Monday, July 06, 2015

Telly Text Special: Broad City

Words: Jordan Andrew


US sitcom 'Broad City' has had some buzz so when 4music offered us the chance to view the opening episodes of the first series, we were there. 'Broad City' stars Abbi Jackson and Ilana Glazer, as two women trying to survive in New York as every day brings a new crazy situation for the girls to try and get themselves out of.

As I watched on sipping my prosecco and chowing down on popcorn I was hooked, so much so I had to hold in my bladder. Abbi and Ilana have a slight infectious vibe to them - as soon as you start watching one episode, you want to know just how far they will try to cross the line with their unsavoury comments and sexual acts.


'Broad City' will naturally be compared to '2 Broke Girls', 'Girls', and 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' in terms of being a female-led comedy, however I would argue 'Broad City' is the female version of 'Workaholics'. Both 'Broad City' and 'Workaholics' appeal to the slacker that I wish I could be, if I wasn’t as materialist.

4music could be taking a gamble by picking up 'Broad City' for a channel which is known more for music videos and repeating shows such '8 Out Of 10 Cats' and 'Keeping Up With The Karadashians'. Some could argue they should be focussing more on music based shows instead of importing US shows or repeats of shows which have been seen thousands of times. However pairing 'Broad City' with a show like '2 Broke Girls' could help to bring a fan base that do not have Sky and want to watch something new on Freeview.


'Broad City' actually provided me with around 3 to 4 laughs per episode which is probably 3 to 4 more than '2 Broke Girls' does and I still end up watching that. If you fancy watching something a bit wacky and out there then give Abbi, Ilana and 'Broad City' a chance give it a watch following its UK premiere tonight on 4music.

Catch new episodes of 'Broad City' on 4music, Mondays at 10pm. Read previous Telly Text columns here..