5 Shows to Binge Watch Online if You Like 'Humans'
The AMC hit series Humans is making its return this week, with season three premiering tonight (June 5) at 10/9c.
Set in suburban London, Humans takes place in a parallel present and stars Colin Morgan, Gemma Chan and Katherine Parkinson. The latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a Synth, which is a highly developed, artificially intelligent servant. Some of the domestics are eerily similar to their living counterparts — so much so that a robot could easily just step in as a replacement. This, of course, is what some humans are afraid of.
In the upcoming season, we see Synths fighting for their rights. Take a look at the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdxKgnaG9mk
If you're in the mood to get your binge on, here are five other series that revolve around A.I. vs. man (or man vs. A.I. depending on which side you're cheering for):
1. Battlestar Galactica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlQGxgdUn3E
In the classic sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009), the majority of the human race has been wiped out by a cybernetic alien species known as Cylons. The Cylons are able to disguise themselves as human, but in their true form, they are lean, mean killing machines. A small civilian fleet is trying to find its way to the 13th colony, a planet otherwise known as… Earth. You can look for familiar faces like Edward James Olmos (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Jamie Bamber (Marcella) and Katee Sackhoff (Longmire).
You can watch Battlestar Galactica here.
2. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjLne16FKmQ
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009) picks ups where the 1991 film Terminator 2 left off. Sarah Connor (Game of Thrones' Lena Headey) did change the future, just not enough. She and her son John (Thomas Dekker) have to out run killer robots sent from the future. The thing is, they've been running for two movies already and the mother and son duo are exhausted. Their aim with the TV version is to take out Skynet, the synthetic machine network that birthed the A.I. problem in the first place.
You can watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles here.
3. Person of Interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCURYlUgtKY
In Person of Interest (2011-2016) the artificial intelligence doesn't take the form of a being but a computer program that can predict future crimes. But “The Machine,” as it’s called, is not clear on whether the person being monitored is the victim or the potential criminal. That's where real people come into their own. Of course, as with human error, there can be mechanical mishaps. In the clip we see The Machine in its infancy, and somehow it's acquired the ability to lie. And that's just the start of its manipulative shenanigans. As The Machine's maker explains, "It's growing and learning at an exponential rate. If it escaped, the things it might decide to do — for good or evil — would be beyond our grasp." So no biggie then. Person of Interest stars Michael Emerson (Lost), Jim Caviezel (The Prisoner) and Taraji P. Henson (Empire).
You can watch Person of Interest here.
4. Almost Human
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV2ojHR40TQ
In Almost Human (2013-2014) we see people and androids working on the same side, teaming up as police partners. Well, in theory. Detective John Kennex (Star Trek: Beyond's Karl Urban) loses his leg after his robot partner abandons him during a raid, because according to statistics it made more sense to leave him. Kennex isn't keen on working with an android again, and his new A.I. partner is "accidentally" tossed out of their squad car. There's definitely some man vs. A.I. going on here. There aren't any modern units that are approved to go out in the field, so Kennex's new sidekick is an older model... who has feelings. His almost human partner is played by Michael Ealy (The Following).
You can watch Almost Human here.
5. Westworld
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zZcBv0gPK0
The robots in Westworld (2016-2018) are designed to fulfill the fantasies of customers at a high-tech, Wild West-themed amusement park. They're so lifelike, they don't even know their thoughts are artificial. And, for some reason, they're programmed to feel pain and fear. Needless to say, when they do realize what’s happening, they don’t like it so much. Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden and Ed Harris star, and they recently returned for season two, which premiered April 22.
You can watch Westworld here.
Are you ready for Humans tonight?