Avenue 5 sees the creator of Veep and The Thick Of It head to space for new sci-fi comedy

"Wow, you sure are flexible. Oh, your leg is broken."

There is no getting around just how immensely talented and funny Armando Iannucci is. The mind behind The Thick Of It, In The Loop, Veep, The Death Of Stalin, The Day Today, and Alan Partridge, as ell as the upcoming (and already fantastically well reviewed) The Personal History of David Copperfield, he is a talent with next-to-no comparison. So when he announces a new project, you can guarantee that we will sit up and take notice, especially when that project involves the likes of Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad. Avenue 5 takes his comedy stylings into space, as Laurie is the captain of a luxury space cruise, filled with the rich and famous and self-important, but when catastrophe strikes, they are forced to find a shortcut back to Earth, and have everyone work together. However, when everyone is rich and famous and self-important, working together isn't exactly at the top of their priorities list. The first proper trailer for the eight-part series is available to watch below, giving a very good indication of the level of funny the rest of the show has in store. Avenue 5 kicks off on HBO on Sunday 19 January, so expect to see it on Sky Atlantic and NowTV here on Monday 20 January. Clip via HBO