Space is the final frontier, we know that already, but what we didn’t know but should have anticipated is the rise in space-centered TV comedies in 2020. The TV equivalent of twin films (like when “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” came out in the same year), saw the release of Netflix‘s “Space Force,” earlier this year. Now, Showtime and A24 want their own horse in the space race with the space workplace comedy “Moonbase 8.”
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The show follows three subpar astronauts at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator who hope to be chosen to travel to the moon. The release of the teaser is tied to the 58th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s “We choose to go to the moon” speech, which plays over the teaser.
“Moonbase 8” was created, written and executive-produced by its stars, Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, and John C. Reilly, alongside “Portlandia” alum and “Baskets” co-creator Jonathan Krisel who also directed the six half-hour episodes of the first season. The show is produced by A24, and was originally announced back in 2018.
The teaser itself begins as a serious look at what it takes to become an astronaut, with the characters portrayed by Reilly, Armisen, and Heidecker working intensely at a NASA moon-simulator, before pulling the rug from under us to reveal just how incompetent the would-be astronauts are, with the typical shenanigans you would expect from these comedians — like Armisen’s character seemingly about to cut off his own tongue.
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Per Showtime’s official synopsis: “Set in the isolated desert of Winslow, Arizona at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator, it follows eager astronauts Skip (Armisen), Rook (Heidecker) and their leader Cap (Reilly) as they attempt to qualify for their first lunar mission. While working vigorously to complete their training, a series of unexpected circumstances forces the astronauts to question their own mental sanity, trust in each other and whether or not they’re cut out for space travel.“
