Moonbase 8 is the upcoming comedy series from one of my favourite production companies, A24 (who’ve given us movies like The Lighthouse, The Farewell, and Uncut Gems in the last year or so), and Showtime. It was created by Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia), Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories), and Fred Armisen (Portlandia), with Krisel directing the series that he co-wrote alongside Heidecker, while Heidecker and Armisen will star together with John C. Reilly (Stan & Ollie).
They play a trio of NASA astronauts undertaking an extended simulated lunar mission in the hopes of qualifying for the actual mission and fulfilling their lifelong dream of going into space. But the longer their training mission goes, the more the cracks start to show.
The official plot synopsis is as follows:
Set in the isolated desert of Winslow, Arizona at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator, Moonbase 8 follows eager astronauts Skip (Fred Armisen), Rook (Tim Heidecker) and their leader Cap (John C. 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.
Let’s take a look:
I think this looks great. There’s a nice blend of dry humour and silliness when it comes to the comedy, but on the drama side it also looks like it’s going to shy away from examining the hopes and regrets of this trio of aging astronauts who’re all too aware that this might be their last shot at achieving their lifelong dream. It’s a tricky balance to get right, but I think they’ve managed to pull it off with aplomb.
What do you think?
The first season of Moonbase 8 will premiere on Showtime on 8 November. It also stars Thomas Mann, Joe Abraham, Joshua Davis, Diandra Lyle, and Holly Kaplan.
Last Updated: September 18, 2020