'Space Force' Featurette: Steve Carell Makes His Long-Awaited Return To Comedy Television

Ever since Steve Carell turned in his resignation at The Office, the actor hasn't looked back at the comedy television world that made him famous. But seven years later, the Oscar-nominated actor is making his long-awaited return to comedy TV with Space Force, a new Netflix comedy created by Greg Daniels and Carell. Ahead of the show's premiere this Friday, Netflix has released a new Space Force featurette highlighting Carell's exciting return to comedy TV and the star-studded cast that includes John Malkovich, Lisa Kudrow, and the recently passed Fred Willard.

Space Force Featurette

Who do you turn to when you need to make a hilarious workplace comedy? Steve Carell, of course. The breakout performer from NBC's beloved The Office returns to a familiar genre with Space Force, even if said workplace comedy is about a U.S. military force that attempts to launch into space. Carell co-created the series with The Office creator Greg Daniels, who in the featurette, reveals that Carell had actually called him with the funny idea of a "space force."

"Steve called me and said, 'Would you like to do a show about Space Force with me?" Daniels says.

"There was no show," Carell adds. "There was no idea. It was really based on nothing, except a name that made everyone laugh."

Carell and Daniels gathered a group of talented comedians, beloved thespians, and rising stars, including John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy O. Yang, Noah Emmerich, Alex Sparrow, Don Lake, Diana SilversTawny Newsome, and the recently-passed Fred Willard, in his final onscreen role. The cast all seem excited about the series and Carell and Daniels' vision for Space Force in the featurette, praising the duo and gushing about their co-stars.

Space Force is executive produced by Howard Klein and 3Arts along with Greg Daniels, who acts as showrunner for the series, which despite the star-studded cast and buzzy co-creators, is not all that great, according to /Film's Ethan Anderton's review.

Here is the synopsis for Space Force:

A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and "Spacemen" are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance.

Space Force premieres on Netflix on May 29, 2020.