According to Deadline, HBO Max has just decided to cancel the Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin, VEEP) space comedy series, Avenue 5. After much silence and speculation, Warner Bros. Discovery has now officially confirmed that the intergalactic satire will not be returning for a third season.
When questioned about the show’s cancellation, an HBO spokeswoman responded, “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.”
Avenue 5 was created and executive produced by Iannucci. The series follows the misadventures of the guests and crew of the Avenue 5, an interplanetary space cruise ship which veers drastically off-course after the accidental death of the ship’s chief engineer. With dwindling supplies and tensions running high, Captain Ryan Clark, played by Hugh Laurie (House, Catch-22), is forced to maintain law and order while also tackling the Herculean feat of returning the space craft safely back to Earth.
Avenue 5 also includes the acting talents of stars such as Josh Gad (Frozen, Murder on the Orient Express), Zach Woods (The Office, Silicon Valley), and Suzy Nakamura (The West Wing, Modern Family).
The series debuted back in January of 2020 and was renewed for a second season in February of that same year, mere months before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming for the second season didn’t begin until August of 2021 and after two and a half years, the season finally premiered on HBO Max in October of 2022.
As Deadline reports, HBO Max is still currently in business with Iannucci, who has teamed up with Sam Mendes (1917, Empire of Light) to develop the mockumentary series, The Franchise, an acerbic and wry take on the superhero movie-making business. The show has already been ordered to pilot and is expected to begin filming sometime later this spring.