Sorry to necro this but I just saw in the latest LTT vid that apparently Microsoft did go through with this plan? They were talking about it in the context of the diskless xbox that just released. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/xbox/forum/all/how-to-transfer-content-licenses/7ac76f4e-c7e4-4153-8824-1e424478b02d
The Orville got MUCH less satirical in season 2 and even more so in season 3. There are still jokes for sure but I would struggle to call any of it mean spirited. There’s even this old home video TOS skit that Seth MacFarlane and his friend’s did in high school. I assume Seth or someone let the writers off their leashes when they didn’t get sued by Paramount in Season 1.