In the imaginative steampunk web series Progress, the year is 1888, and the web is all the latest rage.

In this alternate 19th century England, information flows freely through a steam-powered internet.

To the consternation of many, every citizen of the crown has access to this new-fangled form of communication.

Everyone including a ghastly serial killer terrorizing the Whitechapel district of London.

In the premiere episode, you are introduced to Oscar Lerwill (Ben Whalen), a bored hacker seeking to pass the time by visiting the seedier parts of the web.

After an aborted encounter with Lila (Rebecca Lynch), a pay-per-view exotic performer, Oscar stumbles upon a disturbing file apparently uploaded to the internet by Jack the Ripper himself.

The siren song of a dark mystery is calling out to Oscar. Will he solve the enigma of the Ripper, or be consumed by it?

Written by Armando Saldanamora and directed/produced by Nicole Wright, Progress promises to be an engrossing thrill ride.

The series' unique premise is brought to life by means of exceptional production values including:

gorgeous set, costume, and prop designs
period dialogue delivered masterfully by the capable cast
sensational cinematography (make sure to watch the series in HD if at all possible!)
a creepy mystery involving one of the most notorious serial killers of all time
witty spoofs of popular tech and current staples of internet culture

Travel back in time to a Victorian England that-could-have-been by watching the entire first episode here:

Progress is a web series in 10 parts. All future episodes will be available on its YouTube channel: ProgressTheSeriesOnYouTube.

The world of Progress is dark, rich, and enthralling - I can't wait for my next trip back.

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