High Maintenance

Last updated

High Maintenance
High Maintenance titlecard.png
Web series title card
Genre
Created by
StarringBen Sinclair
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6 (Vimeo)
4 (HBO)
No. of episodes19 (Vimeo)
34 (HBO) (list of episodes)
Production
Production companyJanky Clown Productions
Original release
Network Vimeo (2012–15)
HBO (2016–20)
ReleaseNovember 9, 2012 (2012-11-09) –
April 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)

High Maintenance is an American anthology comedy-drama television and web series created by ex-husband and wife team Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld. [1] [2] [3] The show follows The Guy, a cannabis courier (played by Sinclair), as he delivers his product to clients in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. [4] Each episode focuses on different characters as their lives intersect with The Guy. [5] The full series consists of six web series followed by four television seasons, released from November 2012 to April 2020.

Contents

High Maintenance originally premiered as a web series on Vimeo on November 11, 2012, and began airing as a television series on HBO on September 16, 2016. The show's second HBO season premiered on January 19, 2018, and its third on January 20, 2019. HBO renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on February 7, 2020. [6] [7] On January 14, 2021, it was confirmed that the series would not return for a fifth season. [8]

High Maintenance has received critical acclaim for its portrayals of boredom, loneliness, and the human condition. [9] First season episodes "Meth(od)" and "Grandpa" both placed on numerous year-end lists in 2016, [10] [11] while second season episode "Globo" was ranked as one of the best episodes of 2018 by sources such as Time and Variety . [12] [13]

Structure

Largely lacking serial plotlines, the show consists of vignettes in the lives of various New Yorkers as they come into direct or indirect contact with The Guy. The web series was shot throughout various neighborhoods in Brooklyn and occasionally Manhattan, and its episodes range from 5 to 20 minutes in length. [14] "Freed of the constraints of thirty-minute or one-hour formulas, the episodes are luxurious and twisty and humane, radiating new ideas about storytelling," wrote television critic Emily Nussbaum in an article for The New Yorker. [15]

When the series moved to HBO, its episodes expanded to the half-hour format. The television version continued the practice of on-location photography.

Episodes

Web series

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
1 3November 9, 2012 (2012-11-09) Vimeo
2 4January 17, 2013 (2013-01-17)February 20, 2013 (2013-02-20)
3 3 April 20, 2013
4 3November 28, 2013 (2013-11-28)March 28, 2014 (2014-03-28)
5 3November 11, 2014 (2014-11-11)
6 3February 5, 2015 (2015-02-05)

Television series

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1 6September 16, 2016October 21, 2016 HBO
2 10January 19, 2018March 23, 2018
3 9January 20, 2019March 17, 2019
4 9February 7, 2020April 3, 2020

Production

Sinclair said that the TV shows Six Feet Under and Party Down were inspirations for the web series. [16]

The talent pool in New York City is rich—and familiar to Blichfeld (who is an Emmy Award-winning casting director of 30 Rock ). [17] Each episode cost less than $1,000 to make. [18]

In June 2014, Vimeo announced that the website would provide financial backing for upcoming episodes [15] of original programming via their Vimeo on Demand platform. [19] [20]

Vimeo funded six episodes of High Maintenance before the series was picked up by HBO. [21] Three episodes were released November 11, 2014, and the remaining three on February 5, 2015.

Critical response

Critical response has been positive. [5] [22] [23] [24] [25] The actor Dan Stevens, who appeared on the show, calls it "a brilliant collection of succinct character portraits from a cross-section of New York society." [26] Jenji Kohan said that High Maintenance was one of her favorite recent discoveries, calling the episodes little jewels, "beautiful glimpses into people's lives," "really well crafted," "delicious." [27]

The Guy often interacts with members of the Jewish community in the areas of New York that he services, and he himself is Jewish. This aspect of the series has been noted approvingly by Jewish reviewers for its representation of contemporary Jewish life. [28] [29] Ethnic diversity in the show as it moved from web series to an HBO series has also been noted. [30]

Notable cast

Related Research Articles

<i>Sex and the City</i> American TV series

Sex and the City is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United States on June 6, 1998. They concluded on February 22, 2004, with 94 episodes broadcast over six seasons. Throughout its development, the series received contributions from various producers, screenwriters, and directors, principally Michael Patrick King.

<i>Family Guy</i> American animated sitcom

Family Guy is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois, their children, Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic pet dog, Brian. Set in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island, the show exhibits much of its humor in the form of metafictional cutaway gags that often lampoon American culture.

<i>Weeds</i> (TV series) American dark comedy-drama television series

Weeds is an American dark comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan, which aired on Showtime from August 8, 2005, to September 16, 2012. The series tells of Nancy Botwin, a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family. Other main characters include Nancy's lax brother-in-law ; foolish accountant Doug Wilson ; narcissistic neighbor Celia Hodes living with her husband and their daughter ; as well as Nancy's wholesalers Heylia James and Conrad Shepard. Over the course of the series, the Botwin family becomes increasingly entangled in illegal activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Meloni</span> American actor (born 1961)

Christopher Peter Meloni is an American actor. He is best known for playing NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and its spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021–present), for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2006. He also played inmate Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama Oz (1998–2003) and starred in and executive produced the Syfy series Happy! (2017–2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Espenson</span> American television writer and producer

Jane Espenson is an American television writer and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Murphy (producer)</span> American television writer and producer (born 1965)

Ryan Patrick Murphy is an American television writer, director, and producer. He has created and produced a number of television series including Nip/Tuck (2003–2010), Glee (2009–2015), American Horror Story (2011–present), American Crime Story (2016–present), Pose (2018–2021), 9-1-1 (2018–present), 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020–present), Ratched (2020), American Horror Stories (2021–present), and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenji Kohan</span> American television writer, producer, and director

Jenji Leslie Kohan is an American television writer and producer. She is best known as the creator and showrunner of the Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds and the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. She has received nine Emmy Award nominations, winning one as supervising producer of the comedy series Tracey Takes On....

<i>Sex and the City</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of Sex and the City, an American television romantic comedy-drama, aired in the United States on HBO from June 6 to August 23, 1998. Based on the eponymous book written by Candace Bushnell, the series was created by Darren Star and produced by Darren Star Productions, HBO Original Programming, and Warner Bros. Television. Star, Barry Josen and Michael Patrick King served as the series' executive producers. The show follows the relationships and sexual escapades of Carrie Bradshaw, a sex columnist for the fictional New York Star, and her friends Samantha Jones, Charlotte York and Miranda Hobbes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Woods</span> American actor

Zach Woods is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as a series regular for three seasons as Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom The Office, as Jared Dunn on the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley, as Zach Harper on the USA Network sitcom Playing House, and as Matt Spencer on the HBO comedy show Avenue 5. He also recurred on the HBO series Veep as Ed Webster, and starred as Silicon Valley billionaire Edgar D. Minnows in the Apple TV+ murder mystery series The Afterparty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Molony</span> Irish actor

Damien Molony is an Irish actor. He is best known for his television roles as Hal Yorke in BBC Three's Being Human, DC Albert Flight in the BBC's Ripper Street, DS Jack Weston in Channel 5's Suspects, Jon in Channel 4's GameFace and Dylan in Sky One Original comedy Brassic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Shaw</span> American actress, writer and director (born 1981)

Rachel Frances Shaw is an American actress, writer and director. She is best known for playing Bridgette Bird on the Showtime series SMILF, based on the 2015 short film of the same title, which she wrote, directed and starred in. Shaw is also known for playing Mary Jo Cacciatore on the 2010–2011 Spike TV series Blue Mountain State, and her recurring role as Shayla Nico in the first season of the USA Network television series Mr. Robot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Zebrowski</span> American actor, comedian

Henry Thomas Zebrowski Jr. is an American actor, podcast host, and comedian, known for his work on the Adult Swim series Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, the NBC series Heroes Reborn, and the podcast The Last Podcast on the Left. He also starred in an episode of Netflix Presents: The Characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Jenkins</span> American actor and writer

Max Jenkins is an American actor and writer. He starred as Max Carnegie in NBC's comedy-drama detective series The Mysteries of Laura. He is also known for his appearances in the HBO web series High Maintenance.

Michael Cyril Creighton is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Howard Morris in Only Murders in the Building, Patrick in High Maintenance, Joe Crowley in Spotlight, and his Writers Guild of America Award-winning web series Jack in a Box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Richardson (actor)</span> American actor, comedian, writer, and producer

Sam Richardson is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing Richard Splett in the HBO political comedy series Veep (2012–19), co-creating and co-starring in the Comedy Central comedy series Detroiters (2017–18) alongside Tim Robinson, and for playing various characters in the Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present), Aniq Adjaye in the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty (2022–23), and Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the Max series Velma (2023–present). In 2022 and 2023, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Edwin Akufo in Ted Lasso, winning the 2023 award in this category.

Katja Blichfeld is an American writer, director, producer and casting director. She is known for co-creating and directing High Maintenance, a Vimeo web series and HBO television series. She won a Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Casting on a Comedy Series for her work on 30 Rock.

Ben Sinclair is an American actor, writer, director, and producer.

Brian Jordan Alvarez is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his original songs, recurring roles as Estéfan in Will and Grace (2018–2020) and Wesley in Jane the Virgin (2015–2016), as well as for his own self-produced films and series, most notably his 2016 web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo.

<i>The Prince</i> (TV series) American animated sitcom TV series

The Prince is an American animated sitcom created by Gary Janetti for HBO Max. Originally slated for a late spring 2021 date, HBO Max announced on May 9, 2021, that the series would be delayed due to Prince Philip's death in April 2021. The series premiered on July 29, 2021. In February 2022, HBO Max cancelled the series after one season.

Teenage Bounty Hunters is an American teen comedy drama television series created by Kathleen Jordan for Netflix which was released on August 14, 2020. In October 2020, the series was canceled after one season. Blake McCormick and Jenji Kohan are executive producers, along with Tara Herrmann and Robert Sudduth serving as showrunner.

References

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Emily (January 15, 2018). "'High Maintenance': An Anthology Show That Really Works". New Yorker. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  2. ↑ Eliscu, Jenny (June 20, 2013). "The Real-Life High Times of 'High Maintenance'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  3. ↑ Davis, Allison P. (November 12, 2014). "The Marriage Behind High Maintenance". New York . Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  4. ↑ Roth, Andrew (January 7, 2014). "Interview: Behind 'High Maintenance' with Creators Ben and Katja". Frank151. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Staskiewicz, Keith (April 10, 2013). "High Maintenance: A-". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ Petski, Denise (March 19, 2019). "'High Maintenance' Renewed For Season 4 By HBO". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ "'High Maintenance' Returns Feb. 7". The Futon Critic. December 3, 2019.
  8. ↑ Petski, Denise (January 14, 2021). "'High Maintenance' Not Returning For Season 5 At HBO". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ "How to Stop Feeling Lonely, According to the Creators of 'High Maintenance'". January 28, 2019.
  10. ↑ "The 25 Best TV Episodes of 2016". December 13, 2016.
  11. ↑ "How High Maintenance Subverts the Gay Man–Straight Woman Relationship". September 22, 2016.
  12. ↑ "The Top 20 TV Episodes of 2018". December 13, 2018.
  13. ↑ "The 10 Best TV Episodes of 2018". December 10, 2018.
  14. ↑ Galloway, Jordan (April 18, 2013). "A Web Series About Weed That Will Have You Rolling". Brooklyn Based. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Nussbaum, Emily (June 9, 2014). "Taster's Choice: "High Maintenance" and "My Mad Fat Diary."". The New Yorker . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  16. ↑ legrandfromage (May 13, 2014). "Knotoryus Interview". Knotoryus. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  17. ↑ Thompson, Elizabeth; Spaner, Whitney (February 4, 2014). "High Maintenance: The Pot Dealer Re-Thought". Paper Magazine . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  18. ↑ Christian, Aymar Jean (December 19, 2013). "Critic's Picks: 2013's Best Comedy Web Series, and 18 More You Need to Watch Now". Indiewire . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  19. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (May 29, 2014). "Vimeo Finances Web Series 'High Maintenance'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  20. ↑ Spangler, Todd (May 29, 2014). "Vimeo Invests in First Original Series, Comedy 'High Maintenance'". Variety . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  21. ↑ Salovaara, Sarah (May 29, 2014). "Vimeo Launches Original Programming with High Maintenance Web Series". Filmmaker Magazine . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  22. ↑ Battan, Carrie (May 1, 2014). "In Search of the Next 'Broad City': Five Comedy Web Series That Could Make It to TV". Grantland . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  23. ↑ Peele, Anna (March 31, 2014). "What to Watch Until 'Louie' Comes Back". Esquire . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  24. ↑ Syme, Rachel (September 9, 2013). "Why Web TV Series Are Worth Watching". The New Yorker . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  25. ↑ Corley, Matt (May 14, 2014). "The dopey brilliance of High Maintenance isn't just for stoners". The A.V. Club . The Onion, Inc. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  26. ↑ Stevens, Dan (April 30, 2013). "Dan Stevens on the comforts of comedy in our darkest hours". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  27. ↑ Wilson, Stacey; Rose, Lacey (June 4, 2014). "Comedy Showrunners Roundtable: Chuck Lorre, Jenji Kohan, Mike Judge on Ejaculation Shots, Awful Pitch Meetings and Salary Negotiations". The Hollywood Reporter . at 54:00 mark. Retrieved June 9, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  28. ↑ Tolsky, Molly (April 6, 2020). "Just in Time for Passover, 'High Maintenance' Gives Us the Perfect Hanukkah Special". Hey Alma. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  29. ↑ Reiter, Eli (February 15, 2018). "Finally, A TV Show Shows How Journalists Mistreat The Ex-Orthodox". Forward. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  30. ↑ Glinter, Ezra (September 15, 2016). "'High Maintenance' Is an Elegy for a Dying Profession". Forward. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  31. ↑ Hauser, Micah (May 19, 2014). "Smoking with Strangers: The comic intimacy of 'High Maintenance'". Los Angeles Review of Books . Retrieved June 9, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.