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Ann Droid the TV show - somewhere to chat about it

Phased
HI all
What really stood out to me about the recent BBC TV comedy series Ann Droid is how much the robot character feels like an accidental metaphor for the autistic experience. Watching a character try to navigate the world by logically analyzing social rules, copying behaviors to fit in, and managing literal interpretations of language feels very familiar. And I admit I found that a little unsettling.
Underneath all, I experienced it as it's a really sharp social commentary about how growing old has become in our society.  Massive gaps in social support and the way techno fixes are being looked to to patch over an overstretched social care.  Also how family and informal social care networks are overstretched too for supporting their loved ones.
I am maybe overdoing my analysis, but I'd suggest that it manages to be a profound, dark critique of modern social isolation whilst still managing to maintain its warmth as a light comedy.
And in my opinion less "cringemaking" than some of Dianne Morgan's other work...
Oh and it made me laugh too!
thoughts and discussion good people?

  • I agree that Ann Droid made excellent social points about lack of care services which will worsen in the future, the dangers and positives of AI taking on this role and perhaps even performing care better than humans. It was also about relationships and what is perceived as 'duty' - is it a 'duty' to care for an elder family member or easier to palm it off on a machine on the grounds of '24 hour care'. Do some cynically perform duties in order to benefit from the old person's estate, not caring about the person. Will love become another cynical term for gratuitous sex, with some not bothering about old forms of dating and using robots in lieu of partners. Should kids be told the truth about the dangers posed by unlimited use of AI and the despoiling of the planet, or should it be sugar- coated, leaving them vulnerable through lack of knowledge from an early age.

    And yes, Ann Droid or Linda did appear to be a portrayal of autism, though it did not worry me. I found myself laughing at some of the faux pas I have made, misunderstanding situations, trying to be over-helpful and also being truthful when that was not wanted. 

    As a comedy it was brilliant and very well acted. I did find Diane's Philomena Cunk annoying at times, but the reaction of some of the experts was priceless so I would watch these again. As Ann Droid, Diane's deadpan face and mechanical movements were sustained really well and must have been very difficult to perform. I was not so keen on the son/daughter in law roles. I hope they commission another series!

  • I enjoyed it too, though as you point it was both funny and sad. 

    Sad bits included the way robots were treated, (I do like to say thank you to our Alexa as I feel it's an erosion of good manners not to), and the fact that care was being passed on to robots. 

    Good bits were the straight forward humour of the robots, (you might be right about the autistic comparison), and having a robot to talk to looked so much easier than regular socialising.