Seth MacFarlane to Star in Live-Action Space Dramedy Series for Fox

Fox is building on its relationship with prolific producer Seth MacFarlane.

The Family Guy creator will create, star in and executive produce an hourlong live-action dramedy series, the network announced Wednesday. 

Slated to bow in during the 2017-18 broadcast season with a pilot filmed later this year, the untitled effort will mark MacFarlane’s live-action TV acting debut. MacFarlane penned the script for the project, which is set 300 years in the future and follows the adventures of the Orville, an exploratory ship in Earth’s interstellar fleet. Facing cosmic challenges from without and within, the motley crew of space explorers will “boldly go where no comedic drama has gone before,” according to the Fox logline.

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The deal extends MacFarlane’s relationship with Fox and studio 20th Century Fox Television, where he is under a rich overall deal. It also marks the latest space-themed project for MacFarlane, who exec produced Fox’s Emmy-winning documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.

For MacFarlane, the live-action series will join animated staple Family Guy — renewed through the 2016-17 season — as well as Starz comedy Blunt Talk, which he exec produces, and TBS’ American Dad. His latest series, animated entry Bordertown — picked up in 2013 — has disappointed and is not expected to return.

For MacFarlane, the Fox space dramedy marks his latest acting gig following features Ted and Ted 2 as well as A Million Ways to Die in the West. 

Keep up with all the renewals, cancellations and new series pickups with THR’s handy scorecard and follow the pilot crop status here.