Attracting a bunch of mixed reviews, High Desert, the Apple TV series, is a dark comedy based in California. The show has garnered positive reviews on account of the talented lead actor, Patricia Arquette, whose sincerity and love for the character shine through the screen and makes the viewers root for her character regardless of the number of questionable decisions taken by her.
She has previously proven herself in her role as Allison in Medium, her outstanding performance in True Romance as Alabama, and her Oscar-winning performance as Olivia in Boyhood. Peggy in High Desert seems to be in a difficult position due to her difficulty holding a job and potential homelessness if her siblings were to sell off her house in which she cared for her mother. She nonetheless remains enthusiastic and charismatic throughout the show while maintaining impeccable comic timing.
We get to see Patricia Arquette, whose much-awaited second season for the series Severance has been delayed, earnestly playing the role of Peggy in High Desert. Peggy went through a tough time owing to her addiction problem and used to live with her mother in the deserted town of Yucca Valley in California.
Peggy hopes to restart her life after the demise of her beloved mother by becoming a private investigator, which brings about unforeseen challenges for her. These challenges take her on a ride in the world of art counterfeiting, a tanning salon sex club, a dangerous mafia family, terrible boob jobs, a self-proclaimed Guru, and a missing trophy wife. It isn’t exactly witty jokes, but the chemistry of the cast makes for a good laugh in this show.
The show has a talented ensemble cast, including Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond playing the role of Peggy’s private investigator boss, Christine Taylor from The Brady Bunch Movie, who plays the role of Peggy’s sister Dianne, The Flamingo Kid’s Matt Dillon playing the role of Peggy’s imprisoned husband Denny, Werucha Opia from I May Destroy You playing Peggy’s wine addicted best friend Carol, Pride and Prejudice’s Rupert Friend who plays the role of incompetent Guru Bob and the legendary Bernadette Peters playing Peggy’s mother, Roslyn/Ginger. The cast brings in a lot of good reviews while holding the show together and keeps the audience glued to their screen.
Given to us by Jay Roach, the creator of Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers franchise, this show tries to get a hold of many subplots, which can be overwhelming at times, and owing to this, it might get difficult to give due diligence to each storyline especially when the season finale doesn’t satisfy the audience with the answers they had been looking for. The hopes now lay on the second season of the show, which is yet to be announced.
If you have just come out of the world of California and the Old West and miss the dark comedy and remarkable performances by the cast, here is a list that entails similar shows that might interest you!
Schitt’s Creek
The popular series that now streams on Netflix starts off on a similar note to High Deserts, the difference being that, unlike in High Deserts, there are no drugs involved. The filthy rich family of Roses in this show undergoes a huge financial loss after the head of the family, Johny Rose, played by Eugene Levy, gets embezzled by their business manager, due to which all of their possessions and fortune get stripped away from them.
The Rose family, apart from Johny, comprises Moira Rose, a former soap opera actress, and two adult kids, David and Alexis Rose, who are left only with one asset, a town named Schitt’s Creek that was bought by them as a joke. This town serves as a saving grace for them as they find a motel to live in until they get back on their feet. The Roses are in for a ride as they unexpectedly spend a good long time in that town as there seems to be no escape.
Over a span of six seasons that aired from 2015 to 2020, this show gained a massive audience after the release of its third season via Netflix. The show has since gained popularity and a huge social media presence. With an interesting premise, great actors, witty writing, and refreshing comedy, this show became a household name and has now entered the category of critically acclaimed comedy shows.
The actors in this gem of a show range from experienced and well-established ones such as Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, who play the Rose couple, to the relatively new yet remarkable actors such as Dan Levy and Annie Murphy, who play the pampered adult Rose kids along with an ensemble of well-fitting talented cast who add to the vibrance and brilliance of the show.
Over the run of 80 episodes, we see the Rose family, from being stripped of their mansion and other worldly possessions and ending up at a roadside motel to paving their way in this town that they have to reluctantly call their abode. The family of four lives in two rooms of the motel separated by a thin wall, and hence they are forced to be involved in each other’s activities, something which they get better at over the course of the series. They transform from snobby and entitled wealthy people to be motivated and caring people who are involved in the town that seemed to be a nightmare to them, all the while maintaining the unique charisma that makes them a treat to watch.
- Director: Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy
- Genre: Sitcom
- Cast: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, Jennifer Robertson, Emily Hampshire, Tim Rozon, Chris Elliott, Dustin Milligan, Sarah Levy, John Hemphill, Karen Robinson, Rizwan Manji, Robin Duke, Steve Lund, Noah Reid
- Releasing year: 2015
- Where to watch: Netflix
Also read: Schitt’s Creek Review: The Feel-Good Comedy We All Need Right Now.
Poker Face
If the Old West, desert set up, an investigative mystery, eccentric characters, along with an iconic ride are what you are craving about the High Desert, then this Natasha Lyonne starrer show, Poker Face, is a must-watch. Following her fame in the series Russian Doll and Orange Is The New Black, Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale is yet again able to lure the audience in with her captivating performance. Given to us by the creator of Knives Out, Rian Johnson’s character-driven Poker Face follows the infamous case-of-the-week mystery storyline, with each episode dedicated to a case that the investigator and protagonist Charlie solves.
Without spoiling too much, Charlie is on the run to escape her former boss Sterling Frost Sr. and his henchman, Cliff, played by Adrien Brody and Benjamin Bratt, respectively. While on the road, Charlie encounters various mysteries involving murder and homicides, and she investigates these cases to reveal the murder. Here’s the catch, Charlie has the innate ability to detect lies which helped her in the casino where she worked and comes in handy during her rendezvous with the mysterious cases she comes across.
The critically acclaimed series available to watch on Peacock TV has only one season with ten episodes so far, with a second one set to release in the summer of 2024. Hence it is not too late to start watching. The first episode sets the tone of the series and gives us a background about the protagonist, and the following nine episodes pan out with a crime being committed following the involvement of Charlie with the victim’s life and concludes with the reveal of the culprit along with some sort of justice being delivered. All of the episodes are intriguing and fun to watch, but in each of them, Natasha Lyonne steals the show and keeps us wanting more.
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Genre: Murder mystery, Comedy Drama
- Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Benjamin Bratt, Chloë Sevigny, Dascha Polanco, Adrien Brody, Hong Chau and Danielle Macdonald
- Releasing year: 2023
- Where to watch: Peacock
The White Lotus
The first person that came to my mind when I sat down to watch High Desert was Jennifer Coolidge, who plays Tanya in The White Lotus. From the way, Peggy dressed in her house during the Thanksgiving party to the way the two characters talk, their pacing down to their mannerisms and aura, everything about Peggy reminded me of Tanya from The White Lotus.
To explain the premise, the show is based on the resort chain named White Lotus, attracting wealthy people on vacation and unleashing their lives’ miseries while maintaining they are entitled and oblivious personas. The first season is set in Hawaii, while the second season is shot in Sicily. The show is essentially a black comedy-drama anthology that originally set out to be a limited six-part series but got renewed owing to its popularity and huge success.
Each season consists of an ensemble of a talented cast, including Sydney Sweeney playing Olivia, Molly Shannon as Kitty, Alexandra Daddario who plays Rachel, Jennifer Coolidge playing Tanya, Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, Connie Britton playing Nicole, and Lukas Cage as Dillon among others in the first season. The second season consists of Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller, Meghan Fahy as Daphne, Sabrina Impacciatore who plays Valentina, Theo James as Cameron, Tom Hollander as Quentin, and Tanya and Greg played Jon Gries being the common link between the two seasons.
The characters try to portray an image that deceives the reality of their twisted and dysfunctional lives, and in both seasons, we see the build-up of a nice vacation to an unforgettable experience for both the staff as well as the vacationers. With the first season exploring money and the second season highlighting sex, the third season is set to focus on spirituality and ego, along with some exploration of Eastern religion.
- Director: Mike White
- Genre: Anthology, black comedy, drama
- Cast: Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Sydney Sweeney, Alexandra Daddario, Haley Lu Richardson, Murray Bartlett, and Lorenzo Maraviglia.
- Releasing year: 2021
- Where to watch: HBO
Mom
This American comedy-drama series that received praise throughout its eight-season runtime is set in Nappa Valley in California and is about a mother-daughter duo who were estranged for the longest time and dealt with addiction problems. In order to get a hold of their dysfunctional lives, both of them decide to be together, trying to mend their relationship and stay away from their addiction by attending Alcoholics Anonymous, where they find a group of friends who help them in their journey.
On a path to amend their previous mistakes, the mother-daughter duo played by Allison Janney as Bonnie, the mother, and Anna Faris as Christy, the daughter, realize that their journey to becoming a better version of themselves is way more challenging and not always in the upward direction. They get beat a lot of times but help each other up with the help of the friends they make at the Alcoholics Anonymous group.
The show focuses on Christy, who has two kids, Violet, played by Sadie Calvano, who was born when Christy was only 17, and Roscoe, played by Spencer Daniels, whom Christy had with her ex-husband Baxter played by Matt Jones. Christy returns to school in hopes of becoming a lawyer while Bonnie explores her romantic life with Adam, played by William Fichtner.
Christy and Bonnie find a support system in their AA group which includes Kristen Johnston as Tammy, who is the loud but sweet one, Marjorie the wise owl played by Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly as Jill, whose wealthy and materialistic lifestyle is often envied by others, and the passive and emotional Wendy played by Beth Hall. All of them grab food together after their AA meetings and figure life out together while helping each other stay clean.
The first seven seasons focus on the life of Christy and Bonnie, trying to live a decent life without addiction, and we also see Christy aiming to be a lawyer. Once she gets her life on track and moves to Washington, the final season focuses on the personal lives of Christy’s friends that she leaves behind.
The show is funny, witty, and heartwarming and focuses on serious issues such as addiction, teenage pregnancy, gambling, homelessness, relapse, domestic violence, cancer, death, ADHD, miscarriage, and so on. The show portrays the dark nature of such subjects while also bringing out the humor in everyday life and makes up for a great watch.
- Director: Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky, and Gemma Baker
- Genre: Sitcom
- Cast: Anna Faris, Allison Janney, Sadie Calvano, Nate Corddry, Matt Jones, French Stewart, Spencer Daniels, Blake Garrett Rosenthal, Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly
Beth Hall, William Fichtner, and Kristen Johnston - Releasing year: 2013
- Where to watch: Hulu
Fleabag
This show, written and created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, explores the life of a character whose name remains a mystery throughout the show, played by the writer herself. Although people call the protagonist ‘Fleabag’ to reference her, the audience never really gets to know her name. The two seasons of the show focus on Phoebe’s character after she goes through a personal tragedy and is trying to get her life back on track. She runs a cafe that she started with her best friend Boo, played by Jenny Rainsford, and is seeking a loan to help sustain the cafe.
Phoebe’s character is portrayed as a free-spirited and dry-witted person who is dealing with grief and seems to be frustrated. She breaks the fourth wall to talk to the audience, which adds to the already engaging premise of the show. The show received massive applause from viewers globally and was also critically acclaimed to be one of the greatest comedy-drama series.
From the exceptional writing, innovative characters, and dark subjects being presented in a humorous way, this show struck a chord with a huge audience. The cast includes Claire, Fleabag’s sister, played by Sian Clifford, Hugh Skinner as the ex-boyfriend playing Harry, and Bill Patterson, playing the protagonist’s father, among others, and this series did an impeccable job in finding its cast.
The first season focuses on the dynamic of the two sisters along with the poor dating choice of the protagonist, and the second season gives us hope for Fleabag as she starts to do well in her life but gets entangled with the infamous “Hot Priest” played by Andrew Scott which makes things complicated for her.
- Director: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
- Genre: Dark Comedy
- Cast: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, and Andrew Scott
- Releasing year: 2016
- Where to watch: Prime Video
Also read: Fleabag Season 2 Ending Explained: Why Is It The Perfect Ending?
Nurse Jackie
This seven-season-long series is a medical comedy-drama that follows the life of Jackie Peyton, played by Edie Falco, who struggles with her addiction to drugs while balancing her life as an emergency nurse at All Saints Hospital. The protagonist of the show received praise from critics on account of exceptional acting, and the show was also appreciated for its portrayal of drug addiction.
Edie is described to be a determined, nonconformist in New York City who juggles her work life at the hospital and her personal troubles, both of which are challenging for her. She is also seen to have usual encounters with her weaknesses, Vicodin, Percocet, and Xanax, to help her get through a tough day.
Other cast members in this show include Eve Best, who plays Dr. Eleanor O’Hara; a staff member, as well as Edie’s best friend, Zoey Barkow, played by Merritt Wever; the amateur nurse who just got out of community college, Peter Facinelli playing Fitch Cooper and Paul Schulze as Eddie Walzer. The seven-season-long series comprises eight episodes, each 30 minutes long. The series originally aired on Showtime and is now available on Paramount Plus.
- Director: Liz Brixius, Evan Dunsky, and Linda Wallem
- Genre: Dark comedy
- Cast: Edie Falco, Eve Best, Merritt Wever, Haaz Sleiman, Paul Schulze, Peter Facinelli, Dominic Fumusa, Anna Deavere Smith, Ruby Jerins, Mackenzie Aladjem, Stephen Wallem, Betty Gilpin, and Adam Ferrara
- Releasing year: 2009
- Where to watch: Apple TV, VOOT, Prime Video, Paramount Plus
Arrested Development
Arrested Development, created by Mitchell Hurwitz, focuses on the life of the Bluths, who were formerly wealthy and had an extravagant lifestyle, but the means to attain this lifestyle, that is, the patriarch head of the family George Bluth Sr., played by Jeffrey Tambor, is in jail on account of a white-collar crime. The family remains oblivious to this major life change and tries to continue with their materialistic lifestyle with only one person to moderate them, the sensible and practical son Michael Bluth played by Jason Bateman.
Michael tries to keep the family together despite their manipulative and selfish character and questionable career choices. Michael, who is a widowed single man, tries to be a good role model and father for his son George Michael played by Michael Cera. George is a good kid for most parts and tries to live up to his father’s expectations but is struggling in his personal life as he has developed a crush on his cousin, Maeby, played by Alia Shawkat, after she kissed him to pull a prank on him.
Michael’s mother, Lucille, played by Jessica Walter, is as manipulative and materialistic as the rest of her family, and her drinking problem only adds to the misery. Lucille is the closest to her youngest son, Byron, played by Tony Hale, who is emotionally dependent on his mother and has recurring panic attacks. The rest of the cast includes Michael’s older brother George Oscar Bluth II, played by Will Arnett, Michael’s twin sister Lindsay played by Portia de Rossi, who is married to David Cross’ character Tobias Funke and their daughter Maeby.
The series originally created for Fox, where it received low viewership and reviews despite the positive reviews from critics, was later released on Netflix with new episodes. The five-seasons and eighty-four episodes long series are now available to watch on Netflix.
- Director: Mitchell Hurwitz
- Genre: Sitcom
- Cast: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter
- Releasing year: 2003
- Where to watch: Disney+Hotstar, Netflix
Girls
Girls is a comedy-drama series created by Lena Dunham, who also stars in it. The series focuses on themes related to Dunham’s personal life, and certain aspects of her life are attributed to the four main characters of the show. The characters have family and financial issues and also have to deal with the consequences of their decisions which often aren’t favorable.
The show starts out with the young aspiring writer Hannah Horvath graduating from college only to realize that her parent will not be funding her expenses anymore, and she is all on her own now. The show garners the audience as they relate to the protagonist who navigates her twenties, learning from her mistakes and trying to do the right thing that is easier said than done. Dunham is supported by her co-stars Allison Williams as Marnie Michaels, Jemima Kirke who plays Jessa Johansson, Zosia Mamet playing Shoshanna Shapiro, Adam Driver as Adam Sackler, Alex Karpovsky who plays Ray Ploshansky, and Andrew Rannells as Elijah Krantz.
The series spanning over six seasons with sixty-two episodes, premiered on HBO and is now available to watch on Hulu.
- Director: Comedy drama
- Genre: Lena Dunham
- Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Andrew Rannells, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Jake Lacy
- Releasing year: 2012
- Where to watch: Hulu, HBO, Jio Cinema
Dead to Me
Dead to Me is about the friendship that develops between Christina Applegate’s character Jen and Linda Cardellini’s character Judy who meet each other in a grief support group. Jen has recently lost her husband due to a hit-and-run case and is trying to cope with the grief through various methods ending up at the support group, whereas Judy claims that she is mourning the loss of her fiance, who allegedly died due to a heart attack.
The catch here is that Judy is the hit-and-run driver who caused the death of Jen’s husband after she was broken up with by her fiance, causing her to drive recklessly. Judy approaches Jen at the support group and initiates the friendship that develops into a deep bond between the two where they find ways to deal with the loss wherein. Judy appears to be the optimist who helps Jen as she finds herself in a dark place. Things get complicated as Jen unravels the truth about Judy one step at a time and becomes more unhinged.
The black comedy has three seasons with a total of thirty episodes and is available to watch on Netflix. The first season aired on May 3, 2019, on Netflix, attracting a positive response from the audience, and was renewed for the second season that came out on May 8, 2020. The production and release of the third and final season of Dead to Me got delayed due to the pandemic and Applegate’s medical conditions and got finally released on November 17, 2022.
- Director: Liz Feldman
- Genre: Black comedy
- Cast: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden, Max Jenkins, Sam McCarthy, and Luke Roessler
- Releasing year: 2019
- Where to watch: Netflix
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
This show is exactly what it sounds like. It is a parody of other mystery and psychological thrillers with a similar set of words in the title. The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, is a dark comedy miniseries and a Netflix original created by Hugh Davidson, Rachel Ramras, and Larry Dorf.
The premise of the show will, for obvious reasons, sound very familiar. A troubled woman named Anna, played by Kristen Bell, is skeptical of her own recollection of the murder she witnessed. With a poor reputation in her community that outcasts her, Anna suffers from psychological issues and often mixes her prescribed medications with alcohol which makes her an unreliable witness not only to others around her but also to herself. The police find it difficult to believe her, often labeling her as the “crazy woman” and overlooking her concerns. Having nowhere to turn, she takes it upon herself to unravel the truth and bring herself some closure.
The show received mixed reviews with Kristen Bell’s praiseworthy performance, which was supported by her co-stars, including Michael Ealy, who plays Douglas Whitaker, Tom Riley as Neil, and Shelley Hennig, playing Lisa. And Mary Holland as Sloane. The eight-episode long miniseries is available on Netflix.
- Director: Michael Lehmann
- Genre: Dark comedy, parody, thriller
- Cast: Kristen Bell, Michael Ealy, Tom Riley, Mary Holland, Cameron Britton, Shelley Hennig, and Samsara Yett
- Releasing year: 2022
- Where to watch: Netflix
Good Girls
Good Girls is a crime comedy-drama created by Jenna Bans that was released on NBC for its four-season run. The show revolves around three mothers putting up in Michigan, two of whom are sisters, as they plan to heist to rob a supermarket as they are trying hard to make ends meet. Their success at the heist gets them the attention of people they never thought they would have to deal with. One of them turns out to be a mob gang who used the store as a front, and the other is the store manager who recognizes one of the robbers.
The heist that was supposed to fix their lives creates more havoc, and the three women find themselves engaged in gang heists and secrets that only add to their familial pressure. The actors Christina Hendricks, Marietta Sirleaf, and Mae Whitman play the role of the three desperate mothers, Beth, Ruby, and Annie, respectively. Manny Montana plays Christopher, also known as Rio, who is the criminal engaged in money laundering, and through the course of the show, we see a complicated relationship between Beth and Him. The show is available on NBC as well as Netflix.
- Director: Jenna Bans
- Genre: Crime, comedy drama
- Cast: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman, Reno Wilson, Manny Montana, Lidya Jewett, Isaiah Stannard, and Matthew Lillard
- Releasing year: 2018
- Where to watch: NBC, Netflix
The Big C
The Big C follows the life of Cathy Jamison, played by Laura Linney, who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and we see her come to terms with it eventually. Initially, Cathy is confused and frustrated and makes decisions that confuse her family. She finds ways to express her freedom and tries to live for the first time without any fear, all the while making radical choices such as spending on an expensive car, kicking her husband out of their house, and so on.
The family is unaware; hence they are left with no choice but to wonder what on earth is wrong with Cathy since she doesn’t want to break the news to her family. Over the course of the show, she lets her family and friends in on her situation, who help her cope and understand her better. Her husband also moves back in and is more caring and understanding than ever.
Linney is supported by her co-stars, including Paul Jamison, played by Oliver Platt; Cathy’s husband, John Benjamin Hickey as Sean Tolkey, who is Cathy’s homeless brother, and in the course of the show, Cathy is able to give Sean a house that she inherited from their neighbor, and Adam Jamison played by Louis Gabriel Basso III who is Cathy’s son and juggles between being a teenager and coping with his mother’s terminal illness.
The Big C has four seasons with forty episodes, with the first three seasons comprising around half an hour of episodes, while the last season consists of relatively longer episodes with a runtime of around an hour. The show can be viewed by purchase or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.
- Director: Darlene Hunt
- Genre: Comedy-drama
- Cast: Laura Linney, Oliver Platt, John Benjamin Hickey, Gabriel Basso, Gabourey Sidibe, and Phyllis Somerville
- Releasing year: 2010
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Sony LIV, Apple TV
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