Showtime is reaching for the stars with its latest series order.
The premium cabler has picked up Moonbase 8, a new half-hour comedy series from A24 set to debut this fall.
Starring Emmy® nominee Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) and Golden Globe® and Academy Award® nominee John C. Reilly (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), the six-episode series is a workplace comedy that follows three subpar astronauts living at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator with high hopes of being chosen to travel to the moon.
The project is created, written and executive produced by Armisen, Heidecker, Reilly and Emmy nominee Jonathan Krisel (Baskets), who also serves as series director.
Moonbase 8 is produced by A24 and Abso Lutely Productions.
The announcement was made today by Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.
“In a year when we have all been forced to come to terms with life in close quarters, we are happy to have landed this offbeat take on life in captivity with dreams of escaping to something grander,” said Winograde.
“While the show was produced before the pandemic, its subject matter is timely – and thanks to Fred, Tim, John and Jonathan, its humor is timeless.”
Set in the isolated desert of Winslow, Arizona at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator, Moonbase 8 follows eager astronauts Skip (Armisen), Rook (Heidecker) and their leader Cap (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.
In addition to Armisen, Heidecker, Reilly and Krisel, MOONBASE 8 is also executive produced by Dave Kneebone, Eric Wareheim, and A24’s Ravi Nandan and Inman Young.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.