Today is a bittersweet day. The overlords at Amazon have decided to renew my favourite show on Prime Video for another season, but they have also revealed it will be the last.
The three seasons of Upload we have been treated to a brilliantly funny sci-fi comedy-drama unlike anything I've seen before. Show creator Greg Daniels has completed an incredible hattrick of superb comedies with The Office (US), Parks and Recreation and now Upload and he revealed to Amazon Prime Video that a four-season run was always part of the plan. Here's hoping we get something spectacular.
Season three was released last year across October and November and maintained the high standards of its predecessors so I'm not worried about any drop in quality. There's no mention of a release date on the press release so my guess is it won't be streaming until late 2024 or early 2025 at the soonest. That gives you plenty of time to rewatch, or discover the show for the first time - so what's it all about?
In the year 2033 we follow Nathan (|Robbie Amell), a pretty ordinary guy who thanks to a wealthy girlfriend has gotten used to the finer things in life including 3D-printed steak dinners and self-driving cars. When he gets involved in a tragic accident he winds up 'uploaded' to a digital afterlife at a cushy cloud storage country retreat, Lakeview. Here his wildest dreams are simply a snap of his fingers away, provided his girlfriend keeps paying. In the afterlife, he soon bonds with his designated 'Angel' Nora (Andy Allo), a real-life employee hired to make his life bliss.
Things only get more interesting from there but what the show does superbly is balance mystery with comedy. Let's just say that the circumstances of Nathan's death are suspicious and the stakes only get bigger from there, but you're still never more than a moment away from the next big laugh.
Across the three seasons so far the growth of Nathan from arrogant tech bro to caring freedom fighter has been staggering, but handled brilliantly. I'm at once super excited to see his story conclude, but I'll also be heartbroken to see the show disappear into the ether after season four. Hopefully, the streaming service will serve me up something to replace it.
