The stars align in a dry satire

Last week, when President Trump proudly unveiled the flag for Space Force, there must have been high-fives all round at Netflix HQ because here comes its excellent comedy drama of the same name, about the newest branch of the US military, set up to protect America’s off-planet interests.

General Naird (US The Office star Steve Carell, below) is in charge of the fictional version and he’s struggling to get politicians, the other armed forces and even his own staff to take the organisation seriously.

His chief scientist (John Malkovich, star of The Killing Fields and The New Pope, pictured, right) is less than helpful, his wife (Lisa Kudrow, Phoebe from cult Nineties series Friends) is in prison and his teenage daughter (Diana Silvers) resents having had to move away from Washington.

It’s drily funny, slyly satirical and actually has you rooting for the characters. Yet again, Netflix has lift-off. From Friday