I can’t get enough of Amy Schumer. She’s totally having a moment right now. Between her genius Comedy Central show, her viral speech at Glamour UK’s Women of the Year Awards, and those hilarious trailers for her upcoming Judd Apatow-directed movie Trainwreck, she’s just awesome. If you love Amy’s smart comedy and sharp insights into modern womanhood as much as I do, here are 6 other TV shows you should check out:
1. Broad City
Created by Upright Citizens Brigade comics Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, Broad City follows the millennial misadventures of best friends Abbi and Ilana, who are trying to make it in New York City, but typically end up sweaty, stoned, and in some kind of humiliating predicament — like, say, Abbi clogging the toilet while her neighbor crush is visiting. This is fearless comedy and you’ll laugh as hard as you cringe. Hannibal Buress, the stand-up comic who is infamous for riffing on the Bill Cosby allegations, is especially hilarious as Ilana’s F-buddy who wishes he was more.
2. Younger
When 40-year-old divorced mom Liza (Sutton Foster) tries and fails to reenter the job market after a long absence, she makes herself over as a 26-year-old to get a fresh start, landing an entry level publishing job, a millennial BFF (Hilary Duff), and a hot, young boyfriend along the way. As a mom, I love living vicariously through Liza as she reawakens those long dormant, saucy parts of her personality, but the pitfalls she faces also make me really glad I’m not in my twenties anymore. Younger is definitely a must-watch.
3. UnReal
Okay, follow me here: This is a scripted drama about the making of a reality television show called “Everlasting,” which is exactly like “The Bachelor,” except the roses have been swapped for diamond bracelets. Constance Zimmer (you might remember her as studio head/Ari’s ex Dana Gordon on “Entourage”) plays the tough-talking showrunner, and Shiri Appleby (last spotted on “Girls”) is the talented but volatile producer who manipulates the cast members into making trainwreck TV. It’s like a guilty pleasure wrapped within a guilty pleasure. On a personal note, I produced reality television for 10 years before having kids and entering the glamorous world of blogging, so I can tell you that this show gets the details mostly right. So right it’s wrong.
4. Hindsight
As she’s walking down the aisle to be married for a second time, 40-something Becca (Laura Ramsey) passes out and wakes up in the ’90s, back when she was about to marry a bad boy hottie, her best friend was still speaking to her, and she had an amazing wardrobe of chokers and combat boots. This show asks the big question: If you had a second chance to live your life again, would you make the same mistakes? Not only is the premise of Hindsight fascinating, but I love the nostalgic ’90s soundtrack, with oldies but goodies from Collective Soul, Sarah McLachlan, Gin Blossoms, and more.
5. Garfunkel & Oates
In the old days before live streaming, I would never have recommended a canceled TV show, but catch this 8-episode gem online (or On Demand) while you still can. Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci play goofier versions of themselves — a comedy-folk duo hilariously named for the lesser halves of two famous rock duos, Garfunkel and Oates. The loose and funny episodes are based around these single besties’ adventures in life and love, and always feature an original parody song, such as “Pregnant Women are Smug.” Like Schumer, much of their sly comedy digs into the female condition. In one memorable episode, they realize that men are attracted to women who barely talk, so they remain silent throughout an entire double date. Sadly, the men don’t even notice.
6. Grace and Frankie
Okay, yes, this show is targeted to your mom. But, if you grew up watching “9 to 5” like I did, you will get a kick out of seeing Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin together again, playing the scorned exes of husbands (played winningly by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson) who — surprise! — left them to marry each other. Suddenly single empty nesters, Grace and Frankie have to figure out where they fit in. These ladies may be in their 70s, but they are vibrant, strong and fun to watch — especially when they are dropping F-bombs or tripping on peyote.
Photo: TV Land
