Outer space doesn’t have to be so serious. HBO hopes to prove that with Avenue 5, from Veep creator Armando Iannucci in January. Here is the first teaser:
The new series stars Hugh Laurie (“House”) as Ryan Clark, the confident and suave captain of “Avenue 5,” a space cruise ship with luxury amenities like gourmet buffets, a spa, an observation deck and yoga classes. As the series begins, Avenue 5’s eight-week journey around Saturn is underway and its systems are optimal. But when the ship suddenly encounters technical difficulties, it’s up to Ryan and his crew to calm the disgruntled passengers and find a way to deal with unexpected events onboard – though they may or may not be equipped for the task.
Other cast members include Josh Gad (“Murder on the Orient Express”) as billionaire Herman Judd, the mercurial face and name behind Avenue 5; Zach Woods (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”) as head of customer relations Matt Spencer; Rebecca Front (“Poldark,” BAFTA winner for “The Thick of It”) as strong-willed passenger Karen Kelly; Suzy Nakamura (“Dr. Ken”) as Iris Kimura, Judd’s right hand woman; Lenora Crichlow (“Being Human”) as engineer Billie McEvoy; Nikki Amuka-Bird (CINEMAX’s “Quarry”) as Rav Mulcair, head of Judd Mission Control; and Ethan Phillips (“Inside Llewyn Davis”) as Spike Martin, a space enthusiast and former astronaut. There will be some exciting guest stars in Season 1 as well, such as Andy Buckley (“The Office”) as Karen’s husband Frank; Jessica St. Clair (“American Housewife”) and Kyle Bornheimer (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) as feuding couple Mia and Doug; Neil Casey (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”) as Cyrus, an Avenue 5 engineer; Matthew Beard (“The Imitation Game”) as Rav’s deputy Alan Lewis; Himesh Patel (“Yesterday”) as stand-up comedian Jordan Hatwal; Paterson Joseph (“Timeless”) as Judd’s business rival Harrison; and Daisy May Cooper (“This Country”) as Sarah, a member of the bridge crew.
When we have the exact premiere date in January, we’ll pass it along.
Photo Credit: Alex Bailey/HBO