The streaming age has truly spoilt us. Not only are we left with literally hours upon hours of content to sink our entertainment fiending teeth into, but the shows we’re watching are more morally complex, intriguing and provide such a great microscopic look at the issues that matter.
Now, to fuel your love for shows that have you questioning every fibre of your soul, is Greg Daniel‘s new sci-fi comedy for Amazon Prime Video called ‘Upload’ and yep, it is a total banger.
There’s probably one about the World Wide Web we can guarantee – whenever a show is associated with the Daniels’ word-mastery, it’s bound to end up flooding your timeline with GIFS and quotes relevant to literally every universal human experience for years to come.
Having previously written for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live and, created Parks & Recreation, The Office (US) and King Of The Hill, Daniels knows exactly how to cut straight to the heart of the concerns that audiences value most – and that’s exactly what Upload does too.
Considering the world has entered such new-uncharted territory recently, I feel like I’m not the only one who’s maybe started to get in touch with my ~philosophical~ side as of late (or maybe I just have way more time to think, but anywho).
Set in the not-so-far-away future Upload, immediately gets your Socrates-level brain juices flowing by immediately posing some Big Questions, placing characters in scenarios that’ll have you staring down the barrel of an impending existential crisis.
It’s set around the premise that when close to death, individuals have the choice to “Upload” themselves to an afterlife of their choice, which is a huge mind-fuck in itself.
From the get-go you’re reeled in with poignant sarcasm and irony, making direct jabs at our current consumption and luxury-obsessed lives. It’s unsettling in a way that almost strikes too close to home – in the first ep, a family Thanksgiving dinner conversation revolves around which “brand” of afterlife each person is aspiring towards.
The show is pretty much chock full of moments like this that shove the confronting thought that technology may be distracting us from what’s really important at the moment, ya know?
Main character, Nathan, is “uploaded” after crashing his Spy-Kids-level gadget-decked car and, and enters an afterlife decked out with lavish goods, clothes and food, acting as a clever little allegory for our excess-focussed world. Topping things off, his version of the afterlife is controlled by an ultra-hip downtown-loft tech start-up which is just searingly topical.
You can suss the Upload trailer here:
You’ll probs reocgnise lead actor Robbie Ammel from projects such as The Duff and The Flash, as well as TV long-runner Jessica Tuck, who has previously starred in True Blood, Judging Amy. With newcomer Andy Allo on board as well, we’ve got all the makings of a beaut ensemble cast.
The first season of Upload will be available from May 1st on Amazon Prime Video and will consist of ten episodes ready for your consumption (literally the perfect one-sitting binge-watch length), and with similar ethical themes at play, it’ll probably fill the void the ending of The Good Place left in your heart too.
You can sign up to Amazon Prime Video here if you’ve yet to join the streaming platform that also offers up other faves like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Forever and Jack Ryan.
