TV - Avenue 5

Hugh Laurie (with a beard and an American accent) goes back to comedy. A comedy in space. Created by Armando Iannucci. What more do you want?! [A UK air date? - Ed] Watch the trailer for Avenue 5, coming soon from HBO...

The vacation you never knew you needed.

Created and written by Armando Iannucci, Avenue 5, which debuts in January in the US, is a new HBO comedy set 40 years in the future when travelling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multibillion-dollar business.

The series 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 — though they may or may not be equipped for the task.

As well as Hugh Laurie, the cast includes Josh Gad as billionaire Herman Judd, the mercurial face and name behind Avenue 5; Zach Woods as head of customer relations Matt Spencer; Rebecca Front as strong-willed passenger Karen Kelly; Suzy Nakamura as Iris Kimura, Judd’s right hand woman; Lenora Crichlow as engineer Billie McEvoy; Nikki Amuka-Bird as Rav Mulcair, head of Judd Mission Control; and Ethan Phillips [Neelix! - Ed] as Spike Martin, a space enthusiast and former astronaut.

Season 1 guests will include 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.

Image - photo by Alex Bailey/HBO