Up Here (2023) User Reviews

Only 2 episodes in but fun show

[mccabe-shannon · 7/10 · 31 March 2023]

This is a cute show! It's very relatable. Who doesn't want to shut up the voices in their head! The leads are great together. But I'd have to say my favorite casting is Scott Porter. He always place the all american nice guy so this is a fun role for him and he does it well! Mae Whitman is fantastic as always and this is perfect for her everyday quirky girl. Some of the music is eh or distracting but some is good and adds to the show.

Im excited to learn more about these two and the voices in their heads

The 90s nostalgia is also great. Feels like it's everywhere now but they do it real well.

Cute but not great

[julie-82 · 6/10 · 27 March 2023]

The leads are both appealing and sweet, but the story doesn't lend itself to an episodic show. One movie might've been a better idea. This way it just seems like they retread the same territory every episode and you're thinking, how many times can they do the same thing over again? How many ways can they break them up and get them back together and then break them up again? The other problem is that the music is seriously underwhelming. It's way too generic. When you have people like Brian Stokes Mitchell and Norm Lewis as guest stars and supporting players like Katie Finneran and Andrea Burns, you need to give them more to do.

Disappointing- not as hyped as Broadway on tv

[msd-35460 · 5/10 · 26 March 2023]

Disappointing- not as hyped as Broadway on tv.

Premise very confusing. Can't always tell what is "real."

Most songs are mediocre. Acting is good. Hard to tell it's New York City or 1999 and it is supposedly a period piece.

Show has potential, but he clearly is not living up to it. Wanted desperately to recommend it, but find myself unable too.

I was hoping it would be more like the short-lived, " "Galavant" or "Cop Rock." Both did a far better job in story and making the music seem to fit.

At this point, I've only watched the first two episodes. Hopefully, the story will develop and get better.

Not that interesting

[rivervalo · 26 March 2023]

It's one of those series that while I am watching, I get up, make myself something to eat, do the dishes,, while I am listening to what is going on, and I know I am not missing something important.

The story is sweet, the acting is good, there are certainly some very funny scenes, but the feeling is wrong. I guess that the songs are kind of mediocre, and the voices in their heads don't add much to the plot

Where is New York? The outdoor scenes are so few and it could be anywhere in the world. It is 1999 but it feels like its 1995. Where are the mobile phones? Where is the frenzy of entering a new millennium? The worry that it could be the end of the world? That the computers could crash?

Also I have some doubt about the clothing choices.

I noticed that the rating is higher amongst US users, than the rest of us.

Appealing actors; good but not a perfect series

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 26 March 2023]

On the downside, for starters, eight episodes probably cut have been cut back to seven with a little tighter editing. It got a bit bogged down in episodes 6 and 7.

However, the two leads more than made up for that. I was not familiar with Mae Whitman at all, but she was just right for the part and did a fine job portraying the character. But the real find here is Carlos Valdes. He looked vaguely familiar, and I have since realized I had seen him in "Gaslit". Given the right parts, he could become a major actor...not to mention having a decent singing voice. But, shave. :-)

The music here varies from some numbers that are very good to some that are...well, they help the story, but aren't stellar. And, after all, this is a musical series. One of Valdes' numbers is a show stopper.

Overall I liked the limited series quite a bit. However, one thing about the plot bothered me. Valdes' character wasn't perfect; he had his faults. But why would he keep taking back Whitman's character?

Ultimately I'll give this a strong "7".

Charming with mostly good music!

[jawells1223 · 9/10 · 25 March 2023]

I really enjoy it! Is it a little corny? Sure. But the music is good and both leads' voices are great! I think it's fun and entertaining TV. There is a good connection between the two leads, and the first two episodes really are emotional. Whitman especially shines in the role, with comedic and dramatic range! People should watch this show even if they might not be excited about the music. There isn't all that much per episode and the songs are catchy and fun! Any fan of Parenthood or Good Girls Will like her acting here, same combination of seriousness and comedy. The banking buddies are also hilarious and stupid, the show also has some funny 90s references that you won't want to miss.

Up Here Is Down There

[alikhat · 3/10 · 27 March 2023]

For a musical to work you need to have at least two main ingredients: Characters you can care about and really good (hopefully great) music.

Up Here fails on both accounts.

It's a real pity, because musicals are so seldom attempted for television and this one has a solid cast led by two talented performers. Unfortunately, they're let down by spectacularly bad writing, a dreary, repetitive plot, and characters who run the gamut from selfish and self-absorbed, to boorish, to cartoonish, to just plain dull.

The music is a miasma of bouncy, pop drivel and witless lyrics that are about as memorable as a seventy character password. I defy anyone to hum any of them from memory (the finale excluded, simply because it's repeated over the opening credits of Every. Single. Episode.).

There's only one really good number in the whole show; a Christmas ballad that marvelously lampoons Holiday love songs with poison pen accuracy. Unfortunately, the viewer would have to suffer through nearly the entire series to get to it and I can't say the effort would be worth the prize.

In all, Up Here is a disappointment. When it comes to getting my TV musical fix, I'm still waiting for season 2 of Schmigadoon.

She sings too?

[purple-mug · 9/10 · 27 March 2023]

Cards on the table. I would happily watch Mae Whitman reading tax returns so I may be a little biased in welcoming this addition to the schedule. Musical rom-coms are, of course, the Marmite of showbiz and this is obviously reflected in the reviews to date. But if you're a fan, you certainly won't be disappointed by the glorious mix of sense and sensibility. There are certainly plenty of points of recognition with the array of competing inner voices that surround those first glimmers of love. As with many musical numbers the words are rather more important than the tunes but, to my mind, that increases the value, especially when performed with such clarity by Whitman and Valdes.

Not at all realistic!

[shantbe · 2/10 · 17 January 2024]

First of all, the I am a Mae Whitman fan but I just don't her in this. First of all, everything happens so fast. She never has to struggle for anything. They just gloss over it so fast. She breaks up with her boyfriend, announces she's going be a writer out nowhere, moves to New York, gets an apartment, a job, a writing class, and a new boyfriend in the blink of an eye. What can't the show take its time and show up the process? And her character is super annoying and whiny. I do like Miguel's character, but the actor is miscast. I just don't believe that he would struggle to get dates, or that Lindsay is the best that he could do. She's frumpy and entitled. I could ignore the frumpiness if she had a better personality. Also, at no time did I believe that it was 1999! 2 stars for Miguel's songs alone.

This club has EVERYTHING!

[akpisano · 9/10 · 29 March 2023]

Seriously, I don't get how anyone can watch this show and not end up loving it. The leads are adorable together, but they're also incredibly screwed up by past traumas that make it hard to drown out the voices in their heads. This isn't a sappy love story; it's a story about two people who want each other so much, but their past keeps holding them back from embracing the future. It paints a realistic picture of dating and falling in love, all while singing upbeat songs with lyrics that are actually pretty dark.

The talent of everyone in this show is off the charts. I find myself even enjoying the a-hole characters because they're SO GOOD. The writing is some of the best I have seen in a long time. And the late-90s cringe fashion is a 10/10. 😂

Give this show a chance. You won't be disappointed!

A Pleasant Surprise

[barrwriting · 9/10 · 26 March 2023]

So I'll admit - I've been a long-time fan of Mae Whitman & Carlos Valdes. Mae is always entertaining, wonderful, and witty. What struck me though, was Carlos - I haven't heard from him since his StarKid days, so I was thrilled (and intrigued!) to see him in something so mainstream. Together, these two make a wonderful blend, and it just feels right. It's corny and cheesy but in the best sort of ways.

I think this would be the perfect show for when you're feeling down and need a little pick-me-up. The plot line is easy to follow, it's formulated like any other romance. However, I found myself incredibly invested. I was on my toes the entire time watching it.

This was easily a sweet little bite, and I am incredibly excited for season 2. As soon as Lindsey had that conversation with Ted, in the final episode, I knew where it was going.

Again, what a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. The songs are fun, the actors are all talented, and this was just a blast. (-:

please don't cancel it please keep it going!!

[kateellengagnon · 8/10 · 11 April 2023]

This show has its flaws, but it really has some catchy songs, overall good choreo, and a compelling and emotional exploration of what it means to trust someone and how our past outlines how we interact with the world, and our past relationships can affect how we behave in new ones. And the character Miguel!! It's so rare to see a man's trauma explored and softness in personality celebrated, without it being played for laughs or only created so a woman can find him attractive. So it's a refreshing addition to television as far as I'm concerned with his character :) and he's so well acted too! There are some weak lyrics (but also some great ones), the lead woman feels written a bit weaker than her counterpart (the aforementioned Miguel), and some of the choreo feels like it wasn't altered for television and would play better on a stage; but it's still solid performances all around. If you like musicals, I think you'll like this. Watch it just for Miguel, I swear!!

Made my millennial theatre heart happy

[mrsbrandynchoate · 8/10 · 2 April 2023]

Great chemistry between the main characters. The "voices" are my favorite supporting characters. All of them are fantastic. The music fits the time period and the costumes as well. The set changes during the songs are very well orchestrated. The singing is really good, however I do feel as though sometimes the music is so loud it drowns out the voices. With the world so heavy, I enjoy how light and comical this show is. Don't get be mistaken it does have some drama but it's not so heavy it takes a week to recover. If you are a theatre lover with a sense of humor, I think you'll really enjoy this show.

Adorable, Fun with Great Leads Who Have Amazing Chemistry

[kapthewriter · 9/10 · 26 March 2023]

This is such a fun show and both leads (Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes) are terrific...Especially together. The music is a surprisingly beneficial addition to the premise of the show - characters stuck in their own minds. There are many comedic moments that could be overly cheesy if the cast wasn't spot-on. As it is, I wouldn't be disappointed if plot and musical numbers were given more intricacies and weight in the next season, but regardless, I believe this show will find itself beloved by many if given the chance. It is the perfect cocktail of funny characters, a romance to root for and backstory in which to be interested. The writers need to lean into their two leads - their chemistry as well as their ability to handle serious and comedic acting. Also, just keep sprinkling in the randomness. Freaking loved the rats scene! It was terrible yet hilarious and Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes made it work.

Give it a chance!

[mariagabrielaf-28446 · 10/10 · 15 April 2023]

It's a musical rom com so you know what you're getting into already. But the leads have an amazing chemistry together and the entire cast is really talented. I think if this was a movie, without the musical numbers, it would be kinda boring so this is an instance where the songs really make this show shine. The songs are actually good and also funny, not overly corny. I've seen musical rom coms but the songs are always so serious, this one makes you laugh all the way through which i didn't expect. I'm really excited to see what's next, i hope this wonderful show can go on for another season :)

Love it!

[laurasfinn1 · 10/10 · 20 April 2023]

I had just finished binge watching Good Girls and was looking for my next movie/series. I noted that Mae Whitman from Good Girls was also in Up Here and that it was a musical series. Ms. Whitman is so unbelievably talented and has quite a voice! Carlos Vasquez is also wonderful as is the entire cast. The concept of the series is very unique. I won't give it away but let's just say it's very enjoyable. As far as the music is concerned, it's not like the cast breaks out in song every 5 minutes. It's interspersed in the episodes just enough to be relevant and entertaining. I so enjoyed the music that I purchased the soundtrack. I would love it if the entire theme song was recorded with just the 2 main characters whose harmonies are fantastic!

Excellent show, watched all 8 episodes

[jingostard · 10/10 · 13 April 2023]

I hope that they will come out with more episodes (or maybe that would be another season?) because I really enjoyed it. Yes, it does make me wonder how they can keep this plot style going for a long show but so far I've enjoyed it! There were some cool musical numbers too, like "So Many Ways", "The Quest", "Please Like Me", "The Truth Is", etc. I also thought there were some interesting twists. I watch a lot of TV shows and I created an IMDb account just to review this one because I was surprised by the negative reviews. I think it's a really good idea for a show because our warped perceptions (based on how we see the world from how we grew up and what we experienced) of others and their intentions can cause a lot of problems in any kind of relationship.

Sad to see it go... But it was amazing!

[luhgeeky · 10/10 · 30 July 2023]

I loved this show, the music, the characters, especially the actors. I watched this because of Carlos Valdes. I started to get into his projects and what he's done, especially The Flash.

This show turned out to be excellent in general. Mae Whitman did a really good job as for the other actors and actresses too. I hate to see this show be canceled especially after being left on a mild cliffhanger.

(SPOILER AHEAD) As we saw in the last episode, Lindsay started to experience pregnancy symptoms, it's not stated directly that she is but they both realize what is happening as all their voices start to freak out about having a kid.

I am in between being left to think if it was exceptional to end it there or see a second season where they do have a child.

Unfortunately, I did kind of think it was inevitable was going to be canceled especially after a lot of actors, actresses, and writers have been on strike.

Again, I loved the show. Really enjoyed what we viewers got to see and maybe in the future... I really doubt it will happen though. I hope this show gets renewed for a second season. If not I would love to see Carlos Valdes get picked up for another project where he is another main character, Imo I just think he did a fantastic job. The same goes for everyone else who worked on the show.

Easy funny show for mature audiences, the songs work

[hollyeshepherd11 · 9/10 · 13 July 2023]

It's not perfect, but having seen many of the actors in other shows, especially Carlos (Flash) and Mae (Parenthood, Good Girls), they are doing a great job. There is something compelling about Carlos as an actor. Seeing Mae in a role that she gets to be happy in is a nice change from her snarky roles in the past. Impressive musical range from both of them. The comedy and irony is very funny, with some seriousness and romance thrown in. The main "real" characters seem complicated enough and the weird inner voices are hilarious while illustrating what is happening with the characters. I will say that I just watched the fourth episode and the last musical number was almost too much. The back and forth of the characters could get tedious if it goes on too long.