David Farnor | On 14, Dec 2019

Armand Iannucci touches down on Sky Atlantic in the new year, with his new space comedy Avenue 5.

The comedy, written by the creator of The Thick of It and Veep, is set 40 years in the future when traveling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multibillion-dollar business.

It stars Hugh Laurie 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 — although they may or may not be equipped for the task.

Laurie is joined by Josh Gad as billionaire Herman Judd, the mercurial face and name behind Avenue 5; Zach Woods (Silicon Valley) as head of customer relations Matt Spencer; Rebecca Front (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 (Quarry) as Rav Mulcair, head of Judd Mission Control; and Ethan Phillips (Inside Llewyn Davis) as Spike Martin, a space enthusiast and former astronaut.

Season 1 guests include Paterson Joseph, Matthew Beard and Daisy May Cooper. Behind the camera, Iannucci is joined by co-writers Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche.

The series will debut on 22nd January on Sky Atlantic, shortly following its 19th January launch on HBO in the USA. Here’s a trailer:

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