Even as a global pandemic threatens our way of life, there still exist occasional moments that are not shrouded entirely in the impending doom of our species.
Netflix graced the public with one such joyous rarity Wednesday when the media titan confirmed that Steve Carell’s newest workplace comedy, “Space Force,” would be available to stream starting May 29.
The release of the 10-episode season, an obvious nod to President Donald Trump’s launch of the U.S. military’s newest branch, coincides with Netflix’s impending loss of Carell’s iconic sitcom, “The Office,” which is expected to move over to NBC’s soon-to-launch streaming platform, “Peacock.”
“Space Force” — co-created by Carell and Greg Daniels, the man who brought us the American version of “The Office” — centers on the exploits of four-star Gen. Mark R. Naird (Carell), a decorated pilot who once had lofty dreams of leading the Air Force.
Much to his chagrin, Naird is instead appointed as the head of the military’s sixth branch — a service whose mission is “to defend satellites from attack” and “perform other space-related tasks ... or something,” the show’s teaser trailer says.
“Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and ‘Spacemen’ are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total dominance,” a Netflix release said.
Wednesdays announcement was made to the delight of fans everywhere, who, due to the scarcity of details since the show was first announced in 2019, were beginning to question whether it was even in development.
In addition to providing the show’s official release date Wednesday, Netflix confirmed that long-time “Friends” star, Lisa Kudrow, would be joining the show to play Carell’s disillusioned wife, Maggie, who “sublimated parts of herself to her husband’s career for two decades.”
John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, and Diana Silvers also co-star.
Netflix released a series of images from the upcoming series to accompany Wednesday’s announcement. Keep a look out for a trailer in the coming weeks.
Jon Simkins is a writer and editor for Military Times, and a USMC veteran.