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The High Life (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The High Life was a Scottish situation comedy written by and starring Forbes Masson
as Steve McCracken and Alan Cumming
as Sebastian Flight. Cumming and Masson met at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
and united after several solo projects, to create the theatrical BBC
sitcom, The High Life. The two leads were based heavily on their famous Scottish comedy alter-egos, Victor and Barry
.
The series followed the cabin crew at the fictional airline, Air Scotia, flying out of Prestwick Airport
. The crew consisted of the camp, alcohol-loving, narcissistic and bitchy steward, Sebastian; his sex-obsessed colleague Steve; their up-tight, antagonistic chief stewardess, Shona Spurtle; and the eccentric pilot, Captain Hilary Duff.
Sebastian and Steve longed to be promoted to long-haul flights to see exotic locations, instead of the current short-haul trips with their superior Shona, played by Siobhan Redmond
, whom they described as 'Hitler
in tights', 'Mussolini
in Micromesh' and 'Goebbels
in a Gossard'. The deranged pilot, Captain Duff, played by Patrick Ryecart
, would need to be frequently reminded who he was, where the cockpit was and where he was flying to.
The High Life was interspersed with surrealism, childish humour, sarcasm and theatrical song and dance numbers. It only ran for one series due to Alan Cumming being beckoned towards Hollywood; however during an interview, Masson claims that a second series was written, yet not acted upon. Despite its short-run, it is remembered for Steve and Sebastian’s joint catchphrase: 'Oh deary me!' and for the opening sequence which featured the cast performing a spectacular dance routine to the title song. During an interview on Pebble Mill, Cumming noted that he mimed a Hitler-style salute during the opening sequence.
The series ran for six thirty minute episodes. The Comic Asides pilot was broadcast on BBC2 at 9pm on Sunday 9 January 1994. The series of six episodes were broadcast on Friday Nights at 9.30pm between 6 January and 10 February 1995.
The entire series (including the pilot) was released on VHS and DVD in 2002, and was re-released in May 2009. The complete series was re-run on BBC Four early in 2009.
Crew
Forbes Masson
Forbes Masson is a Scottish actor and writer. He is best known for his classical theatre roles and comedy partnership with Alan Cumming...
as Steve McCracken and Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
as Sebastian Flight. Cumming and Masson met at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
and united after several solo projects, to create the theatrical BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom, The High Life. The two leads were based heavily on their famous Scottish comedy alter-egos, Victor and Barry
Victor and Barry
Victor Ignatius MacIlvaney and Barry Primrose McLeish were the creations of Forbes Masson and Alan Cumming.Victor and Barry are the slightly camp, Scottish founder members of the Kelvinside Young People’s Amateur Dramatic Art Society, of which they would share their reminiscences with audiences far...
.
The series followed the cabin crew at the fictional airline, Air Scotia, flying out of Prestwick Airport
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is an international airport serving the Greater Glasgow urban area, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and 32 miles from the city centre of Glasgow....
. The crew consisted of the camp, alcohol-loving, narcissistic and bitchy steward, Sebastian; his sex-obsessed colleague Steve; their up-tight, antagonistic chief stewardess, Shona Spurtle; and the eccentric pilot, Captain Hilary Duff.
Sebastian and Steve longed to be promoted to long-haul flights to see exotic locations, instead of the current short-haul trips with their superior Shona, played by Siobhan Redmond
Siobhan Redmond
Siobhan Redmond is a Scottish actress.Originally from Tollcross, Glasgow, Redmond's first television appearances were in the early 1980s. Her first TV appearance was in 1982 in a sketch show called "Nothing to worry about!" which then lead to the sketch show Alfresco...
, whom they described as 'Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in tights', 'Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
in Micromesh' and 'Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
in a Gossard'. The deranged pilot, Captain Duff, played by Patrick Ryecart
Patrick Ryecart
Patrick Geoffrey Ryecart is an English actor.Ryecart was born in Leamington Spa. He has predominantly acted on British television shows since the mid-seventies including Lillie, Romeo and Juliet, The Professionals, Minder, Rumpole of the Bailey, Lovejoy, Coming Home, and Holby City...
, would need to be frequently reminded who he was, where the cockpit was and where he was flying to.
The High Life was interspersed with surrealism, childish humour, sarcasm and theatrical song and dance numbers. It only ran for one series due to Alan Cumming being beckoned towards Hollywood; however during an interview, Masson claims that a second series was written, yet not acted upon. Despite its short-run, it is remembered for Steve and Sebastian’s joint catchphrase: 'Oh deary me!' and for the opening sequence which featured the cast performing a spectacular dance routine to the title song. During an interview on Pebble Mill, Cumming noted that he mimed a Hitler-style salute during the opening sequence.
The series ran for six thirty minute episodes. The Comic Asides pilot was broadcast on BBC2 at 9pm on Sunday 9 January 1994. The series of six episodes were broadcast on Friday Nights at 9.30pm between 6 January and 10 February 1995.
The entire series (including the pilot) was released on VHS and DVD in 2002, and was re-released in May 2009. The complete series was re-run on BBC Four early in 2009.
Cast and crew
- Alan CummingAlan CummingAlan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
- Sebastian Flight - Forbes MassonForbes MassonForbes Masson is a Scottish actor and writer. He is best known for his classical theatre roles and comedy partnership with Alan Cumming...
- Steve McCracken - Siobhan RedmondSiobhan RedmondSiobhan Redmond is a Scottish actress.Originally from Tollcross, Glasgow, Redmond's first television appearances were in the early 1980s. Her first TV appearance was in 1982 in a sketch show called "Nothing to worry about!" which then lead to the sketch show Alfresco...
- Shona Spurtle - Patrick RyecartPatrick RyecartPatrick Geoffrey Ryecart is an English actor.Ryecart was born in Leamington Spa. He has predominantly acted on British television shows since the mid-seventies including Lillie, Romeo and Juliet, The Professionals, Minder, Rumpole of the Bailey, Lovejoy, Coming Home, and Holby City...
- Captain Hilary Duff
Crew
- Alan CummingAlan CummingAlan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
- Writer - Forbes MassonForbes MassonForbes Masson is a Scottish actor and writer. He is best known for his classical theatre roles and comedy partnership with Alan Cumming...
- Writer - Tony Dow - Director (pilot)
- Angela deChastelai Smith - Director (series)
- Tony Dow - Producer
Episode guide
- Pilot - "The High Life"
- Same plot as "Choob".
- Episode 1 - "Feart"
- Steve and Sebastian decide to find a way out of short-haul flights. The impending arrival of the staff inspector could make these dreams come true.
- Episode 2 - "Birl"
- Air Scotia employees attend a weekend of intensive training. Steve finds love with flight-attendant, Heather.
- Episode 3 - "Winch"
- Sebastian returns from his holiday in Florida to discover something has happened between Shona and Steve.
- Episode 4 - "Choob"
- An almost total reshoot of the Comic Asides Pilot. Shona lands the job of presenting the Air Scotia’s in-flight video, much to Sebastian’s annoyance.
- Episode 5 - "Dug"
- Sebastian decides to enter the Song For Europe contest as Scotland’s first entry, in a hope to find fame and fortune, and some girls for Steve. Meanwhile, the Air Scotia crew host a birthday for the precocious daughter of Shona's favourite rock star.
- Episode 6 - "Dunk"
- The crew become involved in a small-business espionage plot around biscuits in a spoof of the 1960s series of BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
.