ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that four thematic rubrics are apparent in cyberpunk television: (1) concerns about the effects of immersion in virtual reality on the subconscious, exemplified in V.R.5 and Wild Palms; (2) reflections on surveillance society and the blurring of material and mediated spaces, explored in series such as Max Headroom and Black Mirror; (3) interrogations of posthuman subjectivity, particularly the blurring of embodiment and mechanicity, apparent in Altered Carbon; and (4) portrayals of the economic consequences of neoliberalism and financialization, exemplified by Mr. Robot. Overall, this chapter argues that cyberpunk series are premised on questions of medium and representation, often imagining the shifts brought about by television itself through narratives that extend into new kinds of entertainment media made possible by digital technologies. There is thus often a metatextual quality to cyberpunk television, evident in such series’ concern with the future of television itself. The chapter proceeds roughly chronologically, providing an overview of most relevant titles, and concludes that the final category, narratives about economics, suggests that this topic is ultimately much more central to cyberpunk’s critical legacy than images of computer mediation and hacking that are perhaps most frequently associated with the label.
