Hulu's Up Here: What We Know So Far
Hulu is a platform not regularly mentioned when folks talk about original streaming content these days. It probably should be, however, as the streamer continues to front a slate of original series that would be the envy of any network or online competitor. Hulu bosses are looking to keep the hits coming in 2023, and they continue to tap first-rate talent both in front of and behind the camera to bring original series like "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Only Murders in the Building" to the streaming masses.
That's also very much the case for an intriguing new series Hulu has officially set for release on the platform later this month. Said project is called "Up There," and it's shaping up to be the sort of offering that could redefine the words "original series" when it makes its Hulu debut. Here's everything we know about the streamer's upcoming original production so far.
Who is starring in Up Here?
As for what will set "Up Here" apart from its fellow Hulu originals, the series will be a romantic musical sitcom. And that fact alone begs the question of who the streamer brought aboard to sing, dance, and swoon the time away. Not surprisingly, "Up Here" is fronting a stacked cast of on-camera talent. That includes the always amazing Mae Whitman, who's become an actor of uncommon range since her breakout role in "Arrested Development." As it is, "Up Here" marks the actor's first live-action role since the cancellation of her brilliant but ratings-challenged NBC drama "Good Girls." It will not, however, be Whitman's first go at the musical genre as she also appeared in 2020's song-and-dance heavy "Valley Girl" remake.
As Whitman will be front and center on "Up Here," she'll flex her pipes and dance moves like never before. She'll be joined regularly by "Up Here" leading man Carlos Valdes. The actor was most recently seen opposite Julia Roberts and Sean Penn in "Gaslit," but is perhaps best known for his role as Cisco Ramon (aka Vibe) in The CW's greater "Arrowverse." "Up There" will also find Whitman and Valdes sharing the screen with a stellar cast of supporting players, including John Hodgman, Katie Finneran, Andréa Burns, Sophia Hammons, George Hampe, and newcomer Emilia Suárez, among others.
What is Up Here about?
If you're wondering what that brilliant cast will get up to in "Up Here," the series is set to put a clever spin on the romantic comedy formula. And yes, the new Hulu series will do so, fronting plenty of opportunities for Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes to sing and dance their lovelorn blues away. The series will find Whitman playing Lindsay, a Vermont housewife who shakes up her life by moving to New York in 1999 to become a writer. There she meets Valdes' Miguel, a romantic trying to make his way in the cutthroat world of investment banking.
They fall in love, of course, despite the incessant ramblings from the voices in each of their heads — played by the duo's various co-stars — perpetually threatening to complicate matters. Along the way, the relatively common story of a girl meeting a boy and falling madly in love in the big city will transform into a rather extraordinary romance through regular musical sojourns.
When will Up Here premiere?
Yes, that setup would seem to take more than a few cues from NBC's canceled-too-soon musical dramedy "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist." Whereas that series regularly dipped into the flooded well of the pop music pantheon, "Up There" arrives boasting a slate of original tunes penned by Oscar-winning "Frozen" and "Wandavision" songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The duo has also written episodes of the show alongside "Tick, Tick... Boom!" and "Dear Evan Hansen" scribe Steven Levenson and "New Girl" alum Danielle Sanchez-Witzel.
"Up Here" is also being directed by Emmy-winning "Fosse/Verdon" and "Hamilton" helmer Thomas Kail, just in case there were any lingering doubts about its A-list musical pedigree. In any case, those names should easily earn "Up Here" a spot on the must-see list of any legitimate fan of the genre. If you're among them and looking for a sneak peek at what that talented crew has in store for the series, the just-released trailer should be more than enough to wet your whistle. And if you like what you see, mark off March 24, 2023 on your calendar, 'cause that's when "Up Here" is set to make its Hulu debut.