High Maintenance Explained

Image Alt:The words "High Maintenance" in plain white text on a green background
Genre:
Starring:Ben Sinclair
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:6 (Vimeo)
4 (HBO)
Num Episodes:19 (Vimeo)
34 (HBO)
List Episodes:List of High Maintenance episodes
Company:Janky Clown Productions
Channel:Vimeo (2012–15)
HBO (2016–20)

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.

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

See main article: List of High Maintenance episodes.

Production

Sinclair said that the TV shows Six Feet Under and Party Down were inspirations for the web series.[16] Each episode cost less than $1,000 to make.[17]

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.[18] [19] Vimeo funded six episodes of High Maintenance before the series was picked up by HBO.[20] Three episodes were released November 11, 2014, and the remaining three on February 5, 2015.

Critical response

Critical response has been positive.[5] [21] [22] [23] [24] 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."[25] 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."[26]

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.[27] [28] Ethnic diversity in the show as it moved from web series to an HBO series has also been noted.[29]

Notable cast

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'High Maintenance': An Anthology Show That Really Works . Nussbaum. Emily. New Yorker . January 15, 2018 . 2020-02-25.
  2. Web site: Eliscu. Jenny. The Real-Life High Times of 'High Maintenance'. Rolling Stone. June 20, 2013. June 9, 2014.
  3. News: Davis. Allison P.. The Marriage Behind High Maintenance. New York. November 12, 2014. November 12, 2014.
  4. Web site: Roth. Andrew. Interview: Behind 'High Maintenance' with Creators Ben and Katja. Frank151. January 7, 2014. June 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714200056/http://www.frank151.com/news/interview-behind-high-maintenance-with-creators-ben-and-katj.html. July 14, 2014. dead.
  5. Staskiewicz. Keith. High Maintenance: A-. Entertainment Weekly. April 10, 2013. June 9, 2014.
  6. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'High Maintenance' Renewed For Season 4 By HBO. Deadline Hollywood. March 19, 2019. March 19, 2019.
  7. Web site: 'High Maintenance' Returns Feb. 7. . December 3, 2019.
  8. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'High Maintenance' Not Returning For Season 5 At HBO. Deadline Hollywood. January 14, 2021. January 14, 2021.
  9. Web site: How to Stop Feeling Lonely, According to the Creators of 'High Maintenance'. January 28, 2019 .
  10. Web site: The 25 Best TV Episodes of 2016. December 13, 2016.
  11. Web site: How High Maintenance Subverts the Gay Man–Straight Woman Relationship. September 22, 2016 .
  12. Web site: The Top 20 TV Episodes of 2018. December 13, 2018.
  13. Web site: The 10 Best TV Episodes of 2018. December 10, 2018 .
  14. Web site: Galloway. Jordan. A Web Series About Weed That Will Have You Rolling. Brooklyn Based. April 18, 2013. June 9, 2014.
  15. Nussbaum. Emily. Taster's Choice: "High Maintenance" and "My Mad Fat Diary.". The New Yorker. June 9, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  16. Web site: legrandfromage. Knotoryus Interview. Knotoryus. May 13, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  17. Web site: Christian. Aymar Jean. Critic's Picks: 2013's Best Comedy Web Series, and 18 More You Need to Watch Now. Indiewire. December 19, 2013. June 9, 2014.
  18. News: Jarvey. Natalie. Vimeo Finances Web Series 'High Maintenance'. The Hollywood Reporter. May 29, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  19. News: Spangler. Todd. Vimeo Invests in First Original Series, Comedy 'High Maintenance'. Variety. May 29, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  20. Web site: Salovaara. Sarah. Vimeo Launches Original Programming with High Maintenance Web Series . Filmmaker Magazine. June 9, 2014. May 29, 2014.
  21. Web site: Battan. Carrie. In Search of the Next 'Broad City': Five Comedy Web Series That Could Make It to TV. Grantland. May 1, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  22. Web site: Peele. Anna. What to Watch Until 'Louie' Comes Back. Esquire. March 31, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  23. Syme. Rachel. Why Web TV Series Are Worth Watching. The New Yorker. September 9, 2013. June 9, 2014.
  24. Web site: Corley. Matt. The dopey brilliance of High Maintenance isn't just for stoners. The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc.. May 14, 2014. June 9, 2014.
  25. News: Stevens. Dan. Dan Stevens on the comforts of comedy in our darkest hours. The Daily Telegraph. April 30, 2013. June 9, 2014.
  26. Web site: Wilson. Stacey. Rose. Lacey. Comedy Showrunners Roundtable: Chuck Lorre, Jenji Kohan, Mike Judge on Ejaculation Shots, Awful Pitch Meetings and Salary Negotiations. The Hollywood Reporter. June 4, 2014. June 9, 2014. at 54:00 mark.
  27. Web site: Just in Time for Passover, 'High Maintenance' Gives Us the Perfect Hanukkah Special. Tolsky. Molly. 6 April 2020. Hey Alma. 8 April 2020.
  28. Web site: Finally, A TV Show Shows How Journalists Mistreat The Ex-Orthodox. Reiter. Eli. 15 February 2018. Forward. 19 April 2020.
  29. Web site: 'High Maintenance' Is an Elegy for a Dying Profession. Glinter. Ezra. 15 September 2016. Forward. 19 April 2020.
  30. Web site: Hauser. Micah. Smoking with Strangers: The comic intimacy of 'High Maintenance'. Los Angeles Review of Books. May 19, 2014. June 9, 2014.

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