An Avenue to Adventure?

Over the past couple of months, whenever I mention the show Avenue 5, I'm invariably answered with "What's that? I've never heard of that." Then I begin to explain that it's the HBO sci-fi comedy about a space cruise liner that's knocked off course and left with a three-and-a-half-year journey home. I get that far or less, and I'm invariably answered with "Oh yeah, I've seen stuff about that!" or "The one with Hugh Laurie?" It seems people are aware of Avenue 5. But few are actually watching it. Are they missing out?

Maybe? It depends on where your bar is set right now.

It's easy to paint a less-than-glowing picture of Avenue 5 if you compare it to other things. It comes from creator Armando Iannucci, the man who made Veep and its British antecedent, The Thick of It. Those shows were master classes in cringe humor, hilarious satires about inept government (from a time when that actually played as satire, anyway). Both shows are, to be completely honest, much funnier than Avenue 5.

But they're also completely different. The trappings of unqualified people in positions of power still permeate Avenue 5, but the show is not "Veep in Space." It's a strange satire stew with bits of Veep, Star Trek, The Love Boat, and more all simmering in the broth. It feels distinctly like its own thing as you watch an episode.

And what it an episode like? Well, I'd say it's only laugh out loud funny here and there -- though I do have a smile on my face throughout pretty much every half-hour episode. It's definitely a showcase for a spectrum of funny people to do their thing. It's also distinct in that much of the cast isn't previously known for being funny before this.

I mentioned earlier than Hugh Laurie is the one everyone seems to know is in this. He plays Captain Ryan Clark, the ostensible calm eye in the storm of the show -- but with humorous facets to his character that are revealed in short order. The show is built to use the authoritative parts of his character on House, the comedic chops he displayed in Veep, and (extremely minor spoiler here:) both his native British accent and his facility with an American one.

For outright comedy, you get Josh Gad as a pompous billionnaire visionary, skilled improv performer Suzy Nakamura as his cutthroat right hand, an extra dry Zach Woods (hopping straight from Silicon Valley to this) as the hilariously unqualified head of customer relations, and Rebecca Front as a literal "Karen" making trouble aboard the ship. For science fiction pedigree, you have Lenora Crichlow (from Being Human) and Ethan Phillips (from Star Trek: Voyager). Continuing the parade of performers you'll likely recognize from other places: Nikki Amuka-Bird (Luther), Andy Buckley (the U.S. version of The Office), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), and more. The cast is stacked.

Avenue 5 did intrigue me from the first episode, and I was rewarded for staying with it: it did get steadily funnier throughout the season. I was happy to hear it was given a season two to follow its just-wrapped 9-episode season one, and I plan on being there in the future when it arrives. I'd give the series a B overall. If your TV series dance card is especially full right now, that might not be good enough to make the cut. But I find it's always good to have a light half-hour in the mix, and Avenue 5 fit that bill nicely for a while. You might want to check it out.