There were high hopes for Avenue 5 given its star-studded cast that includes Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, and Zach Woods, along with Will Smith being named among the executive producers.
So far, the show, which debuted in February 2020, has aired nine episodes and been given a second season renewal. But does it live up to the hype?
Avenue 5 is about a fictional futuristic interplanetary cruise ship that accidentally goes off course, leaving the engers and crew stranded for what appears to be the next three years. Naturally, hilarity ensues. But how hilarious is it, really? We share what's great — and not so great — about Avenue 5.
Love: Great Cast
There's no denying the stellar cast, including Hugh Laurie, known for his leading roles in House and The Night Manager, along with Josh Gad (Olaf himself!), Zach Woods (Jared from Silicon Valley), Lenora Crichlow (A to Z), and Suzy Nakamura (Dr. Ken).
Even the ing cast is fantastic, doing the best they can with the writing with which they are given. If there's a saving grace at all for this series, it's the cast, who give it their all every episode.
Don't Love: Totally Unrealistic
We get that the whole point is for the show to be futuristic and unrealistic, but some aspects are just way too out there. If people were stuck on a flying spaceship in the middle of space and found out that their estimated two-week return time had changed to three years, something tells me they would react far differently.
There wasn't much panic and there still isn't. We get that everyone is making the best of a situation they cannot change — but so much is taken lightly, and that would never be the case in real life.
Love: Funny Moments
There are some very funny moments, such as when we realize that Captain Jack isn't actually a captain at all but simply someone put on the self-driving spaceship to make it seem as though there is some human intervention. Imagine when the crew discovers not only this, but that he's also British and lying about that, too!
Then there's his constant switching between a British and American accent, everyone ignoring the fact that engineer Billie is really the one who keeps saving the day (much to her frustration), and billionaire Herman Judd's ridiculous demands and decisions.
Don't Love: Too Ridiculous
While there are definitely laughs to be had, the series crosses the line from ridiculousness into eye-rolling territory that isn't actually funny and barely qualifies as sci-fi. Like the engers stepping outside, believing they will be saved and then freezing and dying right in front of people. Dead bodies floating around the spaceship. A leak in the plumbing that sees the ship orbited by all the engers' feces. It's just gross, and not in a funny way.
Then there's Karen, who constantly belittles her cowardly husband, the ridiculous married couple on the verge of divorce who keep fighting, and the former astronaut whom no one seems to take seriously.
Love: Exaggerated Characters
It's kind of neat to see characters who are totally over-exaggerated stereotypes, like Karen, who is the quintessential older white lady who claims to know everything. There are also the actors who sit behind the controls and simply pretend to do something, getting totally immersed in their roles in the process.
Herman Judd makes a total mockery of any young billionaire who simply got lucky and is either completely clueless or has just let money and excess get to his head. And then there's Matt, the head of customer relations, who is sometimes a bit too honest with the guests.
Don't Love: Awkward Moments
If someone was operating a laugh track for the show, they might have a hard time finding where to insert it. So many jokes fall flat or scenes seem forced with dialogue that generates awkward silence. Were we supposed to laugh at them?
It doesn't seem natural, and while the cast does the best they can with the material they are given, it seems to be lacking. The humor isn't outright funny nor is it off-the-wall. It sits somewhere strangely in the middle.
Love: A Look At The Future
The show provides a glimpse into what the future of the cruise and travel industry might be. We have cruises on water today, so why wouldn't it be plausible that 100 years from now, we might have cruises in the air?
Imagine flying in space throughout the solar system, enjoying the lovely views while sipping on margaritas, getting a massage, and indulging in the entertainment. Of course, you can never get out to explore an area, and the cruise would likely be much longer than a week. But still, it's a fun possibility to think about.
Don't Love: Herman Judd
While Josh Gad is clearly supposed to be playing the billionaire owner Herman Judd as a total exaggeration, sometimes it's just too much. No one can be that dumb yet have amassed the kind of fortune he has.
They never really get into how he made his money. Perhaps it's meant to be a commentary on today's society, warning us that this could be what billionaires of the future look like if we keep putting talentless people on pedestals and handing them our money. Nonetheless, he's a weak point of the show.
Love: Mocking The Absurd
That said, we do appreciate how the show has fun mocking the absurdity of things, such as a rich man who would hire someone to play a captain on his self-driving spaceship with no thought process as to what would happen should something go wrong.
Matt, beautifully played by Zach Woods, is the brutally honest head of customer relations who, no matter what he might be telling guests and how morbid it might be, always has a smile on his face. He's arguably the best part of the show.
Don't Love: Stereotypical Characters
From take-charge Karen to the clueless actors who are "controlling" the ship to the egotistical rich billionaire and his number-two that is constantly catering to his needs and putting him in check, this is something we both love and can't stand about the show.
We get that it's supposed to be a parody, of sorts. But it's just taken too far sometimes. The show had the potential to be so much more, and the stereotypical characters don't add much to it.