The Last Days of the Space Age, Disney+ review: it’s hangout time

It’s the end of the 70s – Skylab is overhead, but it’s looking a bit wobbly – and the quiet Perth suburb of Scarborough is looking to the future. For the Bissett family, today might be a bit rough, but tomorrow holds a lot of promise.

Teen daughter Tilly (Mackenzie Mazur) sees her destiny in the stars. Space still seems a vast and wonderous place, even if her sidekick Johnno (Aidan Du Chiem) has just told her he plans to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

Her sister Mia (Emily Grant) is less interested in study and more on board with her surfboard, though this being the late 70s the waves are still ruled by the boys. At least she has her beach bum granddad Bob (Iain Glenn) to back her up.

For their parents, things are a bit more down-to-earth. Dad Tony (Jesse Spencer) and mum Judy (Rhada Mitchell) both work at the local power plant, where industrial action has him on the picket line while she’s still going into the office.

This is not looked upon kindly by the strikers, as shown by the brick thrown through her windshield on her way to work. Honestly, Tony’s not all that keen on her working either, but they desperately need the money.

Other subplots are ticking away. The Bissett’s neighbour, Eileen Wilberforce (Deborah Mailman), is about to take charge of her teenage grandson, who’s already got eyes for the local girls. Eileen isn’t letting opportunities pass her by when it comes to romance herself, having something of a low-key thing happening with Bob.

The Last Days of The Space Age – watch the trailer

Meanwhile, the Miss Universe pageant is coming to Perth, which means international faces, cultural clashes, and big opportunities for those willing to grab them. And back at the plant, things are about to change in a way that’s going to put even more stress on the Bissett family – and usher them into a whole new world.

It’s safe to say that The Last Days of the Space Age isn’t exactly high-stakes drama. This is a series where fictional characters butt up against factual events, and the big questions that are left dangling after the opening episode have pretty obvious answers. Will Tilly’s dreams of walking on the moon come to fruition? Not unless this takes a hard swerve into science fiction.

A big part of what makes this work is the late 70s setting; nostalgia is always a reliable crowd-pleaser (though singing along to Olivia Newton John’s Xanadu in 1979 is possibly bending the timeline a little). The brown and yellow décor makes everything seem casual and breezy, even when the TV rental collection crew turn up to take back the set.

And when things do take a turn for the dramatic – getting a brick through your windshield is a bit of a heart-starter – the vibe of a cruisy summer holiday remains strong.

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The drama sneaks in through the cracks. We might know where things are heading, but the residents of Scarborough are still living in the past. The big question underlying this series is a more subtle one: what path will these characters’ lives’ take now we know the future has some big roadblocks planned?

It’s those characters that’ll be bringing viewers back week after week, and there’s enough warmth and charm spread throughout the neighbourhood to keep things engaging. Tilly is someone you’d hate to see have her hopes dashed; Mia seems the type to get in over her head. Eileen and Bob seem to have a fun relationship, which almost certainly means trouble ahead. And while Tony and Judy’s money troubles might be easily solved, they might also be the sign of a much deeper divide.

All of which adds up to a series that’s not afraid to keep things casual. It’s a hangout series, one you watch because you’re enjoying the mood and the characters seem nice, not because you desperately need to know what happens next. Scarborough might have a bit of trouble brewing under the surface, but it’s still a nice place to visit. Keep coming back often enough and you might find yourself hooked.

The Last Days of the Space Age premieres on Disney+ on 2 October 2024.