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Everything you need to know about Avenue 5

Set on board the titular vessel, Avenue 5 is a futuristic space comedy from Armando Iannucci, the creator of Veep and The Thick of It.

A cruise ship for humans, Captain Ryan Clark leads the crew for this eight-week long voyage into space. Joining him is his head of passenger communications, Matt – who is mainly there to cater to the needs of the demanding and rich passengers, and Herman Judd, the billionaire owner of the ship who has created this out-of-this-world experience.

But when the vessel is thrown off course by 0.21 degrees, turning their eight-week experience into a three year long mission to get back to Earth. Which in itself is a problem when you consider there’s not enough supplies on board to last that long.

Soon, Clark and Herman clash over who’s the one in charge, while Matt is forced to deal with passengers including couple Mia and Doug, and demanding couple Karen and Frank, whose cabin is malfunctioning.

As the experts back on Earth try to get them back safely, and are driven to the brink in order to do it, all hell is about to break loose.

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Who is in the cast of Avenue 5?

The main cast members of Avenue 5 are:

  • Hugh Laurie (House M.D., Veep) as Captain Ryan Clark
  • Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me, Frozen) as Herman Judd
  • Zach Woods (Silicon Valley, The Afterparty) as Matt Spencer
  • Rebecca Front (The Thick Of It, Poldark) as Karen Kelly
  • Suzy Nakamura (Inside Job, Dead To Me) as Iris Kimura
  • Lenora Crichlow (Being Human, Deception) as Billie McEvoy
  • Nikki Amuka-Bird (Persuasion, Gold Digger) as Rav Mulcair
  • Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager, Inside Llewelyn Davis) as Spike Martin

Recurring cast members include:

  • Andy Buckley (The Office US, Shameless US) as Frank
  • Adam Pålsson (Young Wallander, Before We Die) as Mads
  • Jessica St. Clair (Based On A True Story, Playing House) as Mia
  • Kyle Bornheimer (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, High School) as Doug
  • Daisy May Cooper (This Country, Am I Being Unreasonable?) as Sarah and Zarah

What is the age rating of Avenue 5?

Avenue 5 is certified 15 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

This means it has been deemed unsuitable for children and younger teenagers.

Reasons for this rating include:

  • Profane language
  • Conversations inappropriate for younger audiences
  • Crude references and jokes of a sexual nature
  • Blood spatter used in a comedic context
  • Minor scenes of violence, mainly for comedic effect

How many episodes of Avenue 5 are there?

Avenue 5 ran for two seasons, totalling 17 episodes.

Season one ran for nine episodes, while season two ran for eight.

It was confirmed in February 2023 the show would not return for a third season.

A spokesperson for HBO said: “Going to space with Armando Iannucci has been an incredible journey.

“While we will not be moving forward with a third season of Avenue 5, we look forward to many more adventures together.”

How to watch Avenue 5

Sky is the exclusive home of Avenue 5 in the UK. In the US, it is available to watch on HBO.

All available episodes are free to watch on Sky Comedy and NOW for our subscribers.

Avenue 5 available now on Sky Comedy and NOW.