WhatNext TV recommendations

Shows Like Upload

If Upload worked for you because of its big ideas, mystery, and long-form payoff, start with The Peripheral, Murderbot, and Westworld. The list leans toward sci-fi & fantasy and drama stories with a similar sense of concept-heavy storytelling. It prioritises shared tone and story shape rather than relying on broad genre matching alone.

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24 recommendationsStart with The Peripheral, Murderbot, Westworld

Recommendations tuned for fans of Upload

Audience fit

Why Upload fans may like these shows

If you enjoyed Upload, try The Peripheral, Murderbot, and Westworld. These recommendations focus on sci-fi & fantasy and drama shows that share mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a similar storytelling rhythm.

Ranked recommendations

The closest TV shows to watch after Upload

Each recommendation includes the reasoning behind the pick, so you can see why it may suit fans of Upload.

The Peripheral

The Peripheral is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Stuck in a small Appalachian town, a young woman’s only escape from the daily grind is playing advanced video games. She is such a good player that a company sends her a new video game system to test…but it has a…

Murderbot

Murderbot is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Comedy, Drama, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, In a high-tech future, a rogue security robot secretly gains free will. To stay hidden, it reluctantly joins a new mission protecting scientists on a dangerous planet... even though it just wants to binge soap operas.

Westworld

Westworld is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how…

Altered Carbon

Altered Carbon is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Recommendation graph signal: this title appears close to the anchor show in recommendation data. In practical terms, After 250 years on ice, a prisoner returns to life in a new body with one chance to win his freedom: by solving a mind-bending murder.

Humans

Humans is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, In a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a 'Synth' - a highly-developed robotic servant that's so similar to a real human it's transforming the way we live.

Black Mirror

Black Mirror is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Twisted tales run wild in this mind-bending anthology series that reveals humanity's worst traits, greatest innovations and more.

Fallout

Fallout is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, The story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape…

Alien: Earth

Alien: Earth is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Recommendation graph signal: this title appears close to the anchor show in recommendation data. In practical terms, When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, Wendy and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat.

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.

Caprica

Caprica is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Set 58 years before Battlestar Galactica, Caprica follows two rival families - the Graystones and the Adamas - as they grow, compete, and thrive in the vibrant world of the peaceful 12 Colonies, living in a society…

The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Devs

Devs is a strong follow-up to Upload because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Drama Recommendation graph signal: this title appears close to the anchor show in recommendation data. In practical terms, Young computer engineer Lily Chan investigates the secretive development division of her employer, a cutting-edge tech company based in San Francisco, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend.

What makes a good show like Upload?

A good replacement for Upload is not just another show in the same broad genre. The best matches keep the parts viewers remember most: big ideas, mystery, and long-form payoff, a atmospheric atmosphere and concept-heavy storytelling. That is why the ranking combines several signals before a title reaches the final list.

How these recommendations are chosen

Audience behaviour: Reddit-style co-mentions and pair signals help identify shows viewers naturally compare or recommend together. Recommendation graph: TMDB recommendation data helps identify titles that sit close to the anchor show. Story fit: genre overlap, semantic keywords and concept-specific guardrails reduce lazy matches that share only a surface-level category. Quality control: vote average, vote count, popularity and freshness checks help remove weak or low-confidence titles from public SEO pages.

Editor's verdict

The strongest starting point is The Peripheral, Murderbot, and Westworld because the list balances similarity, quality and viewer behaviour. For best results, choose the recommendation that matches the part of Upload you liked most: tone, characters, setting, mystery, tension or long-form payoff.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Which shows scratch the same itch as Upload?

These are not just similar on genre. They were chosen because they offer a related mix of mystery, world-building and long-form payoff for viewers who connected with Upload.

What should I watch after Upload for more big-idea storytelling?

The Peripheral, Murderbot, and Westworld are a good place to start if you want another series that unfolds gradually and rewards attention over time.

Are these recommendations more about mood or plot?

Usually both. The strongest matches tend to share atmosphere as well as structure, so the page does not just chase shows with similar premises.

How do I find more shows once I finish these?

Build up your favourites and ratings in WhatNext and the app can keep narrowing in on the sci-fi and fantasy shows that suit your taste best.

Keep exploring

Explore more recommendations

Shows like The Peripheral Shows like Murderbot Shows like Westworld Shows like Altered Carbon Shows like Humans Shows like Black Mirror Shows like Fallout Shows like Alien: Earth Shows like The Twilight Zone Shows like Caprica

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