User reviews

In the beginning, before I watched an episode, I was a tad confused what this new series was about. A documentary about NASA simulation moonbases in the Arizona? A Science Fiction drama set in the future? A Big Brother reality? The lack of marketing didn't help. If don't take Moonbase 8 serious, and enjoy the ride of chaotic situations faced by the three remaining space wannabes, it is actually fascinatingly humorous. Imagine putting three comedians as diverse eccentric-scripted characters inside a locked room and record what happens and that is Moonbase 8.

Fred Armisen is his usual silly, awkward yet biting self in this premium cable show. The NASA moonbase backdrop is just another vehicle for quirky deadpan interactions among veteran comedic actors and their guests. While this may not be the funniest show out there, the topic is light and fun and ends on the right note after 6 episodes. I also found it delightful to see Adam Lambert take a stab at some acting, and he did a good job.

I can understand that those who go in blind might not like it. But if you're familiar with Tim Heidecker & John C. I think you'll enjoy it.

To those who aren't maybe skip episode one and start on ep 2. One was the weakest in my personal opinion.

I've been waiting for Moonbase 8 for a long long time, I'm a fan of Fred, Tim and Johns comedy, so unlike some other reviewers of this show, I wasn't surprised about what this show turned out to be.

I found this show to be very well made and pretty funny. Yes it is different to other comedies but that does NOT mean that is bad

Check it out.

Sadly, The worst comedy I watched this year. Expected so much more knowing these great actors participation

I found the first episode really bad, but it slowly became watchable over the course of the season.

Film direction is very bland, nothing original at all. Writing is quite weak, compared to the comedy value of the 3 actors. Sometimes, all you need is a good director and writing to highlight the talent of an actor. That's too bad, I really like Reilly and Armisen and was expecting a lot from this show.

If you know anything about the 3 main actors in this show, you should know what to expect, and if you like these guys and their sense of humor in their other roles, I think you'll enjoy this show. I really liked it and think it deserves better ratings than it has, but I can see how it may not be for everyone.

Reilly, Armisen & Heidecker are known for their semi-comedic awkward improv stylings and this is just more of that really. Set in an experimental NASA facility in the middle of a desert with three trainee astronauts, it's never going to set the world afire as a comedy but it has a lowkey charm that kept me sticking with it throughout.

The best parts are when it's just the three main characters feeding off eachother and being mildly strange. I feel someone in the chain doesn't quite trust this enough as a dynamic to work by itself so most episodes include encounters with "others" but frankly it doesn't need it - and most of these scenarios go roughly as you'd expect them to with little deviation or surprise. The biggest emotional arcs of the series happen within their dynamic and the strongest episode by quite some margin is "Move the Base" which solely concerns that.

Tonally - it's refreshingly unpretentious and quite mellow for the most part which made it an appealing watch - here's hoping a potential second season dials down on the theatrics and stunt cameos and allows the central three a bit more time to breathe.

I find so many of the reviews on here utterly exasperating. It's fine if the humor isn't your cup of tea, but what's the point of reviewing something one star when you won't even give the basic core premise the benefit of the doubt? It's like giving every James Bond film one star because you think it's unrealistic that government agents would sleep around & drive cool cars.

M8 is not trying to be The Martian with sequences that prove these three characters are competent enough to work for NASA, that's all in the background. It's much more interested in the awkward quirks & interactions that come about from being confined in close proximity over extended periods of time with people who come from different backgrounds than you.

The 1st episode is complete and utter rubbish and I almost didn't attempt episode 2.

I'm glad that I did because as the series progresses the characters evolve and I found myself warming to them especially Cap.

It's not genre busting but it's well worth a watch

Because as a black hole , this thing is dark, destructive and sucks the fun out of everything and is surrounded by a dark vacuum of ideas. It is painfully and depressingly unfunny. Maybe it was made for that crowd that burst laughing when they see someone being electrocuted, run over by a car while crossing a street ... you get the idea. I do not have a problem with the main idea of Moonbase 8: three dim-witted white men training on Earth to go someday to the moon. But the execution is lame and lazy. The dialogue is at par to what one would hear in a cheerleader convention...inane and empty.

This show is awesome. It's funny, light, easily watchable, and has John C. Riley in it. It's not a show that sets out to be or do anything, it's just funny people in funny situations.

It's really too bad there's so many Gremlins bringing the score down, especially when shows like HBO's Avenue 5 are mysteriously liked. That show sucks in every way.

But this show is great. It deserves some love. Just look at the cast, it tells you everything the bad reviews leave out.

Just a bunch of dull spineless people out of theyr depth doing things, which are supposed to be funny, but are so badly written and played, that they just make you cringe a lot. It was just a sad sight if anything.

Damn, that was terrible. Who is even the target audience of this nonsense? Some dumb people who like space'ey science'ey stuff? Some "nerds" who like everything dumb? I just dont get it.

As "Moonbase 8" (2020 release; 6 episodes of about 28 min. each) opens, we are informed that the first manned base on the moon is nearing completion. We then go to "Winslaw, Arizona", where a team of wannabe -astronauts is training at the Moonbase 8 simulator for a possible trip to the lunar base. Turns out it is the team's 200th day of training, and that deserves some gifts and treats. But they have a problem: their water supply runs empty with 3 more weeks to go before the next scheduled supply...

Couple of comments: this comedy TV mini-series is the latest work directed by Jonathan Krisel ("Portlandia"). Here he looks at the funny side of what appear to be 3 subpar wannabe-astronauts who hope to get selected for living on the first manned base on the moon. There are a lot of funny moments as the guys are battling one problem after another (in Episode 1: lack of water; in Episode 2: homesickness and a prowler, etc.). No, this isn't laugh out loud type comedy, but more the chuckle by yourself type comedy. Watch the guys discuss what NASA stands for. Or how they decide to shorten the suite up time. And so on. The series is helped immensely by the chemistry between the three main stars: Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker and John C. Reilly (of course!). Watch out as well for an appearance by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, playing himself.

"Moonbease 8" premiered this weekend on Showtime, and all episodes are now available at SHO On Demand and other streaming services. These 6 episodes are binge-worthy and best digested in one or two settings. If you are a fan of "Portlandia" or of either of the three main stars, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Fred Armisen's unfunny track record remains intact. John C Reilly stumbles. Could have been a funny premise. Paulie Shores' "Biodome" was funnier... I never thought that sentence would be written.

If you're familiar with Tim Heidecker and John C Reilly's work together, you know exactly what you are getting. The focus of the show is the foibles of incompetent NASA employees trying to maintain a Moon base training program. The humor is awkward, subtle, and generally revolves around the interactions between seemingly incompatible characters who struggle to keep things afloat. For instance, you have a Captain desperately trying to impress his crew by any means necessary - from having a foot race with competing astronauts to digging a well in the middle of a dessert to try and stop a water crisis. It reminds me a bit of season 1 of the Office.

This was never going to be a Big Bang Theory, there aren't laugh tracks and it isn't meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Therefore, I think it is unfortunately not going to be a big hit with critics or general audience. Showtime may not be the best home for Moonbase 8, but I hope that it lives on for a season 2.

This show is your last 3 brain cells trying to accomplish any difficult task. LOVE watching fred, john, and tim be weirdos in the desert. The ending was equally adorable, sad, and terrifying.

So many comedies are raunchy but Moonbase 8 is right up there with The Office and Sienfeld. Is Moonbase 8 that good? Of course not but it's above average and I would recommend it to friends and family. I hope that new seasons are released so we can watch M8 for years to come.

I enjoyed each of the three comedians. The trio of comedy blended together gives it some unique and consistent qualities. It's more funny and has a more flexible story than; Space Force, Avenue 12, and The Orville even though they are solid shows. For example, Space Force had some nice supportive comedians but they didn't do anything funny in their roles. Moonbase 8 delivers.

I wish I could give it one more star but I really can't because I feel like it needs at least one or two more supporting roles and/or another comedian. I would love to see a black comedian for many reasons. I think that diversifying the cast will make it more fun and to add to possibly expand upon the styles of comedy making it more complex and may be more progressive in it's approach. Now I will say they bring in a new character or two almost every episode and that's what gets it by.

Agree with most of the other posts. Could not make it past the middle of the third episode. Armison and Reilly are usually paired with people who can carry a comedy with these guys adding their own quirky styles in a supporting fashion, they should not be placed together in one vehicle. Next.

A lot of people seem to not like the show, I guess I have a different sense of humor than most. I found this show very funny. It's subtle and dry comedy, but I really was laughing out loud. Hopefully more people feel the way I do, would love a second season.

Give it a shot. It might be for you. But it's not for me.

Hit me as an 8 minute SNL skit jammed into hours of TV show. After a while it just overstays its welcome.