High & Dry

2 episodes in I'm finding it intermittently funny but not as laugh out loud as Wrecked which so far it's very similar too, so much so that I thought it was just a UK adaption until I read it was written and created and starring in by the very talented Marc Wootton. (Cyderdelic, My New Best Friend and La La Land series).

This review is about the 2018 re-imagining, not the original 2015 idea, which was actually better than the Wrecked idea: Lost seems to be what this show is based upon just like Wrecked is. I'm also sure Survivor and all the reality shows find homes in the basis as well. After all the comparisons and tributes are quoted, this show is as annoying as the "most annoying sound in the world" from Dumb and Dumber. Just because you can throw feces on a canvas and call it art, doesn't mean everyone should reward the behavior (unless you want all art to be that). I can't find the fifth episode yet, as I was trying to give the show the benefit of the doubt or suspending my disbelief, so I'm thinking even the production company gave up before a full season was completed. There were no standout characterizations as the main character overpowered the senses, and that is not a compliment (owing to the fact that the character was a worn out stereotype of the worst sort and not endearing to anyone or humorous in any way. The only way I would have found value to it was to see him die in the third episode with a powerful plotline twist).

I'm a big fan of La La Land, Marc's previous show for Showtime and My New Best Friend which like High and Dry was also for Channel 4 so was really looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint. Great opening and characters - my stand out so far is Asim Chaudhry but also loving Harry Peacock's (Toast) performance so far. It's early days but I've already been shocked by Asim's character, bewildered at Brett's behaviour and most of all amused at the one-liners and slapstick by Wootton - really looking forward to episode 2 and seeing how it all pans out and develops

Worthless attempt at comedy don't waste your time on this dribble.

Loving this show. More surprisingly my wife also loves it so it's doing something right. It has a fantastic cameo in episode five and there is also a great pay off from episode four with a significant plot twist that in hindsight I should have seen coming. I really like the series as its a collection of flawed characters each jostling for their place in any entirely impossible environment. I honestly don't recognize the negative reviews? The show Wrecked never aired in the UK so cannot comment on which is the best desert island show, but its not a unique concept, Swiss Army Man, Cast Away, Lost all the way back to Robinson Crusoe. FWIW Marc Wootton also created a show called La La Land about people trying to make it in LA but add singing + love and the movie version is not called a copied concept. Brett is meant to be laughed at because of the tropes as much as the lines his delivers, he is not meant to be an actual representation of a realistic gay person anymore than Harriet a realistic head teacher, or Susan an actual religious person, they are funny fictional characters brought to life for our entertainment, and entertain me they did!