The High Life

The High Life is one of the most singular sitcoms produced in the nineties thanks to its verbal dexterity and the brilliant partnership between Forbes Masson and Alan Cumming. In fairness, the six episodes was probably the limit for what is essentially a two dimensional plot concept (the attempts to leave the confines of an aeroplane coming with mixed success), but it survives on the wit and clever dialogue created by its two stars.

For most people this will have been their first experience of the now (relatively) famous Alan Cumming but it is clear even here that he is a master at the character comedy roles that have been the backbone of his career in Hollywood. The less well known Forbes Masson (the only other time I've ever seen him is playing Stan Laurel in the "Waxworld" episode of Red Dwarf) also plays well in this tailor-made role in an elegantly self-deprecatory fashion. Check out the pilot episode (available on the DVD) and you'll find his character to be much less pathetic and more masculine; it's just not as funny.

Of course, I can hardly comment on The High Life without mentioning the theme song. Accompanied by a dance routine that any golden age musical would be proud of, the song itself is possibly the most fitting theme song I've ever heard, summing up the spirit and character of the show in a neat thirty seconds.

Well worth an investment in the DVD as I doubt this will ever be repeated on television.

I'm not sure what exactly struck me and my partner about this relatively obscure Scottish aviation sitcom from the mid nineties. We'd not long returned from a rather unaccustomed set of galling long-haul flights when it was repeated by BBC Scotland and it's beguilingly silly mix of camp foolishness and nostalgic nineties beige was rather intoxicating. Plus Alan Cumming is magnificent at all times.

Loosely based on a set of exaggerated cabaret characters that Masson & Cummings used to perform as, Steve is a lovesick buffoon and Sebastian is a fame-hungry slugabed. They are opposite the acidically prim Shona Spurtle played by (the usually very dry) dramatic actor Siobhan Redmond and the possibly deeply insane hammy English captain Hilary Duff. It's an odd set-up, more cheeky pantomime than sharp comedy and the series is at its best when they abandon all pretence at sitcom structuring and delve into strange parody as in the steward "boot camp" episode or the wildly silly spoof of Batman in the final episode. The entire endeavour is enlivened by Masson & Cummings road-sharpened chemistry and the particularly the latters' magnetically mannered performance.

Apparently there was a second series written but it was scuppered by Cummings (well deserved) ascending stardom although part of me still hopes they come back together and try it again one of these decades. As such, it remains a strangely comforting slice of 90s Scottish sitcom silliness.

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.

An excellent programme with characters who were already well-developed when they first appeared.

Admittedly, the captain of the plane was very reminscent of Commander Bell, played by Ronnie Barker (qv) in the early series of the BBC Radio programme "The Navy Lark" but that made a new programme nostalgic!

Some of the best situations arose from people who really didn't like each other having to work together in a place where a) they couldn't get up and walk out, and b) they had to be all happy and smiling to the customers and pretend they were all part of one big happy family.

I am sure that, had the programme's run not been cut short after only a few episodes, the writing team would have been able to develop a lot more, and different, situations as they had the ability to include things which didn't only belong in an airline but benefited from the setting. It would have taken quite a while for the show to become one-dimensional. Great stuff!

I loved this series, and have been waiting patiently for it to be repeated. Imagine my surpise when searching the internet I found that it has eventually been released on DVD (including the pilot episode).