Sitcom Uncanny Valley Is All About Nerds & Geek Culture
From the global dominance of tech companies to the mega-success of sci-fi and comic book film franchises, it’s clear that nerds run the world.
Once depicted as a marginalised group in society – at least in high school dramas – nerds have risen to the top of the food chain and they’re not afraid to show it.
Locally produced comedy series Uncanny Valley goes behind the screen to meet some of these passionate purveyors of Internet culture and find out what they’re really like beyond their online pseudonyms and digital alter egos.
We sat and laughed through the first three episodes of the show. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect.
Meet the colourful cast of characters of Uncanny Valley
Fans of mockumentary-style sitcoms like The Office would be familiar with the format of Uncanny Valley. Think over-the-top antics and fourth wall-breaking confessionals.
Set in the fictional HQ of has-been pop culture publication WhatToGeek.com, Uncanny Valley centres on a colourful cast of characters who represent different tropes.
There’s James Tan, played by Jon Cancio. In the series, the knowledgeable but childish head honcho of WhatToGeek.com struggles to keep his once-successful company afloat.
Jon Cancio as James Tan
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Anime-obsessed Japanophile Wesley, portrayed by Bryan Peh, is the office’s social media head and resident source of amusement.
Bryan Peh as Wesley
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Former pro esports champ Linus, played by Liew Khai Sheen, is quiet but capable…when he has the right motivation, at least.
Liew Kai Sheen as Linus
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Of course, every story needs a villain, and Uncanny Valley has theirs in Dinesh, played by Fahim Murshed.
An obnoxious keyboard warrior and Internet troll who thrives on conflict and conspiracy theories, he’s someone everyone would love to hate.
Fahim Murshed as Dinesh
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Rounding up this quirky team is the proverbial rose among the thorns, Regina, performed by Johanna Van. In the show, Regina recently left her corporate job to pursue her dream of being a writer at WhatToGeek.com.
Johanna Van as Regina
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Over the first season’s five episodes, Uncanny Valley boldly explores topics pertaining to nerd culture such as gaming, web debates, and the rise of online misogyny.
It will also focus on workplace-related issues like dealing with co-workers, bosses, and job challenges. All within the confines of a kooky but charming little SME.
What goes on in Uncanny Valley’s season premiere
In the first episode, we see Wesley, the resident weeb, preparing for an important presentation for a Japanese company.
Image courtesy of Onyx Media
Eager to impress them, he goes all out to look as Japanese as possible…by donning a kimono and full geisha-like makeup. Tune in for yourself to see how it goes.
The pilot also sees the hiring of incoming writer, Regina. During the interview, the process devolves into a pop-culture trivia-cum-debate session with James, who quizzes her on topics like which Pokémon she wants to be and her weapon of choice in a zombie apocalypse, among other things.
Image courtesy of Onyx Media
While some of the situations seem a little absurd to be true, they’re actually not that far removed from reality — how many of us have done silly things in order to nail a presentation? Or been taken aback by a strange line of questioning in a job interview?
However, Uncanny Valley turns these mundane real-world issues into sitcom-worthy shenanigans for us viewers to enjoy.
Watch all episodes for free on YouTube & Viddsee
Uncanny Valley is an independently funded joint production between media company Onyx Media and production house REDINOX. It was also supported by SIGMA Singapore who provided equipment for the shoot.
All five episodes, which run for a very bingeable 22 to 24 minutes each, are now available for free on YouTube and Viddsee.
You can start by watching the pilot episode here:
Impressively, Uncanny Valley already started making waves before its official release — the series was part of the Official Selections for this year’s SoCal Film Awards, and it won an Outstanding Achievement Award at the World Film Carnival Singapore festival last year.
Image courtesy of Onyx Media
Oh, and by the way, WhatToGeek.com is an actual browsable website where you can read the characters’ articles. Check it out for tips on winning tabletop games or controversial takes on tech.
You can also follow Uncanny Valley’s official Facebook and Instagram pages for more updates and information.
A chance for local content creators to shine
The emergence of more independent Singapore web productions has given homegrown content creators a chance to shine, such as Asian Billionaires, Average Guys, and the Breakup List.
They also prove that large media corporations aren’t the only ones capable of putting out a good show.
Creating content is no mean feat. It takes up a lot of time, resources, and finances. It also relies on an intense collaborative effort between many different people, from writers to actors to camera operators to video editors.
With Uncanny Valley, its creators hope for more Singaporeans to flex their creative muscles, and produce shows that can keep online audiences thoroughly entertained and feeling a strong sense of #localpride.
This post was brought to you in collaboration with Onyx Media.
Featured image adapted from Uncanny Valley on Facebook.
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