Lang's Metropolis due to the high costs and uncertainty caused by the strikes. Unlike Metropolis, The Orville has the advantage of being an established show with a successful history, rather than a risky remake of a beloved sci-fi classic. However, it is concerning that streaming platforms may use the strikes as a justification to cut their losses by dropping shows like The Orville.

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are centered around the inequitable distribution of wealth in the entertainment industry. With CEOs already earning multi-million dollar salaries, it is very possible that an episodic sci-fi series may be viewed as too risky and costly once a fairer pay agreement is reached for actors and writers. Regardless of how the strikes unfold in the upcoming weeks and months, it remains evident that the future of The Orville is just as uncertain as it was a year ago.