| Genre: | Comedy drama |
| Creator: | Chris Taylor |
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| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 16 |
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| Cinematography: | Katie Milwright |
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| Runtime: | 25–30 minutes |
| Company: | Lingo Pictures |
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Upright is an Australian comedy drama television series created by Chris Taylor that premiered on 28 November 2019 on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom, and on 1 December 2019 on Fox Showcase in Australia.[1] The series stars Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock in the lead roles, with Minchin also writing and composing.[2] The series was later broadcast on Super Channel in Canada and on SundanceNow in the USA.
In October 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered in its entirety on 15 November 2022 on Fox Showcase in Australia and moved to Sky Comedy in the UK.[3]
The first season follows the journey of Lucky, a struggling musician, and Meg, a runaway teenager who, after literally crashing into each other's lives, attempt to transport an upright piano across the southern Australian Outback to Lucky's terminally ill mother in his hometown of Perth.
The second season takes place four years later, where Lucky, now a successful musician, and Meg, who is two months pregnant, reunite and embark on a mission to find Meg's missing mum in the rainforests of northern Queensland.
Lake Bumbunga in South Australia was used as a filming location for some scenes,[6] with over 50 cast members performing in the pink lake at the same time.[7]
"The whole thing is both quintessentially Australian and deliciously unexpected," wrote Melinda Houston for The Sydney Morning Herald when the show originally aired, adding "great to see another show making creative use of our landscapes: the dry interior is blasted one moment, enchanted the next."[8] Decider wrote "Minchin and Alcock make a good road trip pair, and that’s pretty much what Upright is all about," and gave it a "stream it" verdict.[5] In Luke Buckmaster's review for The Guardian, he characterizes the two leads: "Minchin’s performance combines stoner-like man-child and emotionally stunted adult with a splash of shaggy panache all his own, evolving his character from sad-sack weirdo to a reasonably complex person. Alcock is excellent as the other half of the odd couple: with a head-turning, hair-trigger performance that delivers the show an almost electrical energy."[4]