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Broad City

Broad City

2014–2019Ended5 seasons50 episodes~22 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

Broad City follows two women throughout their daily lives in New York City, making the smallest and mundane events hysterical and disturbing to watch all at the same time.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Broad City?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Broad City streaming on Hulu and Paramount+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Broad City?

Broad City earns 6 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 10% of shows.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Content

Reception

Is Broad City worth watching?

Broad City's Midcredits score is the 91st percentile of all shows, from 40K ratings across 2 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

91st percentile

Better received than 91% of shows

90th percentile among Comedy90th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)91st

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

80 /100

86th percentile of all shows

87th percentile among Comedy85th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

89% liked it

91st percentile of all shows

90th percentile among Comedy90th percentile among 2010s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

96th percentile

39K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A show about two young best friends navigating messy, absurd, and often immature adventures in New York City.

Fans praised

  • Authentic, supportive female friendship at the heart of the show
  • Sharp, witty writing with a fearless, raunchy sense of humor
  • Relatable portrayal of young adult chaos and everyday struggles in NYC

Detractors panned

  • Crude, juvenile humor relying on gross-out and shock value
  • Unlikable, annoying characters with no redeeming qualities
  • Repetitive, formulaic plots masquerading as slacker comedy

What stands out

ActingDivisive78

Perfect comedic chemistry between leads; supporting cast adds to the humor

AtmosphereDivisive78

Gritty, authentic NYC setting as a third character

OriginalityDivisive75

Fresh indie-web-to-TV feel; detractors see derivative slacker tropes

DialogueDivisive72

Fans praise clever, quotable banter; detractors call it bland or crude

PacingDivisive70

Fast-paced, energetic editing; some find it uneven across seasons

HumorDivisive65

Bold, raunchy, and fearless; detractors find it unfunny and off-putting

CharactersDivisive60

Fans see authentic, relatable friends; detractors find them selfish, unlikable caricatures

Plot and storyDivisive50

Everyday misadventures with loose structure; some seasons feel aimless

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 15 points higher than men.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 37 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Episodes

5 seasons

Season 5 · 2019 · 10 episodes

  • S5E1

    Stories

    Jan 24, 201921 min
  • S5E2

    SheWork and S... Bucket

    Jan 31, 201921 min
  • S5E3

    Bitcoin & the Missing Girl

    Feb 7, 201921 min
  • S5E4

    Make the Space

    Feb 14, 201921 min
  • S5E5

    Artsy Fartsy

    Feb 21, 201923 min
  • S5E6

    Lost and Found

    Feb 28, 201921 min

Watch experience

What is Broad City like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulAbsurdThrilling
Heaviest: middle
Cringe humor
Register
Absurdist · 6% of shows: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Playful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Resets each episode · 10% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe show plays its absurd, raunchy scenarios with a straight, energetic commitment, never winking at the audience despite the outrageousness.
The rideThe series alternates between giddy comic highs and brief, sincere lows, with the heaviest emotional stretch in middle seasons when career and family pressures peak.
StructureStandard sitcom format: setup, complication, and a resolution that restores the status quo.
Episode formatEpisodes are self-contained comic stories; status quo is restored by the end of each, with only minor continuity details carrying over.
Season formatEach season is a loose batch of episodes; character growth is incremental and the show never commits to a long arc, making any season an entry point.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves you laughing and uplifted by the duo's unbreakable bond.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12% (this title): Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% (this title) · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of errors: Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.

12% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA typical episode follows Abbi and Ilana as they navigate mundane NYC situations that escalate into absurd chaos through misunderstandings and misadventures.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

FriendshipComing of age · 9% of showsAmbition · 14% of shows
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeAt its heart, Broad City is a celebration of an unbreakable friendship that weathers financial struggle, career uncertainty, and absurd everyday chaos.
StanceThe show unreservedly celebrates the friendship between Abbi and Ilana, treating their bond as the bedrock that makes all chaos survivable and even joyful.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
ElectronicPopSupportive music · hybrid · null
SettingBrooklyn and Manhattan, scrappy creative-class life
MusicThe theme song 'Latrice' by the duo sets a jaunty, irreverent tone for each episode.

Content guide

Is Broad City okay for kids?

TV-14

Broad City is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (12/100), sexual content at moderate (53/100), language at intense (77/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (86/100) and frightening material at mild (26/100). Overall it is heavier than 90% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • Brazil18
  • Netherlands12
  • Spain13
  • Switzerland12
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 74% of all showsHeavier than 90% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 10%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 84%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 95%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 98%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 22%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content and language.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Broad City have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Broad City?

Cast

At least 4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Abbi Jacobson
as Abbi Abrams
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ilana Glazer
as Ilana Wexler
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Hannibal Buress
as Lincoln Rice
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Arturo Castro
as Jaime Castro
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John Gemberling
as Matt Bevers
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Paul W. Downs
as Trey Pucker
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Stephen Schneider
as Jeremy Santos
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Chris Gethard
as Todd
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Eliot Glazer
as Eliot Wexler
Susie Essman
as Bobbi Wexler

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