Liz Feldman Tells Us Why ‘2 Broke Girls’ is Relevant To Your Lesbian Interests

Auto-friend Liz Feldman has seemingly been off our radar lately, after a series of high profile writing jobs on The Jay Leno Show, Hot In Cleveland and last year’s Academy Awards. However! She’s actually been hard at work writing and producing the brand new sitcom 2 Broke Girls set to premiere TONIGHT at 9:30 on CBS. Liz recently checked in to give us the heads up that lesbians will absolutely love this new series about two twenty-something waitresses in New York City. The series stars Kat Dennings (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) and Beth Behrs (a cute girl who slightly resembles Brandy Howard) and comes from the collective brain of Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City, The Comeback) and Whitney Cummings.

I talked to Liz about why she thinks 2 Broke Girls is comedy’s answer to Rizzoli and Isles, her experience pitching lesbian shows to network big-wigs, and what the future holds for everybody’s favorite super-awkward gay talk show, This Just Out.

In a nutshell, why will our readers dig 2 Broke Girls?

2 Broke Girls appealed to me immediately, and I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a big lesbian. It’s about an unlikely friendship between two very different yet equally attractive girls. When I watched the pilot, I was immediately taken by both of their characters and so impressed at how well rounded they were. They’re empowered, they’re irreverent and they’re smart. And the actresses, Kat Dennings (Max) and Beth Behrs (Caroline), have incredible chemistry with each other. And they’re both seriously funny. I think lesbians out there will fall in love with this show. I’m thinking that 2 Broke Girls is the comedy world’s answer to Rizzoli and Isles. It premieres this Monday, September 19th at 9:30 on CBS. I really hope all my friendos out there will watch!

Which storylines in the show have you directly influenced/introduced?

I can’t divulge any upcoming story lines but suffice it to say that I have been a part of developing pretty much every episode. It’s a very collaborative effort and I’ve been loving being a part of the incredibly funny writing team. Working with Michael Patrick King is an actual dream that has come true. I have seen every episode of Sex and the City, and I remember watching it so many years ago and just relishing in how well written it was. Now I get to work side by side with MPK, SATC’s head writer. I thank my lucky stars every day.

[yframe url=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr3FXTioTIo’]

Are Whitney & MPK hands on with the show, day-to-day and writing episodes? Or, did they simply create the show and then left it to another show-runner?

MPK is the showrunner and the head writer and I have never seen anyone handle those responsibilities more impressively. He’s a genius and he’s incredibly funny and he makes coming to work something that I look forward to. Whitney, also a brilliant person, is busy working on her other network sitcom, “Whitney,” for NBC. She still reads every script of ours and weighs in with her thoughts and pitches hilarious jokes too. I would imagine she never sleeps.

Thoughts on the NBC pilot “My Best Friend Is a Lesbo” and Ellen/Portia’s joint venture announced over the weekend? Based on your experience pitching lesbian themed shows, what has been the biggest stumbling block toward networks picking up these series?

I remain one of Ellen’s biggest fans, and I think Portia is a great comedic actress. So, that they would be working on something together really excites me. Can’t wait to see what they come up with. Last year I wrote a lesbian themed pilot for NBC that was very well received but ultimately did not make the cut. My goal is always to tell stories that are close to me but hopefully relevant to a wide audience. I would love to get a lesbian lead character on TV, but I won’t be developing any pilots this year, as my commitment is to 2 Broke Girls. So, if another writer is lucky and talented enough to sell a lesbian themed pilot, I’m thrilled for them. If the end result is a great lesbian character on TV, we all win. It will happen one of these days, and I hope it’s sooner than later.

Any hope for new This Just Out episodes during your hiatus?

This Just Out is always alive in the back of my mind; it’s something that I would love to return to. But it’s also something that I care so much about that I don’t want to do it half-assed. I’m an all or nothing kind of person when it comes to my creative endeavors. I can’t promise that I will have the time to do more in the near future, but I haven’t buried it either. Raimy and I talk about it all the time. And I can’t tell you how great it feels to know that people still care about it and want to see more. Makes a girl feel real good.

Anything else you’re listening to or reading right now you’d like to recommend or give a shout out?

I just re-watched one of my fave documentaries, Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House. It’s a doc about these fantastic old Jewish lesbians, who have been a couple for forty years. They risked so much to be together and their love is still so alive. They’re so sweet and wise and hilarious. I love them so much, I want to grow up to be them. I also can’t stop listening to the new Little Brutes EP, from Rachael Cantu and Harlan Silverman. I wake up with these songs in my head. They’re so catchy and well-written, and you gotta love Rachael Cantu’s voice. So, so good!

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Jess

Jess is a pop culture junkie living in New York City. She enjoys endless debates about The L Word, Howard Stern, new techy gadgets, DVR, exploring the labyrinth of the Lesbian Internet, memoirs, working out, sushi, making lists, artsy things, anything Lady Gaga touches, traveling, puppies, and nyc in the fall. Find her on Twitter @jessxnyc or via email.

Jess has written 240 articles for us.

30 Comments

  1. I hope the show is very successful! And we were all wondering the other day-is there any way that people from outside America can view the old episodes of This Just Out, does anyone know? I can only watch the most recent 3 and the rest have a message that says you can only watch them if you live in the States, us non Americans would like our fix of TJO aswell please and thankyou! :)

      • There only seems to be a few highlights videos on Youtube, and the rest of the episodes arent there. I would have downloaded them at the time had I known they’d be taken down. But sure, it’ll be grand, im sure they’ll appear at some stage, some technologically minded gaybian will probably upload them eventually! :)

  2. So the reason lesbians will like the show is because there are girls with speaking parts? That doesn’t give me much faith in television (not that I had any to begin with).

    • This. Forget the comedic version of Rizzolli and Isles. I want the comedic version of The L Word!

      I’m going to give this show a shot because I love Kat Dennings and Liz Feldman. But between the critique of the shows POC that Riese posted the other day and the little I have seen of Whitney Cummings standup, I have pretty low expectations.

      • * show’s
        *Cumming’s

        It was such a long teaching day that I have completely forgotten how to write. D’oh.

  3. Anything Liz Feldman is involved in has got to be hilarious. Can’t wait to see her newest show. I have been following Liz since she was on Ellen, and just love her. Liz, when you do stand up or anything, please put it on YouTube so we can watch more of you! (your website has gone to the spammers). Love you, Liz!

  4. I feel like anything Liz is involved with, whether it is ultimately gay or not, is going to be smart and funny, so I’m in. Also, Kat Dennings.

  5. I miss Raimy!!! One of my favorite, awesome-lady-sidekicks. And she always has great new music recommendations, so I hope TJO returns soon.

    I’ll give that CBS show a chance because I love Kat Dennings and Liz. And it looks like it has more potential than the New Girl (terrible!) and the other Whitney Cummings show.

  6. I watched the promo for this show, and it looks kinda turrible. Haven’t heard great reviews about it either. HOWEVER, I love all things Liz Feldman, so I may give it a chance. Also, I miss TJO! Bring her back!

  7. I’m also doubtful about the ultimate quality of this because 1. there’s a laugh track and 2. Kat Dennings’s hand guestures. I’d like to think that the series might become good after a while. But I’ll probably be pretty patient as long as I get to stare at Kat *_*.

  12. Just totally bought that Ruth & Connie doc…thanks for the rec Liz!!! i’m so happy you got to be in the writer’s room on a show like this, I’m jealllouusss… that’s friggin great! congrats

  13. Hey Lades,

    Thanks for the comments, both positive and snarktastic. And much thanks to Jess for promoting and supporting!

    I hope ya’ll will give the show a chance, as there are many openly gay people behind the scenes, including Michael Patrick King, the head writer. I understand and share in the frustration that there aren’t more lesbian characters on TV. And though the two lead characters on our show are not lesbians, they are written by more than one of us. I laugh out loud every day in the writer’s room, and you’ll see why over the next ten weeks as there will be a new episode on every Monday night. The show just gets better and better, that I promise you from the bottom of my heart parts.

    Thanks for your continued love and support!
    Your friendo,
    Liz

  15. I saw a preview for 2 broke girls on TV and it just didn’t look very good but the extended preview here was a lot funnier! I have a television which I use only for movies and dvd-tv-shows but if I find access to a real TV with cable and things I will definitely try to watch this! Or maybe I will find it online, will it be (legally) online at all?

    Also Liz Feldman is ridiculously funny! Why did I not know about her sooner? She seems very cool. And I am not just saying that because she posted here earlier and clearly has read the comments. She actually does seem very cool and funny. :D

  17. I enjoyed the pilot. It was nice to see that they gave the blond girl more layers than just “spoiled rich girl.” The 2 girls have great chemistry together. Even the accidental lesbian kiss on the subway came off funny and not played for cheap jokes. I hope the future episodes continue to be good.

  18. I’ve been seeing ads for this all over nyc. It keeps grabbing my attn and I had a brief discussion about it at stonewall earlier. Liz is cool and it seems interesting. I don’t have tv tho so shall have to find other ways of viewing it. I like “this just out” quite a bit. i don’t care if characters are gay or not, as long as they are funny girls.

  19. This looks so good I’m gonna watch it even though I don’t think either of them are gonna indulge in any lady loving.

  20. Saw the premiere – that was freaking hilarious. Definitely worth watching, whether there are gay characters or not. And I kinda want a horse in my backyard.

  21. I do not own a TV and generally don’t really watch sitcoms, but I fucking love Liz Feldman so fucking much. She is seriously inspiring. And hilarious. I’ll happily support anything she does. And I will always hold out hope that This Just Out returns someday…

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