Ever since Steve Carell departed The Office back in 2011, the status of television sitcoms has been considerably less funny. Well, that’s about to change because Carell is blasting off in a new sitcom called Space Force, and the series has just unveiled its first images.
In the show, Carell portrays a four-star Air Force general who’s on track to one day become the head of the entire military branch. However, things don’t work out as he planned as he is instead chosen to run the just-formed Space Force. Naturally, the company he finds at this new space-bound branch aren’t exactly the best and brightest. Here’s the full synopsis, via Collider, along with the newly released images from the series.
A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force. 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 space dominance.
Judging from both the synopsis and these images, it would appear that Carell’s Space Force character will be a vastly different person than Michael Scott. Mark R. Naird looks to be a very serious, by-the-book military man who is frustrated by the incompetent rubes that surround him. That couldn’t be a further cry from Carell’s The Office character, so it should be interesting to see how Carell — who has shown a flair for drama in numerous post-Office projects — is able to generate laughs in the role. As for The Office-style humor, we still expect Space Force to have it in spades, as the series was created by Carell and The Office creator Greg Daniels. The series’ also boasts an impressive ensemble cast that includes Parks & Recreation‘s Ben Schwartz, Friends‘ Lisa Kudrow, and even movie star John Malkovitch.
Space Force premieres on Netflix on May 29.
