The Austin Chronic: Austin Documentarian Links Up With Jimmy Kimmel for Reality Series High Hopes

High Hopes in production (photo by Kevin Kimmel / Ben Steinbauer)

Ben Steinbauer is not a fan of reality TV.

“I don’t like it, I don’t make it, I don’t watch it,” he tells me.

It’s a funny position to take, given that he served as the showrunner and co-producer of a reality series that comes out this week.

To the Austin-based director, the new Hulu series High Hopes is actually a continuation of his work as a comedic documentarian – it just so happens that it’s serialized and stars regular people in unscripted situations.

“I don’t know ... maybe it is a reality show,” he laughs.

In any regard, Steinbauer has made his name working with hilarious real-life characters. His directorial breakout was 2009’s Winnebago Man, in which he tracked down an unwitting legend of early internet blooper reels, Jack Rebney, the RV pitchman who’d castigate himself for flubbing lines (“Why don’t I say it FUCKIN’ RIGHT!?!”) and help him find peace with his notoriety. With 2022’s Chop & Steele, Steinbauer chronicled the legal saga of comedy duo Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, who got sued by a broadcast media giant after they pranked TV morning shows by presenting themselves as strongmen – only to come off ridiculous and weak on live TV segments.

It was no surprise that Jimmy Kimmel had interest in Chop & Steele. The late-night host and producer has a penchant for seeing the humorous potential of real people – like Guillermo Rodriguez, Andy Milonakis, and Adam Carolla – and championing them.

“When I got connected with [Kimmel’s production company] Kimmelot through my agent they were talking about getting involved with Chop & Steele, and that didn’t end up happening, but they said they had this show that was basically set up with Hulu and they needed someone who understands comedic documentary,” Steinbauer says. “I told them I don’t watch reality shows, but the only one that’s ever been any good was Small Town Security, which was a little reality show that was on AMC years ago, and it was like a record-scratch moment. They were like, 'That’s literally our reference for this show!’ So it was a love-at-first-sight experience.”

High Hopes, which premieres Saturday (aka 4/20), chronicles the grind behind MMD dispensary in Hollywood as Belarus-born owners Mishka and Slava Ashbel try to take the pot shop corporate amid the misadventures of their lovable, stoned employees. Kimmelot didn’t want the series to feel like a standard show, which benefited Steinbauer.

“Being the Austin indie weirdo paid off,” he says. “And it was an amazing situation to be handed as someone who makes comedic documentaries because it was just my job to find the fun in what was authentically already there and think of it in A, B, and C storylines.”

Steinbauer cast the show out of employees from various MMD stores, plus Freddie Miller – a prototypical stoner who went viral for a funny TV interview he did while waiting in line for Michigan’s first cannabis dispensary to open. The Austin director immediately recognized that not only were the employees funny, but there was a natural comedic tension with the owners trying to make the store more corporate while it was staffed by people who work in the weed business precisely because they’re allergic to corporate culture. As such, there was no need to do the typical reality TV meddling where you manufacture drama. He just had to find what was funny and document it.

High Hopes thrives off the unforced comedy of Freddie Miller – the friendly, undersexed, squinty Midwestern stoner new to the big city – and the shop’s longest-tenured employee, Uriel Valenzuela, who has become so familial to the owners and representative of the culture that they could never fire him ... no matter how many things he fucks up. After they first bro down at a smoke-filled product testing session, their affinity for each other is instantly clear.

“I think they’re the new Harold and Kumar or Cheech and Chong,” says Steinbauer. “What I realized is that it’s a love story between men. It’s their buddy romance story. We see them meet and effectively fall in love over the course of six episodes.”

They also provide funny plot twists, as when Uri’s co-workers throw him a somewhat misguided surprise birthday party, or when Freddie trains to be a delivery driver for the store before eventually admitting he doesn’t have a driver’s license. Steinbauer says both of those things were real, unscripted, and a delight to him as a showrunner.

“It was a joy to film with Freddie and Uri. So many of the storylines came from talking to them. We’d be on the phone and Uri would say, 'Yeah, Freddie and I are going to go to a swap meet today.’ They were always getting into some crazy adventure together, and it worked for the show because they were just authentically funny in any situation. These are not guys who are trying to be famous. As a comedic documentary filmmaker, it was like striking gold.”

Asked about Kimmel’s level of involvement, given his schedule that includes a nightly show, multiple productions happening at once, and extracurriculars like hosting the Oscars, Steinbauer says the TV personality watched every cut and gave notes.

“That Jimmy was able to give us feedback was amazing, and I feel grateful and lucky to be in his orbit,” he reports. “And he’s a good person.”

Steinbauer spent many years smoking cannabis, but is now sober, which, during filming, felt akin to winning the lottery and not being able to spend it. Still, he says, shooting in fogged-out rooms brought back old feelings.

“There were lots of times I’d be driving home, windows down, listening to a song really loud, and realize I was going 45 MPH on the highway,” he laughs. “And then I’d realize I might have a little bit of a contact high.” 

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