| High Desert | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Jay Roach |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Jeff Russo |
| Opening theme | "Talkin' to Myself" by Sarah Shook & The Disarmers |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | May 17 – June 21, 2023 |
High Desert is an American comedy television series created and written by Nancy Fichman, Katie Ford and Jennifer Hoppe-House that premiered on Apple TV+ on May 17, 2023. In July 2023, the series was cancelled after one season.[1]
The series follows Peggy (Patricia Arquette), an addict, who decides to make a fresh start after the death of her beloved mother with whom she lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California. She makes a life-changing decision to become a private investigator.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pain Management" | Jay Roach | Story by : Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe Teleplay by : Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford | May 17, 2023 |
| 2 | "Two Knockers and No Boyfriend = A Felony" | Jay Roach | Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe | May 17, 2023 |
| 3 | "I'm Getting Close to This Guru Bastard" | Jay Roach | Jennifer Hoppe | May 17, 2023 |
| 4 | "Get Judy off the Bed" | Jay Roach | Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe | May 24, 2023 |
| 5 | "Soul Retrieval" | Jay Roach | Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe | May 31, 2023 |
| 6 | "A Nod Is Not a Hello" | Jay Roach | Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe | June 7, 2023 |
| 7 | "This Doesn't Have to Be a Tragedy" | Jay Roach | Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe | June 14, 2023 |
| 8 | "I Need a Hero" | Jay Roach | Nancy Fichman & Katie Ford & Jennifer Hoppe | June 21, 2023 |
The series, created by Nancy Fichman, Katie Ford and Jennifer Hoppe-House, was given a greenlight in September 2020 by Apple TV+, with Patricia Arquette set to star in the series as well as executive produce along with Ben Stiller, who was set to direct the first episode.[2]
In November 2021, Matt Dillon, Rupert Friend, Weruche Opia and Brad Garrett were added to the main cast of the series, with Bernadette Peters and Christine Taylor cast in recurring roles. Stiller would no longer be directing the first episode, as Jay Roach had joined the series to direct all eight episodes.[3]
Filming began by November 2021 in Long Beach, California.[4] The show depicts a fictionalized Pioneertown, California shot on set with outdoor footage taken at Sable Ranch, as the actual town is an unincorporated landmark with separate private owners.[5][6]
High Desert premiered on May 17, 2023, with the first three episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis.[7]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 70% approval rating with an average rating of 5.90/10, based on 27 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "High Desert is so deliberately odd and scattershot that viewers may begin to suspect they're being bamboozled, but Patricia Arquette's whirlwind performance will be enough for many to just sit back and enjoy the ride."[8] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 17 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]
