HBO, Sky1 set to launch Avenue 5

Hugh Laurie stars as Ryan Clark in Avenue 5

Premium US cablenet HBO and UK pay-TV channel Sky1 will premiere their new space tourism comedy series from Armando Iannucci in January.

A Sky original series coproduced with HBO, Avenue 5 is set 40 years in the future when travelling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy but a booming, multibillion-dollar business.

Hugh Laurie stars 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.

Also starring are Josh Gad, Suzy Nakamura, Zach Woods, Lenora Crichlow and Rebecca Front.

The new show from creator Iannucci (The Thick of It) will launch on HBO in the US on January 19 and on Sky1 and Now TV in the UK on January 22.