Netflix
Space Force is apparently returning to Netflix for a second season, which means the show will last longer on the streaming service than the presidency that inspired it. And while that may further hurt the US Military’s chances of copyright over the phrase, the Netflix original will apparently return with some budget-friendly changes.
The Hollywood Reporter shared on Friday that the show will see a second season, with some changes to make that possible in a COVID-19 reality that has seen Netflix trim a number of shows off its production schedule and even reverse some renewals along the way.
Production on the pricey comedy will move from Los Angeles to Vancouver in a bid to reduce the show’s budget. Filming will begin next year. A return date has not yet been determined.
As part of a larger creative revamp, Norm Hiscock has also joined the series and will serve as co-showrunner alongside Greg Daniels. Hiscock, a frequent collaborator with Daniels, counts Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, People of Earth and King of the Hill among his credits. The hope, per sources, is that a second season will allow Space Force the runway to grow creatively and better connect with viewers and critics alike much in the same way The Office broke out in its subsequent seasons. In addition to Hiscock, co-star Jimmy O. Yang has also joined the Space Force writing staff.
THR noted several times that the price for keeping Space Force up and running will likely be steep, even with changing locations to a more economical (and less COVID-overran) Vancouver. There’s also the $1 million per episode that Carrell reportedly took in for the show’s original 10-episode run. Apparently it was Carrell’s interest in returning that made a second season of the show possible, and though nothing is certain most of the original crew will be returning. Lisa Kudrow, who played Carrell’s incarcerated wife in the first season, was notably missing from the list of returnees though that may help narrow the focus of what was an uneven first season.
With a shakeup in the writing room and some new focus, Space Force could become the show that many hoped it would be when so many The Office alums were first announced to be involved. But it will apparently happen, like most things in these ever-worrying times, with some significant restrictions and challenges to endure this time around.
