The High Life
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Filmed in New York by Worldwide Pants Inc. for HBO Original Programming. Executive producers, David Letterman, Robert Morton, Adam Resnick; producer, Denis Biggs; directed by Peter Lauer; written by Resnick; director of photography, Michael Trim; production designer, Akira Yoshimura.
Cast: Mark Wilson, Robert Joy, Betsy Aidem, Ernie Grunwald, Duke Moosekian, Steve Mellor. A production of David Lettermans Worldwide Pants, The High Life will follow HBOs popular Larry Sanders Show, though probably not for long. Stylishly shot in black-and-white, the show is set in Pittsburgh in the 50s. Its as phony as the Wonder Bread sitcoms Father Knows Best,Leave It to Beaver that it means to turn on their ears. Doughy Mark Wilson and dour Robert Joy play Earl and Emmett, partners in a failing warehouse. Earls forever scheming to get rich quick and being suckered into any dumb scheme that comes along. Emmett is more pragmatic, which makes his continued willingness to play Andy to Earls Kingfish something of a puzzlement. In the first episode, for example, Earl rents out the warehouse to a stranger who uses the space for a Klan rally. They end up joining in just to speed things along so the sheeted ones and their Nazi paraphernalia will be removed before a black friend and his minister come along. Isnt that a riot? Next, Earl buys a load of fake Daniel Boone caps, only to find them difficult to unload.
By this time, you realize Earl and Emmett will never get rich; worse, theyll never get funny, either. The blue language in Adam Resnicks scripts Nobody appreciates church folk moren me, Earl says, I pray my ass off every damn night is as unlikely as the social commentary Fascists make communists look like the June Taylor dancers, Emmett notes. Former Letterman aide de camp Robert Morton, billed as an executive producer in the premiere, was gone by episode two. Me, too. Jeremy GerardCast: Mark Wilson, Robert Joy, Betsy Aidem, Ernie Grunwald, Duke Moosekian, Steve Mellor. A production of David Lettermans Worldwide Pants, The High Life will follow HBOs popular Larry Sanders Show, though probably not for long. Stylishly shot in black-and-white, the show is set in Pittsburgh in the 50s. Its as phony as the Wonder Bread sitcoms Father Knows Best,Leave It to Beaver that it means to turn on their ears. Doughy Mark Wilson and dour Robert Joy play Earl and Emmett, partners in a failing warehouse. Earls forever scheming to get rich quick and being suckered into any dumb scheme that comes along. Emmett is more pragmatic, which makes his continued willingness to play Andy to Earls Kingfish something of a puzzlement. In the first episode, for example, Earl rents out the warehouse to a stranger who uses the space for a Klan rally. They end up joining in just to speed things along so the sheeted ones and their Nazi paraphernalia will be removed before a black friend and his minister come along. Isnt that a riot? Next, Earl buys a load of fake Daniel Boone caps, only to find them difficult to unload.
Music, John Colby; casting, Bernard Telsey Casting. 30 MIN.
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