Hugh Laurie-Led Sci-Fi Comedy From Veep Creator Snags HBO Series Order
HBO’s Hugh Laurie-captained space satire Avenue 5 is ready for launch.
The cabler has handed a series order to the futuristic sci-fi comedy, which hails from Veep creator Armando Iannucci and also stars Silicon Valley‘s Zach Woods and The Comedians‘ Josh Gad.
Related stories
Game of Thrones Stars Break Down Grey Worm and Missandei's Goodbye, Tease the Harrowing Battle Ahead
Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3 Trailer: 'The Dead Are Already Here'
Per the series’ logline, Avenue 5 is a “space tourism comedy set 40 years in the future when the solar system is everyone’s oyster. With Hugh Laurie as the Captain, nothing can go wrong?”
Laurie, who worked with Iannuci on Veep, stars as Ryan Clark, the “suave, outwardly confident, controlled and personable” captain of space cruise ship Avenue 5. Gad’s Herman Judd, meanwhile is the “face and name behind Avenue 5, and the whole Judd brand, including hotels, fitness clubs and space tourism.”
Woods, whose participation in Silicon Valley‘s possibly-final season will not be affected by his series-regular casting here, will co-star as Matt Spencer, Avenue 5’s Head of Customer Relations. “Despite being a nihilist, Matt is a nice guy who can’t wait to get to the end of his final cruise before promotion to a more senior role on Earth,” according to the official character description, which also notes that Matt “has a performance background, but gave up trying to make it as an entertainer years ago.”
The ensemble also includes English actress Rebecca Front as well as Nikki Amuka-Bird (Luther), Lenora Crichlow (Deception), Suzy Nakamura (Dr. Ken) and Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager).
Sign up for TVLine's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
