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AVENUE 5 stars Hugh Laurie as Ryan Clark, the confident and suave captain of “Avenue 5,” a space cruise ship with luxury amenities like gourmet buffets, a spa, an observation deck and yoga classes. As the series begins, Avenue 5’s eight-week journey around Saturn is underway and its systems are optimal. But when the ship suddenly encounters technical difficulties, it’s up to Ryan and his crew to calm the disgruntled passengers and find a way to deal with unexpected events onboard – though they may or may not be equipped for the task.

The cast includes Hugh Laurie (Emmy^® nominee for “Veep,” Golden Globe winner for “House M.D.”); Josh Gad (“Murder on the Orient Express”) as billionaire Herman Judd, the mercurial face and name behind Avenue 5; Zach Woods (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”) as head of customer relations Matt Spencer; Rebecca Front (“Poldark,” BAFTA winner for “The Thick of It”) as strong-willed passenger Karen Kelly; Suzy Nakamura (“Dr. Ken”) as Iris Kimura, Judd’s right hand woman; Lenora Crichlow (“Being Human”) as engineer Billie McEvoy; Nikki Amuka-Bird (CINEMAX’s “Quarry”) as Rav Mulcair, head of Judd Mission Control; and Ethan Phillips (“Inside Llewyn Davis”) as Spike Martin, a space enthusiast and former astronaut.

Season 1 guests include Andy Buckley (“The Office”) as Karen’s husband Frank; Jessica St. Clair (“American Housewife”) and Kyle Bornheimer (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) as feuding couple Mia and Doug; Neil Casey (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”) as Cyrus, an Avenue 5 engineer; Matthew Beard (“The Imitation Game”) as Rav’s deputy Alan Lewis; Himesh Patel (“Yesterday”) as stand-up comedian Jordan Hatwal; Paterson Joseph (“Timeless”) as Judd’s business rival Harrison; and Daisy May Cooper (“This Country”) as Sarah, a member of the bridge crew.

Created by Armando Iannucci; teleplay by Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche; story by Armando Iannucci; executive producers, Armando Iannucci, Kevin Loader, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Will Smith; co-executive producer, Peter Fellows; produced by Steve Clark-Hall.

Armando Iannucci has written, directed and produced numerous critically acclaimed television and radio comedy shows. “Veep,” the HBO comedy series created by Armando, has picked up numerous awards including three Emmys^® for Outstanding Comedy Series. In 2017 he published Hear Me Out, a new book on classical music, and released the feature film “The Death of Stalin,” which was nominated for two BAFTAs and won Best Comedy at the European Film Awards. Armando’s latest film “The Personal History of David Copperfield” to be released in the U.S. in 2020, has received eleven British Independent Film Award nominations.

Photo: HBO