The Orville

[Big Shrek]

So it appears that Voyager is the real ripoff artist

I could not take Voyager seriously because of who they chose to be the captain.
Wasn't because she was a woman, it was because she was Kate Mulgrew...
a truly horrid actress...delivers lines like a brick. Voice like a cat being dragged
on the freeway behind a car by a leash.

 

[hbarcat]

So it appears that Voyager is the real ripoff artist

LOL!

By far, my most favorite series of novels is the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett. It is 41 novels set on a mythical (and magical) flat Earth that is supported by 4 elephants which are standing on the back of a giant tortoise (The great A'Tuin) that is flying through space.

The plots of each novel tend to be unique and stand alone without the need to read the other novels and all are based on a parody or humor and satire of a specific topic or story that is familiar to normal Earth society.

For example, one story called Hogfather is based on the Christmas holiday and it explores why we invent mythological beings and then act as if they are real. Instead of Christmas Eve, the story takes place on Hogswatch night, and Santa Claus is replaced by The Hogfather. Something happens to make the Hogfather disappear and there will be no presents delivered that year. Death (The Grim Reaper) decides that continued belief in the Hogfather is imperative to humans so he dons the red suit and hat, puts on a fake beard and drives around in the sleigh pulled by 4 flying pigs to keep the spirit of Hogswatch Night alive.

So is this entire book little more than a "ripoff"? Are all of Pratchett's novels just cheap rewrites of already existing stories? One hundred million fans say no.

 

[Gorn]

I could not take Voyager seriously because of who they chose to be the captain.
Wasn't because she was a woman, it was because she was Kate Mulgrew...
a truly horrid actress...delivers lines like a brick. Voice like a cat being dragged
on the freeway behind a car by a leash.
View attachment 2840510

I think she did a fine acting job. She portrayed the roll of the war criminal Katherine Janeway very well. The real question is why Starfleet promoted her to Admiral instead giving her a court martial and sending her to a penal colony.

 

[Big Shrek]

LOL!

By far, my most favorite series of novels is the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett. It is 41 novels set on a mythical (and magical) flat Earth that is supported by 4 elephants which are standing on the back of a giant tortoise (The great A'Tuin) that is flying through space.

The plots of each novel tend to be unique and stand alone without the need to read the other novels and all are based on a parody or humor and satire of a specific topic or story that is familiar to normal Earth society.

For example, one story called Hogfather is based on the Christmas holiday and it explores why we invent mythological beings and then act as if they are real. Instead of Christmas Eve, the story takes place on Hogswatch night, and Santa Claus is replaced by The Hogfather. Something happens to make the Hogfather disappear and there will be no presents delivered that year. Death (The Grim Reaper) decides that continued belief in the Hogfather is imperative to humans so he dons the red suit and hat, puts on a fake beard and drives around in the sleigh pulled by 4 flying pigs to keep the spirit of Hogswatch Night alive.

So is this entire book little more than a "ripoff"? Are all of Pratchett's novels just cheap rewrites of already existing stories? One hundred million fans say no.

One of the best writers nobody ever heard of
Try on a daily basis to get people hooked on Pratchett...
the man was a GENIUS of wise-acre storytelling!!

I've seen a lot of artists die over the years, the only two that ever brought tears to my eyes
were John Ritter and Terry Pratchett...and TP helped get me through John Ritter's with
a re-reading of "Guards, Guards!"

One simply cannot remain in a bad mood when reading Pratchett.
His sense of humor hits on 18 different levels, sometimes all within two pages.
Re-reading the books occasionally opens up new insights to things that weren't
as important the last time you read them...but sing to your soul at the right time.

 

[Big Shrek]

She portrayed the roll of the war criminal Katherine Janeway very well. The real question is why Starfleet promoted her to Admiral instead giving her a court martial and sending her to a penal colony.

That mirrors real Military life better than you can imagine
The only place other than the Mafia where your body count is a means
by which one attains higher rank.

 

[Gorn]

Bortus is my favorite character, so far.


View attachment 2840497


I wonder what his singing voice is like. Will we ever get to hear it?

I can't find any clips of the actor singing. He's been around for a while so maybe he just can't. As deep and booming as his voice is, it's pretty monotonous even in interviews as himself.

 

[Big Shrek]

I can't find any clips of the actor singing. He's been around for a while so maybe he just can't. As deep and booming as his voice is, it's pretty monotonous even in interviews as himself.

One can never know how someone sings until they bust it out...

Take Jim Nabors for instance...
sounded like Backwoods Hillbilly from Bend-Over-and-Take-It land when speaking,
but OH, what a voice when singing!!



And Prince, for that matter...deeper voice than you would expect coming
out of that little scrawny frame, then sang high falsetto...

And let us never forget Marvin Gaye...
timid little soft voice when talking, but smoother than Haagen-Daaz when singing

 

[mellowinman]

I could not take Voyager seriously because of who they chose to be the captain.
Wasn't because she was a woman, it was because she was Kate Mulgrew...
a truly horrid actress...delivers lines like a brick. Voice like a cat being dragged
on the freeway behind a car by a leash.
View attachment 2840510

Kate Mulgrew is a fantastic actress. Award-winning actress.

 

[hbarcat]

I could not take Voyager seriously because of who they chose to be the captain.
Wasn't because she was a woman, it was because she was Kate Mulgrew...
a truly horrid actress...delivers lines like a brick. Voice like a cat being dragged
on the freeway behind a car by a leash.

I think she did a fine acting job. She portrayed the roll of the war criminal Katherine Janeway very well.

Not a fan of Voyager but I rather thought that Mulgrew did a decent job acting the part of Janeway.

Slight change of topic but I've never been satisfied with any actor's portrayal of a Vulcan in any series other than The Original. Nimoy as Spock was unquestionably the standard all others aspire to. Mark Lenard did a decent job as Sarek.
Kirstie Alley as Saavik was awful. Also bad was Kim Catrall as Valeris. T'Pol and Tuvok not good either. I think it's just inherently difficult playing a character that displays no emotion. Good actors radiate emotion - it's what makes them good.

The Orville obviously doesn't have a Vulcan on board because it isn't part of the Star Trek universe, but they do have a Vulcan like character that is unemotional and highly logical in Isaac. Actually, his character is probably more like Data in TNG because he's a robot/android. Looking back on the earlier episodes of TNG shows that Brent Spiner had some trouble portraying Data in a plausible manner but he seems to have gotten it down by about season 3.

I would guess that the producers of The Orville purposely made Isaac with a faceless head (just the 2 eye lights which are described as decorative only) so that the actor wouldn't have to struggle trying to emulate a character with no emotion. And cheaper, too. All they need is any spare body in a suit who just responds to the other actors with appropriate gestures. Overdubbing the voice is also super cheap and easy to do.

 

[HaphAsSard]

I never doubted Mulgrew's abilities as an actress: she obviously has a lot of arrows in her quiver. Janeway was a terrible character though, to which she contributed as much as the authors and directors. Her hissy delivery, especially in preaching mode, was very often the low point of the episode.
As for Vulcans, I found Tim Russ very convincing in his portrayal of Tuvok. As I wrote in another thread, he may not have been Oscar-worthy, but he was very good in my book. Jolene Blalock wasn't bad either, but there was the usual pressure to explore the limits of Vulcanity for dramatic purposes (in her case, to get her to tumble with an Earthling or two).

 

[Gorn]

There were some awful actors on Voyager. Chakotay stunk. He sounded like a kid in a play. I kept hoping they'd kill off Harry Kim but he made it, whining and pissy faced the whole way through.

 

[Big Shrek]

I never doubted Mulgrew's abilities as an actress: she obviously has a lot of arrows in her quiver. Janeway was a terrible character though, to which she contributed as much as the authors and directors. Her hissy delivery, especially in preaching mode, was very often the low point of the episode.
As for Vulcans, I found Tim Russ very convincing in his portrayal of Tuvok. As I wrote in another thread, he may not have been Oscar-worthy, but he was very good in my book. Jolene Blalock wasn't bad either, but there was the usual pressure to explore the limits of Vulcanity for dramatic purposes (in her case, to get her to tumble with an Earthling or two).

There are a few really great reasons to have Jolene Blalock on any show...
None of 'em had to do with her acting

 

[Gorn]

She was easy on the eyes and had her moments, but I hated the way she acted out emotional repression. They do that with every Vulcan otherwise they may as well be a robot. Her repressed face was only anger and a little constipation. Tuvoc and Spock were more dynamic.

 

[Big Shrek]

I never doubted Mulgrew's abilities as an actress: she obviously has a lot of arrows in her quiver. Janeway was a terrible character though, to which she contributed as much as the authors and directors. Her hissy delivery, especially in preaching mode, was very often the low point of the episode.
As for Vulcans, I found Tim Russ very convincing in his portrayal of Tuvok. As I wrote in another thread, he may not have been Oscar-worthy, but he was very good in my book. Jolene Blalock wasn't bad either, but there was the usual pressure to explore the limits of Vulcanity for dramatic purposes (in her case, to get her to tumble with an Earthling or two).

Tim Russ also played a Spaceball...
He was in the desert scene where they were to "Comb the desert"
using a 'Fro Pick
His line...'We ain't found $#!t!" was classic

 

[HaphAsSard]

Tim Russ also played a Spaceball...
He was in the desert scene where they were to "Comb the desert"
using a 'Fro Pick
His line...'We ain't found $#!t!" was classic

It was him? That's awesome! That alone made him a visual sci-fi legend!

 

[bluesblaster]

Just watched season finale, meh. Hope writing gets a bit more consistent next season

 

[Alkali Ike]

The whole season is a not-unpleasant meh. Neither a home run nor strikeout. A solid double? Lol. Baseball analogies.

 

[rojo412]

Tim Russ also played a Spaceball...
He was in the desert scene where they were to "Comb the desert"
using a 'Fro Pick
His line...'We ain't found $#!t!" was classic

When I get an email on my phone, that's the sound that plays. Love it!

As for The Orville, I like the show. It's weird how it goes between comedy and seriousness, but overall, it's decent.

 

[Big Shrek]

When I get an email on my phone, that's the sound that plays. Love it!

As for The Orville, I like the show. It's weird how it goes between comedy and seriousness, but overall, it's decent.

Original Trek used to do the same thing...
joke to serious and back at Warp 7
Especially the books...like "Doctor's Orders"...Funniest Trek Story Ever!
MahKoi would go back & forth between snarky and serious almost
as quickly as Robin Williams could change characters in Aladdin

 

[Turock]

i liked it.