Posted in: Showtime, TV | Tagged: bleeding cool, cable, comedy, fred armisen, john c reilly, Moonbase 8, Review, showtime, streaming, television, Tim Heidecker, tv

Moonbase 8 Delivers Fresh, Comedy Fresh From Tranquility Base

Showtime's new series Moonbase 8 may not actually take place on the real moon, but that doesn't mean it's not still out of this world. As Bleeding Cool's chief moon news correspondent (not to be confused with the site's senior sad astronaut correspondent), I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot and look forward to the rest of the season. Is it realistic? No, of course not- but that's what makes it a comedy – this all takes place in a realistic world with a premise that could actually happen, introduces the absolutely absurd into the situation, and stretches it for comedic impact. For example, in this situation, it's the most absurd characters, much like The Office.

Tim Heidecker as the Evangelical Christian wanting to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ on the moon is so spot-on, it's absolutely perfect. Fred Armisen is absolutely killing it as Skip, the analyst with his father's NASA legacy to uphold. And as their fearless captain, John C. Reilly helms the base as the trepidatious and timid leader, which binds this ragtag family together. Oh, and I almost forgot the fourth member of the crew, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce. If you don't think for one second NASA would train and send a beloved American football player to the moon for the PR points, perhaps you've forgotten about that time they tried out a rubber chicken as their official mascot. True story.

There's a whole conversation at one point when Tim, Fred, and John, as employees of NASA, are trying to figure out what it stands for and it's absolutely brilliant comedy at its finest. I look forward to seeing where this crew at the National Association of Space Astronauts goes – I hope (and fear) it's directly to the moon, but no matter where they are, as long as they're together in the North American Space Association, it's bound to be hilarious. Even if it is actually the Nautical Astronomy Society of Adventure.

After watching the pilot of Moonbase 8 on YouTube, is it enough to get me to rush out and subscribe to Showtime in order to watch the rest? Not particularly, but things don't have to be the best to be good. It's funny, quirky, wacky, and I enjoy it – sometimes, that's all I ask of a half-hour comedy show- and this one hit on all points I wanted it to. Does a half-hour comedy program need to be more than that? If you find yourself answering "Yes" to that without any room for shows that just make you laugh? Perhaps a snifter of brandy and a Tolstoy novel would be more your speed. I hear his books are absolute riots, especially if you read them in a study surrounded by things you never use, like your lovely Victorian wife.

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