"The High Life" (1994) TV series 1994-1995

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

2 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | Flight Attendant

Cast

Alan Cumming	...	Sebastian Flight (6 episodes, 1995)
Forbes Masson	...	Steve McCracken (6 episodes, 1995)
Siobhan Redmond	...	Shona Spurtle (6 episodes, 1995)
Patrick Ryecart	...	Captain Hilary Duff (6 episodes, 1995)

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In the title sequence, Alan Cumming [Sebastien Flyte] does an incorrect dance move. Whereas the rest of the stewards leap with their arms up, Cumming performs a move which is a throwback to his days in Cabaret in London's West End - a Nazi salute with two fingers of his other hand forming a 'moustache'.

Quotes:

Sebastian: Hello Ms Spurtle, how's your arse for love bites?
Shona: Fine thankye, how's ye ear for dermatitis?

Fabulously camp and utterly brilliant

I count myself extremely fortunate to have first seen Alan Cumming on stage in 1987 or there abouts. He was playing the shepherd in "As You Like It". Hardly a major role but he completely stole the show and had my friends and I frantically flicking through our programmes to find out who the wonderful young actor playing the shepherd was. Since then I've always looked out for him and have yet to be disappointed in any role he's played.

"The High Life" is a cute, original and extremely funny comedy with wonderful performances from the three central actors and it's a huge shame that it was allowed to sink without trace due to very poor promotion by the BBC. It was broadcast on a weekday evening in what used to be the notoriously difficult 9pm slot on BBC2. I can recall nothing more than a couple of brief trailers and a little piece in the Radio Times and it was as if the powers that be just didn't care wether is succeeded or failed. These days we have the likes of the appallingly bad "My Hero" being shown early on a Friday evening on BBC1 and then repeated on a Sunday afternoon, while something as well written and acted, clever and original as "The High Life" was allowed to sink without trace.

I don't suppose Auntie Beeb would ever go to the trouble of producing a video, or better still, a DVD, but they could at least repeat this glorious one-off. That way, the few of us who loved it first time 'round could tape it and watch it over and over, and those who never got a chance to see it will finally know what the rest of us are harping on about.