Netflix Sets Release Date for New Season of Forgotten Comedy Series

By Daniel S. Levine

Space Force fans worried that Netflix may have forgotten about the show do not have to fret. The streaming service finally scheduled the Season 2 premiere date for the Steve Carell workplace comedy. The show premiered in spring 2020 with high expectations since it reunited Carell with The Office showrunner Greg Daniels and features an all-star cast, but was met with mixed reviews.

The show's second season will debut on Feb. 18, reports Deadline. That's more than a year and a half after the 10-episode first season was released on May 29, 2020. Space Force Season 2 will only run seven episodes and follows General Mark R. Naird (Carell) as he and his team learn to work with a new presidential administration.

Space Force was created by Carell and Daniels and focuses on the first members of the U.S. Space Force. John Malkovich plays the Space Force's chief scientist, Dr. Adrian Mallory, while Ben Schwartz plays social media director F. Tony Scarapiducci. Diana Silvers plays Mark's daughter Erin and Tawny Newsome plays Capt. Angela Ali. Lisa Kudrow plays Mark's wife Maggie, while the late Fred Willard played Mark's father Fred in Season 1.

Space Force was announced in January 2019, months before the real U.S. Space Force was established as an independent branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Netflix had high hopes for the show since it reunited two important figures from The Office. However, critics were muted and the series didn't make the same impact as other Netflix comedies. It earned only four Primetime Emmy nominations in 2020, all in technical categories. The show's second season was not ordered until November 2020 and production was moved from Los Angeles to Vancouver to keep costs down.

Netflix also brought in Norm Hiscock to work as co-showrunner with Daniels. Hiscock previously worked with Daniels on King of the Hill. His other credits include Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, and People of Earth. Jimmy O. Yang, who stars as Dr. Chan Kaifang on the show, was also added to the writers' room.

When the creative changes were announced, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix hopes Hiscock could help the show "grow creatively and better connect with viewers and critics." The Office started slowly with audiences before becoming a monster hit for NBC, so Netflix hopes the same could happen with Space Force. The first season was also incredibly expensive for a sitcom, with Carell reportedly being paid $1 million per episode because of his roles as co-creator, actor, and executive producer on the show.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of