Dhruv Sharma
While most TV shows serve as mere fictional realms of escapism, there are others that cleverly reflect on real-life dilemmas like death and grief. These shows brim with philosophical wormholes and satiric comedy that is relatable for everyone. And most of all, they also grapple with intriguing and broad ideas revolving around heaven and hell. If you have a thing for shows that involve afterlife themes, Amazon Prime’s ‘Upload’ is one series you would not want to miss out on.
‘Upload’ is about an app programmer named Nathan Brown who dies but is kept alive after his consciousness gets uploaded to a VR world, where other deceased humans like him exist. At its onset, ‘Upload’ appears to be a bit too predictable. But as the show progresses, it adds new layers of intrigue to its characters and unique premise, which slowly builds up your interest as well. If you’ve already watched ‘Upload’ and you’re looking for similar shows, we have you covered. Here’s a list of all the shows that are similar to ‘Upload.’
5. Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
‘Six Feet Under’ is a critically acclaimed HBO show that first premiered way back in the mid-aughts. Although it mostly deals with dark themes revolving around death, it brings its own quirky and immensely smart twists to it. It centers around the Fisher family, who run their own funeral home. Nathaniel Fisher Sr., who previously owned the business, completely leaves it behind with his sons, Nathaniel Samuel Jr and David, before dying. When the sons return for their rightful share in the business, a feud ensues between them and their family.
4. Glitch (2015-2019)
‘Glitch‘ seemingly derives its premise from the good old “dead is better” trope where the deceased comes back to life, and it isn’t all that of a happy situation. The show is about a police officer who discovers that six dead residents of his small county have now returned from the dead. And from the looks of it, all of them seem unscathed as if nothing ever happened to them. Although its premise is intriguing enough to keep you glued to it, its brilliant writing and stellar performances further elevate its drama above other similar shows.
3. The Good Place (2016-2020)
Starring Kristen Bell, ‘The Good Place‘ revolves around Eleanor, a woman who was a morally corrupt salesperson before she died. However, when she wakes up in a heaven-like place known as the “The Good Place,” she realizes that because of her mistaken identity, she does not deserve a place there. Desperate to stay, she struggles to hide the truth and hides her past from everyone around her. As the premise suggests, ‘The Good Place’ is a wacky comedy show. It’s extremely rewarding and its humor is simple yet substantial.
2. iZombie (2015-2019)
A list about shows dealing with the afterlife and death would certainly be incomplete without some zombie-centric drama. And that’s how ‘iZombie,’ perfectly fits your taste if you loved ‘Upload.’ In ‘iZombie,’ a medical student named Liz gets bitten by a zombie and starts turning into one herself. To satisfy her endless cravings for human meat, she takes up a job at a morgue. But she soon starts to discover that every time she eats a person’s brain, she somehow absorbs the memories of that person as well.
1. Russian Doll (2019-)
‘Russian Doll‘ is a whole new take at the tireless “do-over” time travel trope from ‘Groundhog Day.’ Natasha Lyonne, who is also the co-creator of the series, plays the role of Nadia, a young, brash woman who often takes life for granted. But she finds herself all caught up in a loop where she repeatedly walks through the same day again and again and dies by the time it comes to an end. Soon, she meets Alan who is also caught up in the same strange loop just like her. That’s when the two of them join forces to unravel the mystery behind their neverending “déjà vu.” ‘Russian Doll’ has received several Emmy nods since its release and is the perfect binge-worthy comedy-drama that packs a lot of laughs and some honest sentiments.
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