H+: The Digital Series (often abbreviated as H+) is an American web series directed by Stewart Hendler and created by John Cabrera and Cosimo De Tommaso. The series explores a dystopian near future brought about by a technological singularity holocaust from the perspective of differing transhumanism factions, premiered on August 8, 2012, on YouTube with two episodes. Two new episodes were then released every week on Wednesdays until the season finale on January 16, 2013. A second season was announced in January 2013. However, there have been no updates since.
Contents
Production
The series began as a long-term project in 2006. It was filmed in Santiago, Chile in 2011, over 29 days in 54 different locations, and announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con. At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, it was again promoted in anticipation of its upcoming premiere. The series is distributed by Warner Brothers Digital Distribution in partnership with YouTube.
As new episodes premiered weekly via YouTube, new supplemental content was also made available through the series' official website, providing extra images, text, or video that tied into the story further.
Background
The series is based on a future where one-third of the world's population has a neural implant named H+, which connects the human mind to the Internet 24 hours a day. The implant was created by a company called Hplus Nano Teoranta, an Irish biotechnology company founded with the intent of improving the medical sector with technology.
The story begins in medias res, depicting the effects of a malicious hacker's computer virus which infects all of the users of the H+ neural implant, killing off one-third of the world's population.
Concurrent episodes go back-and-forward in time to different settings, and various characters' viewpoints are used to tell the story.
Cast and characters
Alexis Denisof as Conall Sheehan
Caitriona Balfe as Breanna Sheehan
Hannah Simone as Leena Param
Karrien Marsukhan as Ritu Param
Amir Arison as Y. Gurveer
Bhavna Kewlani as Mrs.Param
David Clayton Rogers as Kenneth Lubahn
Francesca Fanti as Simona Rossi
Nikki Crawford as Julie Martin
Sean Gunn as Jason O'Brien
Samuli Vauramo as Topi Kuusela
Hannah Herzsprung as Manta
Francesco Martino as Matteo Spina
Melvin Abston as Lee Martin
Lela Loren as Francesca Rossi
James Urbaniak as Francis Peters
Carlos Bravo as Ichiro
Benjamin Clarke as Peters
Eduardo Burle Sussely as Patricio Raiz
John Cabrera as Andy
Episodes
All episodes were directed by Stewart Hendler and written by John Cabrera and Cosimo De Tommaso.
Reception
Tubefilter wrote, "easily one of the most epic, well shot, well thought through web series released this year."
Geek Speak Magazine called the series "the official embracement of the web series as a viable creative alternative to films and television."