Netflix’s highly-anticipated new sitcom, Space Force, has finally released its first trailer. With the same creative team behind the popular workplace sitcom The Office, it follows four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) as he finds himself appointed to lead the newly-formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces; the Space Force.

For fans of The Office, the premise is essentially this; what if Michael Scott was given a team of the best scientists and astronauts whose mission it is to dominate the final frontier that is the vastness of space. The show is clearly meant to be a satire of the real-life Space Force that was created by President Donald Trump in 2019, but the trailer never mentions the current US President by name.

According to Steve Carell himself, the new series was conceived in an “atypical way”, that it was Netflix’s idea which was pitched to him through his agent. He later pitched the same idea to The Office co-creator Greg Daniels, and the rest is history.

He said:

“Netflix had this premise that they thought might make a funny show — the idea made everybody laugh in a meeting, an idea of a show about the origins of a fictitious Space Force.

I heard about the idea through my agent, and Netflix pitched the show to me, and then I pitched the show to Greg, and we all had the same reaction to it.

There was no show, there was no idea aside from the title. Netflix asked, ”Do you want to do a show called Space Force?”

And I pretty much immediately said, “Well yeah, sure. That sounds great.”

And then I called Greg, and I said, “Hey, you want to do a show called Space Force?”

And he said, “Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s do it.”

And it was really based on nothing, except this name that made everybody laugh.

So we were off and running.”

The series boasts an impressive cast of actors, including:

• Steve Carell as General Mark R. Naird
• John Malkovich as Dr. Adrian Mallory
• Ben Schwartz as F. Tony Scarapiducci
• Diana Silvers as Erin Naird
• Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali

Netflix’s Space Force is slated to premiere on 29 May 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvcmPB0_s4&w=560&h=315]