It's the day after The Orville Season 2 finale, and Fox has yet to renew Seth MacFarlane's show for Season 3. That could change at any moment, but the ratings for Episode 14, "The Road Not Taken," may play a role in whatever decision Fox makes from here.
There's some good news on that front. The Orville Season 2 finale ticked up in the ratings from the past four weeks and in overall viewers from the past two weeks. It didn't hit a season high on either front, and the numbers are down across the board from Season 1. But still. Ending on an upswing is a good sign, and The Orville finale's Thursday, April 25 at 9 p.m. airing had more overall viewers and a better 18-49 rating than its lead-in, the series finale for Gotham.
According to TV by the Numbers, The Orville Season 2 finale was watched by 2.92 million viewers and had a rating/share of 0.7/4 in the 18-49 demographic. (Gotham had 2.21 milllion and a 0.5/2 rating/share.)
Those Live + Same Day ratings top the past four weeks of The Orville Season 2, which had 0.6 ratings. The previous two weeks had ticked up to 0.8 for "Identity" and "Identity Part II." But the season finale's 0.7 rating is pretty steady with most of Season 2, save for the post-NFL Season 2 premiere, which aired Sunday, December 30 and had 5.68 million viewers and a 1.5 rating.
It's not always clear what networks take into account with the renewal or cancellation decisions. It's rarely just one thing -- cast/writer/producer contracts, cost to produce the show, what else is on the schedule, fan outcry, etc. But if the Fox suits check DVR numbers, for people who watch the show within a week of airing, The Orville seems to do fairly well. Season 2 added around 2.5-3 million more viewers each week, with the DVR ratings jumping a bit in the 18-49 demo, although still staying in the 0.7-0.9 region.
It sounds like show creator and Capt. Ed Mercer star Seth MacFarlane would be up for a return, considering he thanked CinemaBlend and retweeted our story arguing for The Orville to get a third season.
That story made a few arguments for where The Orville could head after "The Road Not Taken." Networks have already announced renewals and cancellations for several shows, but some showrunners and stars will have to keep biting their fingernails through May. That's when many more decisions are expected to be made public. We'll have to stay tuned for word on The Orville's fate from here.
There's a lot going on in the TV world at the moment, so keep up with everything with our season finale guide, our renewal/cancellation guide, and our look at what's coming in summer 2019.
