There's a long storied history of the movie musical, but TV has been getting more into the world of song and dance recently, including with the new 2023 TV series Up Here, set to premiere on Hulu in the US.
Shows like My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Smash and, more recently, Schmigadoon! have brought the big show-stopping numbers musicals are known for to TV audiences. Up Here hopes to do the same, and it certainly has the pedigree, with its behind-the-scenes team consisting of talent that worked on Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, tick, tick… Boom and more.
Here is everything that we know about Up Here.
Up Here release date
Up Here premieres on Friday, March 24, on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK. All eight episodes of the series are going to be available right away to stream at your pace.
Check out what else is new on Hulu and new on Disney Plus in March.
Up Here plot
Originally written as a stage musical by Robert Lopez (The Book of Mormon) and Kristin Anderson-Lopez (Frozen), the TV adaptation is going to tweak a few things. The original play focused just on the voices inside the lead male character's head as he deals with the ups and downs of a relationship, but now the story features the inner voices of both of the main characters, Lindsay and Miguel. Some character details have also been tweaked.
Here is the official synopsis of the Up Here TV series, per Hulu:
"A musical romantic comedy set in New York City in the waning days of 1999, following the extraordinary story of one ordinary couple as they fall in love and discover that the single greatest obstacle to finding happiness together might just be themselves — and the treacherous world of memories, obsessions, fears and fantasies that live inside their heads."
Up Here episodes
Here are all of the synopses for Up Here's eight episodes:
Up Here episode 1, "Lindsay"
"When a long forgotten dream is reawakened, Lindsay decides to leave her small life in small-town Vermont to find out who she really is and what she really wants."
Up Here episode 2, "Miguel"
"After an unexpected series of events leaves his plans for the future in tatters, Miguel chases after a new dream in the high stakes world of investment banking."
Up Here episode 3, "Signs"
"As she takes the next steps in her creative journey, Lindsay is sent in search of answers to a vexing question, while Miguel grapples with an impossible task of his own."
Up Here episode 4, "Special"
"Miguel pursues a promising lead and Lindsay meets a childhood hero, as they both confront the new realities of their evolving relationship."
Up Here episode 5, "Labels"
"As Lindsay doubles down on her journey of self-exploration and Miguel seizes a promising opportunity, their paths unexpectedly collide at a bucolic wedding in the Hamptons."
Up Here episode 6, "Armor"
"Facing a potential setback at work, Miguel has to dig deep to save his job, as Lindsay struggles to find the right ending to her book."
Up Here episode 7, "Baggage"
"Lindsay and Miguel are forced to reckon with their pasts, and the unfinished business they thought they had left behind."
Up Here episode 8, "Y2K"
"With the end of the world looming, and the future of their relationship in the balance, Miguel and Lindsay find themselves facing stark choices that threaten to unravel everything they have fought for."
Up Here cast
Playing the lead couple, Lindsay and Miguel, in the series are Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes, respectively. Whitman is probably best known for her role as Ann in Arrested Development, but she has also starred in Scott Pilgrim vs the World, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, In Treatment, Parenthood, The DUFF and Good Girls.
Valdes has been a long-time member of The CW's DC TV universe, playing the character Cisco Ramon on The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl, as well as others. He also starred in the series Gaslit.
Other members of the cast include Katie Finneran (Bloodline), Sophia Hammons (Under Wraps), Emilia Suárez (A Good Person), Andréa Burns (West Side Story), John Hodgman (Poker Face) and Scott Porter (Ginny & Georgia).
Up Here trailer
Hulu has released the trailer for Up Here, which teases some of its musical numbers, but appears to be saving most of them for your enjoyment while watching the show. Check out the trailer directly below:
Up Here behind-the-scenes
We've already mentioned that Robert Lopez and Krisin Anderson-Lopez are on board as the writers of the original songs, but also credited with working on Up Here are Steven Levenson (tick, tick… Boom, Dear Evan Hansen) and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The Carmichael Show) as writers. Meanwhile, Thomas Kail (Hamilton, Grease! Live) is directing the series.
How to watch Up Here
Wherever you are, you're going to need a subscription to one of the streaming services playing Up Here, Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK and elsewhere.
US subscribers have a number of different ways to sign up for Hulu. They can get the streamer as a standalone service, as part of the Disney bundle or they can add live TV access to it by signing up for Hulu with Live TV.
