HBO renewed Avenue 5, starring Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad, for a second season. The nine-episode first season of the space-set comedy from Veep creator Armando Iannucci, debuted to strong reviews and stable enough ratings to warrant another run of episodes. Veep, a biting satire of the American political system, was a massive hit for HBO, winning multiple awards and running for an impressive seven seasons.
Avenue 5 is set forty years in the future when traveling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multibillion-dollar industry. The series stars Laurie as Captain Ryan Clark who is beleaguered with a host of problems on a malfunctioning luxury cruise liner stuck orbit for three years longer than initially planned. Josh Gad (Frozen) plays billionaire Herman Judd, the billionaire investor who funded the voyage, with Suzy Nakamura as his right-hand woman, Iris Kimura. The huge ensemble cast is rounded out by Zach Woods (HBO’s Silicon Valley), Rebecca Front, Lenora Crichlow, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Ethan Phillips.
HBO announced the second season renewal in a press release celebrating the news. “It was so great to be back again with HBO for the first season of AVENUE 5, so I’m doubly thrilled that HBO have now seen fit to put Captain Ryan Clark and his passengers and crew through even more physical and emotional hell next year too,” says Iannucci. “Nobody provides angst-ridden laughs better than Hugh Laurie, and we’re looking forward to seeing what further impossible situations and existential crises we can plunge him, Josh Gad and the rest of our fantastic cast into next. To the end of season one and beyond (into season two)!” Laurie, who rose to prominence as the titular doctor on Fox’s medical drama House, added, “It’s thrilling to discover that space isn’t finite after all. I’m very excited to be continuing on this journey with Armando and HBO, and also an amazing group of actors and writers who make me laugh every day. Here’s to the future!”
Much like he did with Veep’s satire of politics, Iannucci uses Avenue 5 to mercilessly roast corporate culture, late-stage capitalism, and the idiocy of people. Gad’s Herman Judd is a complete moron, who spends most of his time pointing fingers at everyone else without ever acknowledging his incompetence; he’s as dense, but not nearly as lovable, as Gad’s Frozen character, Olaf. Laurie’s Captain Clark is a complete fraud, lying about both his experience as a captain and his American accent. Lenora Crichlow’s Billie McEvoy, the ship’s second engineer, is the only half-way competent character on the show. Still, even she seems to be crippling under the pressure of the ship’s lazy owner, frustrated passengers, and worthless crew.
Avenue 5 has been averaging about 800,000 viewers, which is just a fraction of HBO’s typical ratings. However, Iannucci racked up a lot of trust and goodwill with the network, so it isn’t a surprise they’re granting his Veep follow-up another season before its first has had a chance to take off. The show has six episodes left to air before it closes out season one, but it looks like the ship’s voyage has only just begun.
More: HBO’s Avenue 5 Cast & Character Guide
Source: HBO
