The critically acclaimed Web series “Broad City” moves to Comedy Central as a half-hour scripted series. It’s created by and stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer as 20-something best friends who are trying to navigate life in New York, despite that their adventures always seem to lead down unexpected and bizarre paths. They have very little money, but they are survivors who aren’t afraid to throw themselves into sticky situations, no matter how messy the end results may be. Jacobson and Glazer both honed their comedy chops at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. UCB co-founder Amy Poehler is an executive producer on the series and joins Fred Armisen, Rachel Dratch, Janeane Garofalo, Michelle Hurst, Jason Mantzoukas and Amy Sedaris, among others, as guest stars.
Broad City came out of no where for me which might have something to do with why I like it so much. At this point only 4 or 5 episodes have aired but excluding the possibility that the show takes a 180 degree turn South, I can say with some certainty that this show is nothing short of awesome.
I’ve been a loyal workaholics fan for 4 seasons now, which has the time slot on Comedy Central just before Broad city, but already I prefer the latter. After the season 4 premiere of Workaholics, the channel simply wasn’t changed and my roommate and I found ourselves watching Broad City. Normally we would change the channel because generally when we watch TV we don’t just watch random shows. The only time we watch new shows is when it’s a conscious decision. HOWEVER, Broad City had enough humor and wit packed into the first minute that we were hooked enough to watch the entire episode. Now, 4 episodes later, he and I make sure to tune into Comedy Central every Wednesday at 10:30.
The show rests on the shoulders of its 2 leads, Abbi and Ilana, who bounce off each other perfectly. Abbi is the more awkward, reserved pushover who takes sh*t from all angles (her roommate’s super-mooch boyfriend, her boss, etc.). Ilana, on the other hand, does everything in her power at all times to take advantage of people because she’s struggling to get by. But so is Abbi, which is why they make such a great team. They complete each other. When they’re not together, they’re on the phone or video chatting with one another. Ilana provides the more outrageous, in-your-face humor, while Abbi brings the more subtle, charming humor – but again, their collective humor makes for one of the most well-rounded female driven comedies.
Naturally a comparison to Girls comes up precisely because it’s a female driven comedy television show – not to mention it’s revolves around young women struggling to get by in New York City. Girls has its own brilliance in its wit and deeper nuanced characters, but it also has a very dramatic side, which often borders on ridiculous. Broad City takes a completely different and refreshing approach. Like Workaholics, it shoots for raunchy comedic gags and very rarely stumbles into dramatic territory. Unlike Workaholics, it never becomes TOO stupid or TOO ridiculous. The guys of Workaholics are essentially caricatures, which can be very funny, but it also leaves you disconnected from them. The only reason we like them is because they’re funny, but otherwise there is zero depth to any of them. That’s where Broad City has the obvious upper hand on Workaholics. After a few episodes you already have a feel for who the girls are, which allows you to laugh even harder at their misfortune.
