TELEVISION INSIDER
We go behind the scenes of one of this fortnights shows for a more in-depth look.
AVENUE 5
SERIES PREMIÈRE!
Season 1 M-Net (*101) 22:30 Episode 1 (sci-fi) 14 May
Are you missing space comedy series The Orville (2017-now)? There’s a brand-new interstellar laugh-a-thon on the way in the form of newly renewed Avenue 5 (2020-now), and it’s packed full of famous faces – from spaceship owner Herman Judd (Josh Gad, Bearclaw in sitcom New Girl, 2011-2018), to Captain Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie, Dr Gregory House in medical drama series House MD, 2004-2012). “This isn’t about space exploration but space holidays,” says Hugh. And it’s something that’s almost about to be real…
The ship (called Avenue 5) takes space tourists up on an eight-week star cruise, but a tech glitch in episode 1 sends them off course – and it will take three years to get back to Earth. “That is a very real concern,” explains Hugh. “You read about all of the safety precautions that people like NASA and (South Africanborn billionaire genius) Elon
Musk take getting to space and the tiniest thing can happen. It makes the perfect scenario for a comedy of errors and for once, my character is a complete buffoon rather than someone intelligent.” NB! See p16.