Space Force Teaser: Steve Carell Embarks On A Great Adventure, Dances To The Beach Boys
On Tuesday, May 5, Netflix released the official teaser for its upcoming comedy series Space Force.
Created by The Office and Parks and Recreation mastermind Greg Daniels, Space Force takes its name from the recently established Space Force branch of the U.S. armed services, an independent service branch that conducts space operations. Of course, the Netflix series is going to be a whole lot sillier than the real creation of the Space Force has been, and will center around a group of six individuals tasked with bringing the branch to fruition.
Leading the pack is General Mark R. Naird, played by The Office actor Steve Carell. As seen in the teaser, General Naird is the man appointed to run Space Force — an assignment he initially guffaws at. However, he tries valiantly to be as great a Space Force leader as he was an Air Force general, but it doesn't go as smoothly as he hopes. When the pressure of the job mounts, General Naird unwinds by doing what we would all do: singing and dancing to "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys.
Space Force is a star-studded affair
It's easy to think that Carell, what with all his on-screen charm and his television and movie bona fides, is the biggest draw to Space Force, at least insofar as actors with household-name status are concerned. But that's a dead-wrong assumption, friends. Space Force is about as star-studded as a series can get, and fans will see a bevy of familiar faces appearing in both series regular and recurring roles.
There's John Malkovich in the role of Dr. Adrian Mallory (a comical take on the title character of the 1964 Stanley Kubrick film Dr. Strangelove), who works as a Space Force scientist. Judging by what's been revealed about Space Force thus far, Malkovich's Dr. Mallory and Carell's General Naird will likely be working in close quarters most of the time — perhaps even butting heads when particularly tricky-to-solve problems crop up.
Another actor who will share a large chunk of screen time with Carell is Ben Schwartz, another star who's worked with Space Force creator Greg Daniels on a workplace comedy before; fans will remember Schwartz as the delightfully flamboyant, capital-e Extra Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on Parks and Recreation. This time around, Schwartz is settling into the role of F. Tony Scarapiducci, the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force. Promo photos (and a few moments in the series' newly dropped teaser) show that Scarapiducci is one jazzed-up secretary, and should provide many laughs as the show unfolds.
Elsewhere on the Space Force cast roster is Friends alum Lisa Kudrow as Maggie Naird, Mark's wife, and prolific actor Fred Willard (of Modern Family and Everybody Loves Raymond recognition) as Fred Naird, the Secretary of Defense and Mark's father.
As if all those stars weren't enough to have audiences hyped for Space Force, the show also stars Booksmart actress Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, comedian Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali, Crazy Rich Asians actor Jimmy O. Yang as Dr. Chan Kaifang, improv comedian Jessica St. Clair as Kelly King, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Zootopia's Don Lake as Brad Gregory, Alex Sparrow as Yuri "Bobby" Telatovich (perhaps a parody of Star Trek's Pavel Chekov?), and The Americans' Noah Emmerich as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the brilliantly named General Kick Grabaston.
All in all, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Space Force — not the least of which is its glittering cast. The series' goofy premise that can be spun out into a wide variety of silly scenarios should also tickle fans' funny-bones, and the fact that it marks a mini Office reunion between Daniels and Carell and a Parks and Rec homecoming between Daniels and Schwartz should leave everyone smiling.
If Space Force sounds like your cup of farcical tea, brew it up and pour it out when the show premieres on Netflix on May 29.