Slave to the algorithm
The Program review
Production company – Rusty Quill
Rating – 
I stumbled across this podcast after a crossover episode with one of my favorite shows of recent times, Modes Of Thought In Anterran Literature. It turns out that it made a very interesting blend, and after a comment on Reddit, it turns out that The Program is rather popular. Intrigued, I subscribed and prepared to enter the world of The Program, unsure of what was in store.
So what’s it about?
The Program is what I guess you would call “speculative fiction”. It’s set in a very believable future, where money, class, and creativity are rendered obsolete by “The Program”. The blurb on the website sets the scene nicely “The Program audio series is a sci-fi anthology podcast set in a future in which Money, State, and God became fused into a single entity called the Program. Each episode is a standalone story focusing on ordinary people inhabiting this extraordinary world. And for them, it is not this future that is terrifying – it is our present.”
Nobody is too sure where it came from, but it seems that it was spawned from the early 21st Century’s obsession with social media and artificial intelligence. Nobody needs to work any more, because everyone receives “credits” to survive.
The stories, while not “connected” per se, do cover the whole range of human reactions to The Program, and its subsequent “Update”. Snippets of life in the (not too distant future). These stories range from heartbreaking to humorous, but they are always brilliant. And, true to life, there is never a truly happy ending.
Is it any good?
This is a show that rests firmly in the “believable” side of fiction. Shows like the aforementioned “Modes Of Thought”, Forbidden Cassettes: Consummation, and Sparks show that suspension of disbelief is surprisingly easy, and once you leave that world of fiction, you’re not too sure if what you’ve just listened to is true or not.
The voice acting is perfect. The cast are very talented, and are believable throughout. Not in a “professional” way, they just sound like you and me, people whose life has been altered in some way.
Likewise, the world building is impeccable. If ever there was a show that really could be from the future, then this is it. I love all the off hand references to “old” media that the more venerable characters make, only to have them explain them to the protagonist. I feel like that talking to my kids about rotary phones, VHS tapes and cheque books.
I wouldn’t say this is a binge-worthy podcast. It’s a bit too hard going for me to get through more than a couple of episodes at once before my concentration starts lapsing, and this show demands your full attention. Having said that, I do listen every day. I feel like I’m visiting The Matrix, or some strange, dark, Stepford Wives style world.
Final thoughts
One of the problems with trying to imagine the future is that it gets very easy to let your imagination run away with you. Think about all those old TV shows from the 1970s about what life would be like in the year 2000. Some things have obviously changed a lot, but mostly things aren’t that different. This show gets that. That’s why it’s so believable. Nothing is “space age”. There’s a few changes (obviously), but it’s very very relatable, especially in this current political climate.
The main thing I took away from this series is that no matter what the future may bring, somebody will figure a way to try and game the system or cling on to past advantages. Usually to the detriment of many other people.
This show goes back 5 years, and as I write this, I’ve still got 36 episodes to go. Well, 35, because I’ve already heard the crossover episode, but that’s by the by. I recommend you subscribe to this podcast as soon as you can. Particularly if you’re a fan of any of the other podcasts I’ve namedropped here, or shows like Black Mirror.
You can get The Program here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods