# High Desert (2023)

> A woman with a checkered past becomes a private investigator in a small California desert town after her mother's death.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/97227

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, crime
- Created by: Katie Ford, Nancy Fichman, Jennifer Hoppe
- Network: Apple TV
- Cast: Patricia Arquette, Matt Dillon, Brad Garrett, Weruche Opia, Bernadette Peters, Rupert Friend, Christine Taylor, Liza Fernandez
- TMDB rating: 6.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13142324/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: deadpan, quirky, wry, offbeat

## What critics say

Critics found High Desert a mixed but watchable quirky comedy-drama, with Patricia Arquette's lead performance and its offbeat desert tone standing out.

## Synopsis

High Desert is an American comedy-crime series created by Katie Ford, Nancy Fichman and Jennifer Hoppe for Apple TV. Patricia Arquette stars as Peggy Newman, a woman with a checkered past who, after the death of her beloved mother, decides to become a private investigator in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California. Matt Dillon, Brad Garrett, Weruche Opia and Bernadette Peters round out a cast of eccentric locals and clients whose cases pull Peggy into odd, often comic trouble. The show runs for a single eight-episode season, with each half-hour episode built around a new case that tangles with Peggy's own struggles, including her sibling relationship and a fresh start she is still trying to earn. Its engine is the gap between Peggy's ambition and her messy life, played out in dusty streets and rundown motels. The tone is deadpan and wry, with quirky characters and a loose, character-driven rhythm. Fans of Barry and Jessica Jones will find some resonance here, along with the offbeat small town weirdness of Twin Peaks.

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