HBO's Most Underrated Sitcom Is An Anthology Series With A Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

Stoners have a reputation for being unmotivated, unproductive, and generally bad at getting to work. It's a tough stereotype to break thanks to decades of stoner movies making fun of us for just wanting to have a good time, man. Characters like Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" or The Dude (Jeff Bridges) from "The Big Lebowski" make us laugh because their heads are so full of pot smoke that thoughts don't seem to survive more than a couple of seconds before they waft away. It's a funny caricature, but "High Maintenance" strived to be more than just a punchline, and that's why it's one of HBO's most underrated comedies.

Originally created as a web series distributed on Vimeo from 2012 to 2015 before moving to HBO for four seasons in 2016, each episode of this anthology series follows Ben Sinclair's unnamed "The Guy" as he bikes through New York City delivering weed to his eccentric customers. Some of these people fit the bill for the stereotypical stoner, but most of them represent New Yorkers of all different stripes. The series reflected the diversity of both the city and stoners, who come from all walks of life, united by their shared passion to get stoned.

With a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, "High Maintenance" is one of HBO's most critically acclaimed series and deservedly so.

"High Maintenance" was created by then-husband-and-wife duo Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, and neither of the two traditionally saw themselves as writers. Sinclair was an actor working odd parts and hustling for auditions, while Blichfeld served as a casting director, most notably for "30 Rock" (which many would say has one of the best sitcom casts of all time). This background gave the pair a unique perspective relative to other writer-led web series: They focused instead on casting interesting actors who don't often get a chance to showcase their talents.

Take the one-and-only Heidi for example. Long before Greta Lee was breaking hearts in "Past Lives" or became besties with Natasha Lyonne in "Russian Doll," she was a recurring character on "High Maintenance." At first glance, Heidi is the perfect girlfriend, but over time, her true intentions start to bubble to the surface. It's a truly wild performance and a star-making turn for Lee, who at that point had never had a lead role.

And Lee isn't the only one who got to take center stage thanks to the web series: "Only Murders In The Building" star Michael Cyril Creighton played Patrick, an agoraphobic man who is in love with the Guy and uses his purchases as an opportunity to get close to him. Meanwhile, Hannibal Burress played a surprisingly dramatic role as a comedian who struggles to write jokes in the wake of a mass shooting at one of his shows. And before we all fell in love with William Jackson Harper as the adorkable Chidi Anagonye on "The Good Place," the actor played an anxious doomsday prepper in the episode "Geiger."

When the series moved to HBO, the expanded budget and run times meant its episodes could go even farther with their casting. Actors like Dan Stevens, Amy Ryan, Britt Lower of "Severance" fame, and "Industry" star Ken Leung all had opportunities to play characters who don't often get to be the lead of their own story.

Unfortunately, the show never became much of a hit for HBO. Airing from 2016 to 2020, aka right at the height of Peak TV, its ratings were always low, although the show's even lower budget meant it was still able to get to four seasons. Luckily, both the web series and the HBO edition are available for streaming on Max, so light up that joint and enjoy the ride.