7 Shows like ‘Space Force’ to Watch Next for the Ultimate Workplace Comic Relief
When The Office ended in 2013, we were wondering where we would see Steve Carell next. Because everyone was looking for something similar – an easy, funny, super-quirky office comedy that takes off work stress. It took seven years for that to happen, but it did happen eventually.
Greg Daniels, the creator of The Office, brought back those vibes with Space Force. Featuring none other than Steve Carell in the lead as the Chief of Space Operations of the United States, heading the United States Space Force team. Inspired by the real Space Force military branch of the United States, this Netflix original show took off with full vigor. While there were a lot of varied reviews and opinions, fans ended up appreciating what the show is truly meant for – pure comedy.
Space Force follows an odd team of space scientists, astronauts, and more, led by four-star General Mark Naird (Steve Carell) who is tasked with one job and one job only – to get boots on the moon, whatever it takes.
The comedy-drama premiered in May 2020 and is all set to release its Season 2. The themes presented in the show range from the constant fight between science and politics to relevant social, political, and economic issues, albeit with a satirized and dramatic take. Besides Carell, Space Force features John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, Don Lake, and Lisa Kudrow, in major roles.
If you haven’t had a chance to catch up with this hilarious workplace comedy series, now is the time before the second season comes to Netflix. And if you already have and are looking for something similar, then here are some of the best similar shows that you can watch while you wait for Space Force Season 2 to release. Each known for their great cast, characters, and story, these seven shows will give you just the right comic relief you need, especially after a long workday.
The Office
There’s no doubt that if you are a fan of The Office, then you’ll also like Space Force. And let’s admit it, most people started watching Space Force because of Greg Daniels and Steve Carell, the two names behind both these shows.
The Office is also known for boasting a star-studded cast list including Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B. J. Novak, Melora Hardin, and Mindy Kaling, among many other popular faces of television and films. Considered to be one of Steve Carell’s best performances, the award-winning mockumentary-style television show has managed to capture all the nuances of a workplace comedy, and perhaps more. The story follows a group of people who work together at Dunder Mifflin, a mid-level paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Steve Carell plays Michael Scott, the regional manager of the Scranton branch, who defends the office from the perils of business and his own actions.
It would be wrong to assume that Space Force is anything like The Office or that Mark Naird is anything like Michael Scott. The two shows are very different, as are Steve Carell’s characters in each of the stories. However, if there’s one thing common, it’s the signature humor and performances you would expect from the team.
Silicon Valley
Another series surrounding a real-life work environment, Silicon Valley, is about, well, how things go in Silicon Valley. The show is a parody of the tech companies and start-up trends that dominate that region.
The plot follows Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch), a programmer who founded a start-up company called Pied Piper along with four other friends. But it gets hard when they have to start looking for investors to keep the company going. The show revolves around their struggles and how they strive to keep up with the cut-throat competition from the bigger players in Silicon Valley. Quite like Space Force, Silicon Valley is also a satire on the American work culture, though from very different industries and backgrounds.
Created by Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky, Silicon Valley also stars T.J. Miller, Josh Brener, Martin Starr, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross, Jimmy O. Yang, Christopher Evan Welch, among many others. The HBO original series ran for six seasons, from 2014 to 2019.
Veep
There are political satires and comedies about bureaucracy, and then there’s a show with Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the fictional Vice President of the United States of America. That, folks, is Veep for you.
The satirical comedy series focuses on the chaotic Vice President, Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus), and her dysfunctional team, in their day-to-day work at the White House. From managing people, politics, and media, to putting out fires, this show takes an extremely hilarious angle on bureaucracy, very much like Space Force. Though there’s nothing about a space program or anything to do with the military in particular, Veep is a great watch for those who love political satires.
The HBO series, which aired from 2012 to 2019, is created by Armando Iannucci and is an adaptation of his British sitcom The Thick of It. Veep also stars Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Kevin Dunn, Sufe Bradshaw, and Gary Cole, among others, in major roles. The series was highly acclaimed and loved by critics and fans alike, bagging several awards, including Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as receiving Golden Globe nominations.
Avenue 5
Another Armando Iannucci creation, Avenue 5 is perhaps the closest show to Space Force. Also released in 2020, the same year as Space Force, this series also revolves around space travel, unstable leadership, and the ironies of bureaucracy. It is the story of a captain and the owner of a fictional interplanetary cruise ship – Avenue 5. But this story is set way ahead in the future. The series features Hugh Laurie as the captain and Josh Gad as the billionaire owner of Avenue 5.
Upload
You may wonder why this title is on this list. It is nothing like Space Force and it’s not even a political satire. It’s not. The reason why Upload deserves a mention here is that it comes from the same creator, Greg Daniels, and was also released the same year as Space Force, in 2020. Starring Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, and Kevin Bigley in significant roles, Upload is a science-fiction comedy series. Imagine Black Mirror but much easier on the mind and quite funny. The story deals with the afterlife in the future of the technology age.
The year is 2033 and people now have the ability to upload their consciousness into a virtual afterlife. They also have the liberty to choose brands and offers for the afterlife. Programmer Nathan (Robbie Amell) suddenly dies and involuntarily gets uploaded by his girlfriend to Lakeview, a very luxurious afterlife option. As sweet as it may sound for someone to preserve their boyfriend even after death, Nathan finds himself much controlled by his girlfriend. As he adapts to his new life, he starts to fall for his customer service representative, Nora (Andy Allo). Soon, Nora comes to believe that Nathan might have been killed. Season 2 of Upload is currently scheduled to arrive on Amazon Prime Video on March 11, 2022.
The Orville
Seth MacFarlane created and stars in this sci-fi comedy set 400 years in the future. Ed Mercer (Seth Macfarlane) is the captain of the U.S.S Orville, an exploration starship, with his ex-wife Kelly (Adrianne Palicki) as the first officer, and best friend Gordon (Scott Grimes) as the helmsman of the ship. The crew onboard experiences a new adventure every day, covered in each episode.
The show is more of a parody of classic sci-fi shows, particularly Star Trek, wherein they pick some elements from those past shows and use them as references or a joke. Although you may not find any direct similarity between Space Force and The Orville, the bureaucracy angle and the fact that they are all in space, might be relatable. The Orville ran on Fox for two seasons and moved to Hulu for Season 3.
Intelligence
Yet another sci-fi comedy-drama series released in 2020, Intelligence is a British television sitcom, created by Nick Mohammed. Deep in the belly of the Government Communications Headquarters in England, in the cyber-crimes unit, NSA liaison Jerry Bernstein (David Schwimmer) lands from the United States. His eccentric and arrogant attitude instantly antagonizes the unit’s chief and makes others dislike him for his brashness and his habit of stepping on others’ toes. Ironically, the other side of the team is also a bunch of misfits, oddly assembled in cybersecurity, quite like Space Force. And like Mark Naird’s space team, the team of cyber nerds learns to thrive under Jerry’s somewhat-competent leadership.
Intelligence is created and written by Nick Mohammed, directed by Matt Lipsey, and stars David Schwimmer, Nick Mohammed, Jane Stanness, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Eliot Salt, and Oliver Birch, among others. The comedy series premiered in February 2020 on SkyOne, followed by a second season that was released in June 2021.
