Avenue 5 Season 2 is officially on HBO’s proverbial cruise itinerary.
While the freshman HBO sci-fi comedy series, the latest brainchild of Veep creator Armando Ianucci, crosses the midway point of its January 19-launched nine-episode inaugural season, the premium cable channel has seen enough from it to greenlight Avenue 5 for a second season. The outer-space ensemble series, set 40 years in the future, is headlined by former House star (and Veep vet) Hugh Laurie, who plays Ryan Clark, the figurehead actor captain of the titular leisure space vessel that, due to a disaster, is forced to endure a three-year voyage home.
As Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, expresses in a statement:
“We’ve loved every minute of Avenue 5’s inaugural voyage,” adding, “Armando Iannucci and his team are masters of smart and incisive comedy, and the ensemble cast, brilliantly captained by Hugh Laurie, is second to none. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for our hapless heroes in season two.”
As Laurie likewise lauds:
“It’s thrilling to discover that space isn’t finite after all,” adding, “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!”
The series arrived under an intriguing aura, with early trailers seemingly depicting a genre hybrid of Star Trek and The Love Boat. While that theme remained prevalent, the pilot would prove that Avenue 5 was actually something more akin to an Irwin Allen-esque ensemble disaster piece, except dominated by banter-centric comedy akin to Ianucci’s Veep. Consequently, despite its grandiose concept, the series has settled into the seemingly incongruent routine of a workplace comedy; a format that works well enough with Laurie joined in the cast by co-stars Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Suzy Nakamura and Lenora Crichlow.
As Iannuci adds of the renewal:
“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)!”
While no cast or personnel changes were disclosed for Avenue 5’s second season, the current season is executive produced by Iannucci, Kevin Loader, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Will Smith, with co-executive producers in Peter Fellows and Becky Martin, and producer Steve Clark-Hall.
Avenue 5 Season 2 doesn’t have a release date yet. However, with Season 1 having premiered on January 19, 2020, a similar early-year premiere in 2021 seems perfectly plausible.
Of course, we’ll keep you updated on Avenue 5 Season 2 as the news arrives!
