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.
Premise
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.
Matt Dillon plays Denny, Peggy’s ex, and an undeniably charming parolee and a relentless operator. Rupert Friend plays Guru Bob, a local ex-anchorman, who, after a trauma, rebrands himself as a mystic desert personality. Weruche Opia stars as Carol, Peggy’s closest friend — the bored fiancé of an ER doctor, and a permissive new stepmother — who has a secret of her own. Brad Garrett plays Bruce, a private investigator whose business is circling the drain, and who becomes Peggy’s reluctant employer. Bernadette Peters has a recurring role as Rosalyn, Peggy’s complicated mother. Christine Taylor has a recurring role as Dianne, Peggy’s buttoned-up sister, who tries to make order of Peggy’s chaos
Cast
Main
Patricia Arquette as Peggy Newman
Brad Garrett as Bruce Harvey
Weruche Opia as Carol
Bernadette Peters as Roslyn / Ginger
Rupert Friend as Guru Bob
Recurring
Crystal Coney as Mary
Matt Dillon as Denny
Christine Taylor as Dianne
Eric Petersen as Owen
Susan Park as Tammy
Jeffrey Vincent Parise as Roger
Eden Brolin as Jeannie
Carmine Giovinazzo as Nick Gatchi
Carlo Rota as Arman
Alex Saxon as Ethan
Guest
Keir O'Donnell as Stewart
Tracy Vilar as Tina
Michael Masini as Leo Gatchi
Episodes
Production
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.
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.
Filming began by November 2021 in Long Beach, California. 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.
Release
High Desert premiered on May 17, 2023, with the first three episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis.
Reception
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." Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 17 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".