Syfy planning space comedy series

NEW YORK, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. television network Syfy has announced plans to air a new half-hour comedy series called "Outer Space Astronauts."

The show incorporates the latest in computer graphics technology to meld live-action and 3D animation, the network said.

The five-episode series is to premiere on Syfy Dec. 8 and air on subsequent Tuesdays.

"Series creator and executive producer Russell Barrett took a complete do-it-yourself/hands-on approach to the creation of the show by developing, executing and editing the series right in his very home," the network said in a news release. "He also enlisted childhood and hometown friends as series stars including, Adam Clinton, Stephanie Clinton, Jay Wendorff and Dana Kirk.

"Syfy fans have never seen animation quite like this before! The graphics may be basic and simple, but combining them with live-action elements has never been done in a series before. To say that it was a grassroots endeavor is an understatement. Russell literally produced this in his basement for more than a year, and that allowed him to create a unique series with a sharp, sly sense of humor," Syfy's Mark Stern said in a statement.