Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Looking for some quality comedy entertainment to check out?
Who better to turn to for under-the-radar comedy recommendations than comedians?
Thats what comedianMoshe Kasherlikes about it.
Adie-hardNext Generationfan, Kasher watchesThe Orvilletherapeutically.
It wont make any demands on his psyche after a long day of anxiously consuming Twitter and news.
Its an unsung pleasure, a chill hang with your TV buds.
The stand-up special in its current Netflix-y form largely ignores crowd work in favor of genre-busting filmic moments.
Unless youre actually going to shows, youre going to miss the immediate and interactive part of the performance.
It definitely speaks to the darkest nature of my reality.
ButThe Orville,like … And in the early 90s when it was on, it spoke to a possible utopian future.
But theres something nostalgically nice about a show thats not trying to do anything [edgy and meaningful].
Its like a warm bath.
Its like watching the 90s again.
Cultural misunderstandings are now the sites of some of our greatest global tragedies.
Its not,Whoopsy, we didnt know thats how you pee.Yeah yeah yeah, exactly.
The Orvilleis your sand.Theres something about a show thats not politically allegorical.
Its just spaceships in the air, and people with funny little quips.
Its funny, because its not even all that much of a comedy.
It is exactlyStar Trek: The Next Generationif you just leaned 5 percent more towards jokes.
Im sure they did it on purpose.
Its a very unique show.
Its like, Is it a comedy?
Yeah, sort of, but its not one of these new comedies, in that its a drama.
But Brannon Braga is behind this show.
It must feel great to not have to completely inhabit theStar Trektone.I wonder what the room is like.
Is there a comedy quadrant?
Do they bring regular sci-fi scripts to this comedy pod, and they add jokes?
Do they strip jokes away?
What is the critical consensus, by the way?
Do people like it?
It seems like some criticshated the first season.
But thepeople who stuck around for season twowent, Oh, I get this.
Its this horrifying news cycle:What did Trump say?
Whats the impeachment situation?
Theres just something very refreshing about a show that doesnt have the pretense of import.
Is that something that resonates for you?
Yeah.Thats an interesting question.
Well,Problematicwas the opposite of a show that was nostalgic and a light fluffy look at life.
I do like nostalgia, yes.
Im gonna say yes.
Oh, would that the world could see what the hour-long tapings looked like!
And I think thatissomething aboutThe Orvillethats nice.
Its a straight-down-the-middle episodic drama.
And once in a while, CGI Norm Macdonald floats in and sexually harasses a crew member.
These things hit now Watchmen, Game of Thrones, evenBattlestar.
These shows are full of evil characters.
And there was something aboutStar Trek, where every character was somehow more wholesome than the last.
Every character was more lovable and pure.
I guess Will Riker was a bit of a handsy ladies man.
So theres something about this universe of pure good that I really loved.
And I thinkThe Orville,in its best episodes, has a nostalgic feeling of some of that.
That was a long walk, but I think I agree.
Seth MacFarlane, hes kind of an entertainment Everyman.
He loves musicals, he loves joke-driven comedies, and animated stuff.
He likes comedy-comedy.And this isnt that.
This isnt joke-joke comedy.
Like I said, this is warm bath comedy, not searing acid.
Did you likeThe Orville?
Uhhh …[Laughs.]
I liked what I watched, but I dont know if Ill continue watching.I kind of get it.
Im not taking a swing, and I dont think theyre taking a swing, thatThe Orvilleis important TV.
But I know that I love the experience of watching it.
And theres nothing difficult about an episode ofThe Orville.
