You Heard It Here First: Funniest T.V. Show Is Crowned

By KADEN WEAVER

COLUMNIST

“How many children do you have?” asks an unassuming mom of Abbi Abrams in the waiting room at the dentist’s office. Abrams considers the question cheerlessly, leans back towards the ground, and then begins to roll awkwardly into the nearby bathroom. After taking a hit of her recently purchased weed, she stares at herself in the mirror and yells “I AM NOT A MOM!”

This is the innocent struggle that is Broad City, the hit new Comedy Central series that has taken off since its original run in January of last year. The show follows Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer), two self-proclaimed “jewesses” in their twenties who seem to just get by in New York City. In between getting old, bumpy relationships, horrible jobs, and a seeming addiction to weed, this series is packed with absurdly hilarious moments. The show could be called a female version of Workaholics, or a more straightforward alternative to Girls, but those comparisons are, like Glazer said in a GQ interview, “juxtaposing [Beyoncé] with, like, humans. It’s like, nice try, you idiots.” Broad City stands on its own as a comedy series that is both clever and simple.

There is a lot to love about the two main characters of Broad City. Abbi, who works as a janitor at a tastelessly modern gym, is the more mature of the two, and has a hysterical obsession with Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Ilana on the other hand is completely irresponsible she hates her job at a sales company called Deals Deals Deals, so she spends most of her workday sleeping in the bathroom. When the two are together, the show’s hilarity is amplified tenfold. Recurring jokes like Ilana’s unreciprocated attraction to Abbi add to the play between the characters’ contrasting personalities.

Beside Abrams and Wexler there are a slew of comical supporting characters and guest appearances throughout the series. Wexler is in an undefined relationship with dentist Lincoln Rice, who is played by the rising comedian Hannibal Buress. There is not a scene featuring Rice that does not merit unstoppable laughter, as his sluggish demeanor and stand-up style lines are always hilarious to watch. Ilana lives with a gay, drug dealing Venezuelan named Jaimé, whose natural sweetness is complemented amusingly by his misunderstanding of both the English language and United States culture. Cameos from Amy Poehler, Amy Sedaris, Rachel Dratch, and Fred Armisen are additional highlights in an otherwise outstanding series.

Broad City currently has only twelve, twenty-minute episodes, as the first season is presently being complemented by a second. The newest installments of the show air every Wednesday on Comedy Central at 10:30 p.m., and the first season can be found online through multiple websites. If you appreciate laughing and other good things in general, then start watching and enjoy the funniest show on television.