When Steve Carell stepped off the set of The Office (US) in 2011, who could have dreamed that nine years later he’d reunite with the show’s creator, Greg Daniels, once more. The comedic duo is reaching new heights with their upcoming comedy series Space Force, which assembles an A-grade comedy class to tackle the United State’s sixth branch of military.
After the President announced the need for the United States to develop a Space Force (USSF) to organise, train and equip space forces to protect the USA in space-related issues, Netflix approached Carell with a pitch for a show. After hearing the title, Carell was on board, and contacted Daniels to sign on for the highly anticipated series. Daniels, who has always wanted to write a military sitcom, jumped at the opportunity, and Space Force was born.
Researching the many elements that would go into such a program, the science behind space, and the military branch itself, Daniels and Carell were overjoyed to be working on a series without a blueprint, as the show was being written as the official project was being established. Despite taking real-world inspirations, the show is not written to make a joke of government and the people involved in the project.
Ben Schwartz as F. Tony Scarapiducci and Steve Carell as General Naird
“It’s surprisingly patriotic,” Carell told Entertainment Weekly. “There are things that are lifted from the current social and political world, but it’s done with a light touch. It doesn’t really lean too hard either way. It’s an equal-opportunity show.”
General Naird (Steve Carell) is a long-serving Air Force general who dreams of running the United States Air Force, but instead is assigned to run the new Space Force. A noble general, Naird follows his directions and moves his family to a base in Colorado where he is tasked with getting “boots on the moon by 2024”.
This move places a strain on Naird’s family, with his daughter Erin (Diana Silvers) rebelling and dating a probable Russian spy, and his wife Maggie (Lisa Kudrow) venturing down her own path separate to her husband’s. The show also features the late Fred Willard as Naird’s father in a role that will surely honour the recently departed icon.
Diana Silvers as Erin Naird and Lisa Kudrow as Maggie Naird. Credit: Aaron Epstein/Netflix
Joining Naird at the base is Dr. Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich) and F. Tony Scarapiducci (Ben Schwartz). Malkovich portrays a Head Science Advisor who wishes to maintain the peaceful nature of space, not wanting to transform it into a warzone. Schwartz’s character, F. Tony, is a media consultant whose views rarely align with the rest of the group.
Space Force also stars Tawny Newsome as pilot Angela Ali, and Noah Emmerich as Naird’s rival and Air Force chief of Staff, Kick Grabaston. Other major cast members include Jimmy O. Yang as the sensitive astrophysicist Chan Kaifang, Owen Daniels as Obie Hanrahan, Alex Sparrows as Yuri Telatovich, and Jessica St. Clair as Civilian Contractor Kelly King, with appearances by Jane Lynch, Patrick Warburton, Diedrich Bader, Dan Bakkedahl and Roy Wood Junior.
Space Force is a workplace comedy akin to Daniels’ previous programs The Office and Parks and Recreation, and will be the second series he has launched this year alongside Upload. A spoof on the current political climate in the USA, Carell and Daniels aim to craft a compelling story within the new branch of military, while ensuring that the heart of Daniels’ programs remains within the show; the interrelationships between characters.
From the trailer alone, it appears to blend comedic devices and political elements to create a refreshing satire-esque sitcom with a star-studded cast. The trailer also teases some of the major character relationships to be explored and expanded upon in the series which are sure to tug at the heartstrings of audiences.
Reuniting sitcom legends Daniels and Carell, alongside the presence of such a star-studded comedy ensemble, promises for an exciting and hilarious new series for any fan of television. With one small step for Netflix, and one giant leap for streaming-kind, Space Force features the return to a comedy familiarity which left The Office in 2011, and with this much comedy power backing it is sure to be out of this world.
