Avenue 5

Submitted by MSGRiley t3_11vhetb in television

I can't stop watching this show even though... or perhaps because, I can't help thinking this is more the future humanity is headed toward than other SciFi movies and Tele.

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PM_me_tus_tetitas t1_jct1mzv wrote

First season was soooo good! The second season was just...I dunno, it felt like the soul got taken out of it.

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TheTrotters t1_jcu0gl5 wrote

I thought season 2 was even better than the first. Truly great from start to finish.

Such a shame this show never really had a chance due to Covid and one of the sets burning down.

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brisingrbrom t1_jcvd99a wrote

I agree, absolutely loved the cannibal running for captain bit

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MSGRiley OP t1_jct2aq9 wrote

Hey, spoiler alert, I'm only 2 shows into the 2nd season! ; ) But yeah, first season did make me laugh a lot more. Now I'm just sad and mildly amused.

I've already noticed that they seem to have kind of run into the same writers block that a lot of shows run into early on. All the elements are there, people being horrible, technology geared toward the ADHD, influencers and personalities being horrible people but I'm just confused as to some of the motivations of some of the characters now.

If you look you can see that the writers, directors and teleplay authors change from episode to episode, which may be what's happening, no long term goals by anyone save maybe Armando. Dunno. I'm going to probably finish the 2nd season. Morbid curiosity and all.

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NobodyTellPoeDameron t1_jctasl9 wrote

My wife and I both thought both seasons were hilarious. Sad that we won’t get a season three.

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MSGRiley OP t1_jctb1ok wrote

Well, I'm only a couple into season two. Maybe it will pick up.

It's annoying that studios don't commit to the shows anymore. They're staring at the ratings in real time and the moment they go under a certain line it's like "cut it". Used to be that smart television people had vision and built a product into what people wanted. They crafted shows like art. Now it's just spam and ratings to see what is making money and what isn't. "Try this, how'd it do? OK, try this now."

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Mentoman72 t1_jctlwrm wrote

Idk, this show got absolutely no buzz when it aired. I watched both seasons concurrently and hardly anyone was ever talking about it. It's also not great. It's fine. Funny in places. Hard meh from me personally with the exception of a couple episodes.

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NobodyTellPoeDameron t1_jctbh3t wrote

Yeah it’s very disappointing. I think Avenue 5 was a juicy target for cost cutting because of the high sci fi budget for the show and relatively low ratings.

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MSGRiley OP t1_jctbmvj wrote

I think what studios don't appreciate is that good scifi shows are slow to build ratings but, once built, can develop die hard fans willing to spend all kinds of money on it.

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koreth t1_jcundvg wrote

I’m curious what leads you to the conclusion that things used to be different. I don’t remember a time when cancellations were rare.

Here’s one analysis that squares with how I remember things. This is from over 10 years ago: TV Success Rate: 65% Of New Shows Will Be Canceled (& Why It Matters)

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MSGRiley OP t1_jcuo4yv wrote

I was kind of looking at the entire history of Television, not just the last 10 years. Yes, I wasn't alive for all of it, but I do enjoy the idea of crafting a show, like a play, and then working to make it better rather than slathering on 50 different writers hoping for magic every time and waiting to cancel like a relative that stands to inherit millions hovering over the plug of a dying old coot.

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NanoGeek t1_jcvtmxe wrote

The original Star Trek was very nearly cancelled after its second season. Only a fan write in campaign saved it for one final season.

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SynthD t1_jcubtdm wrote

That’s a reach. Some of the writers came from Peep Show.

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klaygotsnubbed t1_jcviv84 wrote

i watched season 2 as it aired weekly and thought the first 2 episodes weren’t that good compared to season 1, but i remember afterwards it easily became the better season

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hannahstohelit t1_jcvv5xt wrote

My understanding is that there was a writer's room, with each individual episode being mainly written by one member- not uncommon for shows. But they all did work together with Iannucci.

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myassholealt t1_jcz3wu1 wrote

Yeah I feel the same. The jokes hit hard in the first season. Second season, a lot of it fell flat. It's like the structure for the jokes existed, but the punchlines had no oomph. And it feels rushed. Like they went to the Aaron Sorkin school of wpm script writing.

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dbcanuck t1_jczvp1y wrote

That sounds like something a cannibal would say...

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thrasymacus2000 t1_jcu6dr5 wrote

I really enjoyed it. The observations were spot on. 'Idiocracy' type comedy just isn't popular during it's original run.

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MSGRiley OP t1_jcu90vy wrote

I mean, it was. People were living it, but I think I get what you're saying.

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DLun203 t1_jcuh43m wrote

HBO did such a shit job of promoting this show. Right around when the second season started HBO bought tons of ad time during the MLB postseason. Not a single frame was of Avenue 5. That's when I knew they were cancelling it.

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MSGRiley OP t1_jcuo9e4 wrote

Ah, I see, no faith in it from the start. I came in late, so I wasn't aware.

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Wilfredbremely t1_je91ukb wrote

Yeah and the initial reviews weren’t good. It started off very flawed and heavy handed though still entertaining. Had they written the first couple episodes like they did the rest of the show it probably would’ve caught on better.

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ahintoflime t1_jctwt9b wrote

Unfortunately I just did not jive with this show. I love Armando's work (especially The Thick of It and The Armando Iannucci Shows) but very few jokes in this one landed for me.

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manfrin t1_jcvh34d wrote

Same, it felt like it lacked some of the wit of Iannucci's other work, things just didn't land for me.

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ok_fine_by_me t1_jcu0xu7 wrote

Considering the idea, the budget and the cast, it's a surprisingly dull show.

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tehgangsta t1_jctvole wrote

The soundtrack is amazing, sad for only 2 seasons

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bigedthebad t1_jcv7kdq wrote

It started out pretty good and just got dumber and dumber as it went on.

I’m glad it got canceled so I wouldn’t be tempted to watch it.

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mrbrick t1_jcw366c wrote

This show is great if you imagine it takes place in the idiocracy universe as sort of a prequel

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saiaf t1_jcwdtel wrote

Season 2 was what sold me on this show. It was absolutely brilliant and had that VEEP vibe which Armando does so well!

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__Hello_my_name_is__ t1_jcuzpvr wrote

I am so conflicted on the show. It had a ton of really great moments. But it also had so many utterly bizarre plot decisions that kept making me scratch my head.

Like there's the first twist (>!the captain is fake!<), and then there's the second twist (>!the crew is fake!<). And as the captain discovers the second twist he basically freaks out and acts like this is the end of the world. But.. why? It makes no damn sense. >!The first twist worked because the original captain is dead, but the second twist just showed the real crow is working somewhere else.!< Why would anyone in the know be concerned about that?

And there are just so many little nonsensical things happening in that show every single episode. Like them coming across some big space station and - apparently - neither Wikipedia nor Google existing in the future because no one can figure out what that station is for or who is in it. Not to mention that this undermines the entire premise of the show given that people need to be able to be transported to and from that station, and supposedly the ship is too far away for any proper rescue.

It just feels like a bunch of very convoluted but funny situations that are very artificially created to serve the comedy. Which is fine, but also a bit meh.

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Worf_Of_Wall_St t1_jcvi9f3 wrote

Any convoluted setup for Gabe 3.0 casual observations or anecdotes is fine by me.

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MSGRiley OP t1_jcvd4pm wrote

I think the entirety of the show is based off of the premise that society functions only inasmuch as it has to in order to fool the idiotic masses who lack the kind of discipline that is required for real learning and spend all their time indulging their baser instincts.

&#x200B;

EDIT: Shit, sorry, super unclear. I meant but set in the future.

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