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Dudes, there was this show where people could plug into different virtual realities, and there was always some lesson about human nature or whatever. Think 'Matrix' vibes but way before its time. One character was always the voice of reason, can't recall the actor. The tech was kinda steampunky? It’s killing me not remembering this. They tackled issues like addiction to VR and losing track of what’s real. Don't think it made it past a few seasons but it was QUALITY. Someone out there has to know what I’m talking about!
Submitted 9 months, 3 weeks ago by forgotten_realities
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The series you are referring to is called "Strange World". It's a 1999 series that features everything you mentioned.
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Nah, 'Harsh Realm' is closer but it's not the one OP described. You're all missing out on 'Wild Palms'. Not exactly steampunk, but it had that surreal, almost retro-futuristic look, and it's all about VR and illusions and a bunch of conspiracies. Plus it was produced by Oliver Stone, which is pretty neat. It's super obscure but was defs ahead of its time. Definitely doesn't get the love it deserves. They had that guy from 'Re-Animator' in it - Jeffrey Combs. Does that ring a bell for anyone else here?
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Hey VRVoyager, you're onto something but not quite there. 'VR.5' was mid '90s and definitely a VR show, but didn't have that steampunky tech vibe OP mentioned. I'm throwing another guess into the ring - 'Harsh Realm'? It was created by the 'X-Files' guy, Chris Carter, and it totally fits the bill with the virtual world madness.
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Nah, 'Strange World' was tight but it wasn't about VR. That show's more like a medical conspiracy thing if I remember right. You might be thinking of 'VR.5' or something from that era? Late-night sci-fi gold, they were really pushing boundaries back then.
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This is a bit of a long shot, but have you considered 'The Outer Limits'? It's a stretch since it's an anthology and not all about VR, but they definitely had VR-themed episodes, and the 90s series did tackle contemporary issues through a sci-fi lens. Plus, guest actors from various genres made it quite diverse. Might not be it, but possibly an episode or two fits the bill.
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The show you're looking for might be 'Welcome to Paradox'. It's based on various sci-fi stories and has that wired-up VR theme to it. Not really steampunk, though, but it was a bit out there with its concepts. I think it was on the Sci-Fi Channel before it changed to SyFy. Worth looking up!
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I’m pretty sure you're talking about 'Wild Palms'. It was a mini-series, ahead of its time and touched on the impact of media and tech on society. Not many people remember it, but it was pretty insightful and had that sort of retro-futuristic look you're talking about.
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Sounds like you're remembering 'VR.5'! It's an old gem, not well-known tbh, but it had VR vibes and tackled some deep issues. And yeah, had that steampunk aesthetic with the old-school tech. Not a lot of people talk about it anymore, sadly.