BigShinyThing

The ’90s TV mini-series that saw it all coming.

WildPalms_1.jpgWhat with all this wanging on about Second Life we think the time is absolutely right for a cyberpunk revival. Back in 1993 Bruce Wagner and Oliver Stone (of all people) saw the future. And it had Angie Dickinson in it.

Featuring an all-star cast and movie-size budget, Wild Palms was a fantastically silly mini-series about a virtual reality TV show which was really a syphon for an evil cult. Crack cocaine, avatars, cyber-sex, Scientology — it’s all there referenced in some form or another. Good old Genesis P Orridge — who has also just re-emerged — as a s/he — was hired as a consultant on the series and cyberpunk overlord William Gibson makes a cameo. If you just can’t get your head around why people love Second Lifeing so much have a crack at watching Wild Palms. It might explain a few things. Or not.

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