The High Life
"If we're feeling kind of tedious,
if life is seriously mediocre,
here's how to get that adrenaline flowing:
just step up on a boeing going high."
This sitcom followed the cabin crew of the fictional "Air Scotia" airline, based at Prestwick Airport in its pre-Ryanair days. There's the camp, ego-centric Sebastian Flight, perennially single Steve McCracken, their boss Shona "Hitler in Tights" Spurtle and a Captain who is so out of it, he makes Dougal seem normal. Add surrealism and song and dance numbers for anarchy.
- Bland-Name Product: Averted with Betterware, which is still going strong.
- British Brevity: Only six episodes ever made.
- Butt Monkey:
"Nothin' good ever happens tae folk from Falkirk."
- Catch Phrase: "Oh Deary Me".
- Cloudcuckoolander: Captain Duff. Lampshaded by Steve and Sebastian:
Steve: That man is so surreal, he's no' real.
Sebastian: Aye - he's Salvador Dali in epaulettes.
- Disappeared Dad: Shona's dad.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Steve is showing Sebastian the engagement ring he has bought for Shona. Captain Duff comes in, sees them with the ring and congratulates them on their engagement.
- As well as Steve trying to get Sabastian out of the dog costume. See for yourself.
- Eurovision Song Contest: Parodied with what could be considered to be a spiritual predecessor to My Lovely Horse.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Played straight.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: On competition:
Steve: I don't know about you, Sebastian, but I never come first.
Shona: (horrified) Steve! You give me the dry boak.
- Gossipy Hens: Steve and Sebastian. A variation on the trope since Sebastian seems to be the one who pecks at Steve to get gossip rather than just passing it on.
- Half-Hour Comedy
- Heroes Want Redheads: Even if that isn't their natural colour.
- Hey, It's That Guy!: Patrick Ryecart, who played Captain Duff, features in Still Game. Not to mention that one of the protagonists is Nightcrawler whose best friend hooks up with Scarlett.
- Sam Ballard QC apparently has a sideline as a villainous biscuit maker, while in the same episode, Hazel the McWitch is a professor of biscuits.
- Inept Talent Show Contestant
- New Old Flame: Avril, who came back as a Tartan Terrorist.
- One of Us: Captain Duff is a con-attending Trekkie. He even gets beamed up while the crew aren't looking.
- Shout-Out: Sebastian Flight.
- A Simple Plan: Premise for most of the episodes. Also includes the odd Zany Scheme.
- Stealth Pun:
Avril: Driver, take this plane to Dunoon, or the steward gets it.
- What Did I Do Last Night?: Played with, when Sebastian is desperately trying to find out what Steve did the previous night. Then subverted when it turns out that Steve was totally wrong about what he thought he did and is rather disappointed to learn the truth.
- Work Com