Marijuana has long been a part of our culture and it has gained more and more prominence as it has slowly lost its stigma over recent years, especially here in California. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in some weed it’s an undeniable fact that pot culture is pretty much abhorrent, a stagnant mixture of tie-dye and awful music. Another indelible part of our culture are court TV shows where a charismatic personality dons a robe and settles small claims cases on daytime television. So one would think that melding of marijuana and court television would be a horrific exercise in banality. Yet that’s not the case with The High Court, which sees comedian Doug Benson donning a robe and judging cases while being remarkably high. It is at once a highly entertaining take on the TV court program that never stagnates with the dank unoriginality that permeates throughout pot culture.
Of the four episodes available to critics prior to its premiere, The High Court sees Benson employing his affable stoner persona as a judge while a rotating team of guest stars operate as his bailiffs. So much of the humor of The High Court results from the fact that Benson’s laid back stoner personality is counter to what’s expected of a judge on these types of shows. The plaintiffs and defendants hurl verbal charges at one another, their voices rise as they become more and more enraged as Benson just sits back and lets them have at it. Of course, these are often petty disputes brought forth by normal people but it’s the chaos that Benson allows to occur that separates it from, say, Judge Judy. Evidence and legal arguments take a backseat to whatever is going through Benson’s mind at the moment and the result is a form of justice that is wafting in a haze of pot smoke.
Once the cases have been presented Benson and his bailiff go off to deliberate in chambers. Of course this simply means that Benson will be smoking weed with his guest star bailiff; the four episodes I was able to see featured Tiffany Haddish, Michael Ian Black, Todd Glass, and Reggie Watts as the bailiffs. The deliberations and final judgements are often wildly absurd and go against any sense of what these types of shows usually entail. Adding to the comedic mayhem on display is when the bailiffs wind up unable to control themselves, such as the cackling of Tiffany Haddish at the conclusion of the series premiere. Meanwhile, these average folks who agree to have their cases decided by Benson are often left bewildered at the unusual manner of ruling that they’re subjected to, adding another layer of humor to the proceedings.
With each episode lasting a mere ten minutes, The High Court never overstays its welcome or loses its high due to overkill. There’s really a part of me that thinks I shouldn’t like this show with its blend of pot humor and exploitative courtroom television and yet the results are truly entertaining and funny to behold. The High Court is goofy, unserious, and the best courtroom television show that I’ve ever seen. Move over, Judge Judy, Judge Doug Benson is televisions top magistrate now.
The High Court premieres Monday, February 27th at midnight only on Comedy Central.
The High Court
- Overall Score
Summary
Featuring comedian Doug Benson as a television judge, The High Court works as a hilarious stoner send up of courtroom television shows thanks to Benson’s affable stoner personality that often sees the litigants getting way out of hand.