If you take the iconic series, Battlestar Galactica, and combine it with Seth MacFarlane’s comedy, The Orville, the result would be something just like HBO’s two-season sci-fi show from 2020. The science fiction genre, by definition, has nearly endless potential, and authors and screenwriters have taken every possible advantage. Stories within this genre can be drastically different in theme, tone, and approach. Some are purely entertainment, filled with space adventures, aliens, and strong fantasy elements. Others take a more grounded approach to centralize social commentary.

Battlestar Galactica (2003 – 2009) and The Orville (2017 – 2022) fall on opposite ends of this spectrum. The former series was a grounded sci-fi reboot created by Ronald D. Moore that lacked aliens and other traditional space-opera elements. Instead, Battlestar Galactica focused on the human condition, exploring social behaviors, faith, and order in the face of desperation. The Orville, on the other hand, is a comedy series that lovingly pays tribute to the sci-fi genre as a whole, while also leaving room for satire and social commentary.

Somewhere in between these two sci-fi shows lies HBO’s Avenue 5. The comedy sci-fi, created by Armando Iannucci, stars Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad as a captain and passenger, respectively, on a luxury interplanetary cruise ship that has gone unexpectedly off course. Avenue 5 premiered its first season in 2020 and was unfortuantely canceled after its second season in 2022. Despite this, it’s a show entirely worth watching, especially if you are looking for Battlestar Galactica with a comedy twist.

Avenue 5 Is Like A Funnier Version Of Battlestar Galactica

The central idea of Avenue 5 is extremely similar to Battlestar Galactica. Due to a series of circumstances, the characters are trapped aboard a spaceship and must learn to survive together. The desperation of their situation allows the show to explore how society breaks down in these contained environments. Like Battlestar Galactica, Avenue 5 doesn’t have aliens or other space-opera tropes, and instead uses its sci-fi story to explore non-sci-fi issues. Said and done, this series touches on life, death, leadership, and crowd mentality, among other things.

Unlike Battlestar Galactica, Avenue 5 takes a purely comedic angle. In this way, it’s much more like The Orville. Circumstances on the stranded ship are completely ludicrous, and the behaviors of the characters showcase some of the outrageous ugliness of humanity in the most laughable ways. Like many great sci-fi shows, Avenue 5 holds up a mirror to, specifically, American culture and asks us to both laugh at ourselves and contemplate human behavior.

This isn’t an easy thing to pull off, but Avenue 5 manages with a combination of excellent writing and hilarious performances from the cast. Laurie and Gad are an unlikely but spectacular on-screen combination, and their characters perfectly emphasize Avenue 5‘s overarching themes. Overall, it’s an absolute shame that this sci-fi was canceled, especially since it was every bit as good as other impactful projects from the same time period.

Avenue 5 Is As Good As Many Serious Sci-Fi Shows From Its Era

Avenue 5 had a rougher start in the way of critical reception, earning only a 67% score for season 1 on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 2, however, retroactively pulled everything together, earning an impressive 89% approval rating from critics. This is right in line with other hit sci-fi shows from 2020 to 2022, including Raised by Wolves, Devs, and For All Mankind. The fact that a comedy-sci-fi could keep up with these projects really says something.

Unfortunately, Avenue 5 was another victim of COVID-19 delays. By the time restrictions lifted long enough for season 2 to be made, contracts were coming to a close, production costs had gone up, and HBO was forced to prioritize other TV projects. Avenue 5 was canceled too soon, and season 2 was left on a cliffhanger. Still, given the ludicrous angle of this series, the ending is almost fitting. Maybe, one day, Avenue 5 will return. For now, however, that Battlestar-Galactica-meets-The–Orville charm is available to watch on HBO Max.