With the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine in place, people are finding themselves watching a lot more television than in the past. As such, it’s sometimes hard to find quality programming to watch.
Upload is a witty, entertaining science fiction comedy television series available now on Amazon Prime. The show is created by Greg Daniels, whose credits also include King of the Hill, The Office, and Parks and Recreation.
The series stars Robbie Amell, who I immediately recognized from his performances as Fred Jones in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. I’ve always been a fan of Amell. He’s a dependable, likable actor who always turns in consistently quality work.
In Upload, Amell plays Nathan Brown, a 27-year old computer programmer who is in a car accident. To avoid death, Nathan’s consciousness is uploaded to a virtual retirement community. He is by no means the first, the virtual living situation is something the rich have been using for years to extend their lives beyond death.
Nathan would not be able to afford consciousness uploading and storage, however his girlfriend comes from a wealthy family and is able to foot the bill. This also gives her a certain level of control over Nathan. At any given moment, Ingrid (played well by Allegra Edwards) could pull the plug and have Nathan’s consciousness frozen or even deleted.
The series also stars Andy Allo as the customer service staff member (called Angels) who attends to Nathan’s needs. A friendship develops with hints that in a different world that attraction could turn romantic.
Allo previously appeared in Pitch Perfect 3 and most notably was a part of Prince’s band The New Power Generation in 2011.
Upload has a similar quirky comedy/drama vibe to the American television series Eureka that ran from 2006 to 2012 on the SyFy channel. Like Eureka, Upload asks you to suspend disbelief, then greatly rewards you for it. There is also some similarity to The Good Place that ran from 2016-2020 on NBC.
So if you’re in the mood for a fun entertainment escape, consider binge watching Upload on Prime. The show has already been renewed for Season 2.