Newslink: Seth MacFarlane Discusses “The Orville,” “Star Trek,” and the Struggle to Make Science Fiction Funny
Seth MacFarlane is most commonly known as the creator—and, in many cases, the voices—of the animated comedy series “Family Guy,” but he is also a lifelong science-fiction buff. He produced “Cosmos,” the 2014 reboot of Carl Sagan’s beloved series, and on Sunday will première a new live-action show, “The Orville,” in which he plays the captain of a spaceship four hundred years in the future. Earlier this week, I spoke with MacFarlane about the role of science (and science fiction) in the modern world. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.