At the TCA’s: Broad City Returns for Fourth Season

Creators, writers, and stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer shared a preview the four season of Broad City at a TCA panel.

The Wall Street Journal’s Megan Angelo once referred to the show as “sneak-attack feminism,” and it stuck with the two creators.
Ilana Glazer said, “…we’ve been using it, that phrase, ever since, because it actually helps us define what the show is doing. And she said that a long time ago about the Web series when we — it wasn’t like the same type of consciousness that we have about the show now. Now it seems like this sneak-attack approach is — it’s like you’re watching a show, or any kind of content, and you don’t — you kind of absorb the messaging via osmosis rather than the message being told to you right there.”

“And that’s what I think our show is. It represents this feminist — hopefully intersectional feminist — message, but it’s not like — it’s not like part of the plot line. It’s just in the texture of the show organically.”

Abbi and Ilana enter the fourth season trying to stay woke but being Abbie and Ilana, they aren’t always very good at it. There will be missteps galore. And while Broad City uses the show as a tool for political and social commentary, Abbi reminds, “I mean, the first thing that we think about with the show is the funny. So it’s a comedy first, and obviously the friendship is the core of it. So the tool part is kind of like this other layer.”

Illana added that the platform, “…it’s not really influencing the duration of the series. I feel like it’s more about the story and the growth that we want to explore within these characters, and each season you can’t even — we have these goals for them, but by the time the season is over, it’s something different than we expected in the first place.”

Season four guest stars include RuPaul Charles, Shania Twain, Steve Buscemi, Sandra Bernhard, Mike Birbiglia, Jane Curtin, Lea DeLaria, Cynthia Erivo, Susie Essman, Peri Gilpin, Greta Lee, Damien Lemon, Denis O’Hare, Alysia Reiner, Amy Ryan, Constance Shulman and Wanda Sykes.

The fourth hilarious season of Broad City returns to Comedy Central on September 13th. Check your local listings.