“Broad City” is the creation of comedian friends Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. Launched as a web series in 2009, it gained traction and fans, eventually debuting as a television show for Comedy Central. A Broad City live tour sweeps across the country in March.
The real-life friendship between Abbi and Ilana forms the core of the show and informs their onscreen relationship. We asked the pals to share their favorite fictional duos.
Ilana Glazer: Hey, audience!
Abbi Jacobson: Hello, hello, hello! I am Abbi Jacobson.
Ilana Glazer: And I am Ilana Glazer.
Abbi Jacobson: We are friends, obviously, and we started this show “Broad City” because our friendship had an interesting dynamic. And we’re here to talk about friends.
Ilana Glazer: Friends are inspiring. Friendships are inspiring to friendships.
Abbi Jacobson: Yeah — we’re like, “What kind of friends do we like to watch?”
Ilana Glazer: So here’s our list of our favorite friends.
Kate and Ally, “Kate & Ally”
Abbi Jacobson: I’m gonna start this off with a TV program, “Kate & Ally.”
Ilana Glazer: Oooooh, Kate and Ally!
Abbi Jacobson: So “Kate & Ally” was on in maybe the late ’80s. This was about two friends who found themselves both with kids, and single, and decided to have their families just live together. They were always rushing. They would leave and then they would have to rush back into the house because they forgot stuff. Struggling and hustling and just trying to figure it out. And I feel like that’s a lot like our show.
Ilana Glazer: “Broad City” is not that serious.
Abbi Jacobson: It was such a funny show, though.
Ilana Glazer: I know, but to have kids is a serious thing.
Abbi Jacobson: But talk about a friendship: “We’re gonna raise our kids together?”
Ilana Glazer: Yeah, I love the idea of a marriage among women.
Abbi Jacobson: It’s kind of like a sexless marriage.
Ilana Glazer: Yeah. I was just gonna say, women can get married, though.
Abbi Jacobson: It was just a friendship.
Ilana Glazer: Like ours.
Joey and Chandler, “Friends”
Ilana Glazer: The next pair on the list is Mr. Joey Tribbiani and Mr. Chandler Biiiing!
Abbi Jacobson: Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani are two out of the six roommates on the show “Friends.” Just such bros, but sensitive bros.
Ilana Glazer: I was just gonna say “sensitive bros!”
Abbi Jacobson: I think at one point they owned a chicken and a duck.
Ilana Glazer: That was cute!
Abbi Jacobson: People are like, “Who would you compare your dynamic to?” and we often compare ourselves to them because it is so true.
Ilana Glazer: It’s not like a choice. “Let’s pick the boys in Friends.” We just discovered it and we’re like, “Oh my God, we are Chandler and Joey.”
Abbi Jacobson: Yeah. Ilana does this thing sometimes in real life and on the show where we’ll be talking about something and she’ll just be, like, staring — it’s clear that she doesn’t get it. And then a minute will pass or whatever and she’ll be like, [dawning realization] “Ohhhh.” And that is a thing that Joey does.
Ilana Glazer: Yeah. I’m a smart person, but an average to below-average speed processor.
Milo and Otis, “The Adventures of Milo & Otis”
Abbi Jacobson: I will say this one and we can decide if this is a good one or not.
Ilana Glazer: Uh-oh.
Abbi Jacobson: “Milo & Otis.”
Ilana Glazer: Oh. My. God.
Abbi Jacobson: Classic movie from my childhood. I owned it on VHS —
Ilana Glazer: Hell yeah! Me too…
Abbi Jacobson: It is a friendship between a teeny pug puppy and a cat. They got lost, they got separated from their owners. So it’s a sentimental story about these two friends trying to get home.
Ilana Glazer: But you know how car insurance commercials will give babies or animals CGI animated mouths, and they’re like, “Hey I’m Bob,” or whatever? Milo and Otis just had voice-over, and they were just regular animals. Dude, “Milo & Otis” is cuh-lassic.
Abbi Jacobson: You know that that makes you the cat, though, right?
Ilana Glazer: I’ll take it. Cats are hot.
Abbi Jacobson: Because I have to be the pug.
Ilana Glazer: You do have to be the little pug!
Abbi Jacobson: Wait, so I would be Otis, right?
Ilana Glazer: One of them… doesn’t one of them die?
Abbi Jacobson: They’re on a great journey.
