Space Force (2020)
TV show · 2020 · Comedy, Drama · English
Curator score: 3.3/10 (76.4K ratings)
Tagline: Not even gravity can keep them down.
A four-star general begrudgingly teams up with an eccentric scientist to get the U.S. military's newest agency — Space Force — ready for lift-off.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 3.3/10
- IMDb: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 59%
- Metacritic: 50
- TMDB: 6.5/10
Production: 3 Arts Entertainment, Deedle-Dee Productions, Film Flam
Cast: Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Don Lake, Jimmy O. Yang
Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict: A broad workplace satire with a strong cast and an easy binge rhythm, but it never fully settles on a sharp comic identity. Season 1 is the more coherent run; Season 2 is warmer and more character-driven, though still uneven.
Best for: Fans of workplace comedies with a political or institutional target; Viewers who like dry, deadpan performances and ensemble banter; People looking for a light, low-commitment binge rather than a tightly plotted series
Skip if: You want consistently sharp satire or high joke density; You prefer grounded military or political drama; You’re looking for a show that fully capitalizes on its premise
Overview: Space Force starts with a great idea: a prestige-style workplace comedy about a brand-new military branch, built around bureaucracy, ego, and absurd institutional ambition. The cast is a major asset, especially in scenes that let the deadpan and the absurd collide. It often feels like a cousin to The Office in structure, but with a more satirical, slightly more expensive sheen.
Worth noting: The problem is that the series never quite decides whether it wants to be a broad farce, a character comedy, or a sharper political satire. That makes it uneven, especially in the first season, where the tone wobbles and some storylines feel undercooked. Still, there are enough strong performances and isolated comic wins to make it an easy watch if you’re in the right mood.
Bottom line: Season 2 is generally the better stretch, with a softer, more emotionally coherent approach and improved chemistry among the ensemble. Even so, the show remains more pleasant than essential. It’s worth sampling for the cast and premise, but not a must-see unless this exact blend of workplace absurdity and institutional satire is your thing.
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- Parks and Recreation (2009 · Curator 7.8/10 (315.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus)
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Topics: workplace comedy, satire, military, bureaucracy, ensemble, deadpan, political humor, streaming original, 2020s, lightly serialized
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/space-force/85922
Space Force (2020)
TV show · 2020 · Comedy, Drama · English
Curator score: 3.3/10 (76.4K ratings)
Not even gravity can keep them down.
Overview A four-star general begrudgingly teams up with an eccentric scientist to get the U.S. military's newest agency — Space Force — ready for lift-off.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.3/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 59%
Metacritic: 50
TMDB: 6.5/10
Production 3 Arts Entertainment, Deedle-Dee Productions, Film Flam
Cast Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Don Lake, Jimmy O. Yang
Where to watch Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A broad workplace satire with a strong cast and an easy binge rhythm, but it never fully settles on a sharp comic identity. Season 1 is the more coherent run; Season 2 is warmer and more character-driven, though still uneven.
Best for
Fans of workplace comedies with a political or institutional target
Viewers who like dry, deadpan performances and ensemble banter
People looking for a light, low-commitment binge rather than a tightly plotted series
Skip if
You want consistently sharp satire or high joke density
You prefer grounded military or political drama
You’re looking for a show that fully capitalizes on its premise
Overview
Space Force starts with a great idea: a prestige-style workplace comedy about a brand-new military branch, built around bureaucracy, ego, and absurd institutional ambition. The cast is a major asset, especially in scenes that let the deadpan and the absurd collide. It often feels like a cousin to The Office in structure, but with a more satirical, slightly more expensive sheen.
Worth noting
The problem is that the series never quite decides whether it wants to be a broad farce, a character comedy, or a sharper political satire. That makes it uneven, especially in the first season, where the tone wobbles and some storylines feel undercooked. Still, there are enough strong performances and isolated comic wins to make it an easy watch if you’re in the right mood.
Bottom line
Season 2 is generally the better stretch, with a softer, more emotionally coherent approach and improved chemistry among the ensemble. Even so, the show remains more pleasant than essential. It’s worth sampling for the cast and premise, but not a must-see unless this exact blend of workplace absurdity and institutional satire is your thing.
Recommended similar titles
2012 · Curator 9.5/10 (71.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Sharper, faster political satire with elite ensemble chemistry and relentless institutional absurdity.
2005 · Curator 8.4/10 (832.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
The obvious workplace-comedy DNA: awkward dynamics, deadpan performance, and character-driven humor.
2009 · Curator 7.8/10 (315.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
Another Greg Daniels-style workplace comedy that balances satire, warmth, and ensemble charm much more cleanly.
2006 · Curator 8.1/10 (138.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
Fast, joke-dense institutional comedy with a surreal edge and strong character interplay.
2013 · Curator 9.8/10 (418.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Peacock Premium, Netflix Standard with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A breezy ensemble workplace comedy that blends procedural structure with broad, likable humor.
2003 · Curator 8.0/10 (344.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
For viewers who enjoy eccentric characters, escalating absurdity, and tightly packed comic construction.
2005 · Curator 8.9/10 (29.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, BritBox, Peacock Premium Plus
A nastier, more incisive version of bureaucratic satire with relentless verbal pressure.
2000 · Curator 9.9/10 (166.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
If the appeal is cringe, ego, and social friction, this is a sharper and more consistent alternative.
2014 · Curator 9.7/10 (183.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Tech-industry workplace satire with a similar mix of competence, incompetence, and institutional parody.
2020 · Curator 9.9/10 (441.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
If you liked the softer, more emotional side of the series, this offers a more successful version of that balance.
2009 · Curator 9.0/10 (312.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus
A quirky ensemble comedy that thrives on oddball dynamics and tonal playfulness.
2012 · Curator 8.6/10 (135.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For the institutional setting and earnest-professional tension, though it plays much straighter.
Topics
workplace comedy, satire, military, bureaucracy, ensemble, deadpan, political humor, streaming original, 2020s, lightly serialized
Open Space Force (2020) on Curator TV