TV Pick of the Week: Humans

The arrival of android housekeeper Anita (Gemma Chan) divides Humans’ Hawkins’ family, with youngest daughter Sophie (Pixie Davies) her biggest fan.

Humans

Tuesday, 8.30pm

TV3

The question of what makes us human, and if we can replicate those qualities, is an idea we love to play with, especially in an age when artificial intelligence and humanoid robots are becoming increasingly more viable.

There is a strong cannon of films that explore and add to this discussion – especially around the notion of machines evolving “souls” or consciousness outside their programming and what this would mean for people. Think Blade Runner, A.I and more recently Ex Machina.

Now that rich and exciting thought experiment will be explored in a serialised sci-fi television show called Humans . Set in a “parallel present” where android robots – or synths – are commonplace, checking tickets at the tube station, taking your blood pressure or working as maid in your home.

This is the beauty of the show – it’s domesticity – it’s normalness – the perfect platform for exploring complex ideas. But of course, in this good-looking thriller there is also the thrilling – some of the synths, it appears, have become more than machines.

 – Stuff