From Haunt to Hilarity: Your Next 5-Season Binge Awaits on Hulu While Waiting for Ghosts Season 5
The television landscape can be a cruel mistress, especially when you’re deep in the throes of a beloved show. For fans of CBS’s Ghosts (and its original BBC counterpart), the wait for Season 5 is a particular kind of purgatory. We’ve become accustomed to the wholesome spectral shenanigans of Sam, Jay, and their eccentric gaggle of deceased housemates at Woodstone Mansion. We crave the witty banter, the unexpected moments of poignant humanity, and the sheer delight of a show that manages to be both hilariously silly and genuinely heartwarming.
But while we eagerly anticipate the next chapter of Thorfinn's existential musings, Isaac's historical grievances, and Hetty's surprising growth, the television-shaped void looms. What could possibly fill that unique space? What show offers a comparable blend of singular characters, a strong ensemble dynamic, and a deep, undeniable heart beneath its comedic surface? The answer, a perfectly portioned five-season sitcom available right now on Hulu, is the gloriously unhinged, deeply authentic, and surprisingly resonant Broad City.
On the surface, Broad City might seem like an odd recommendation for Ghosts fans. Where Ghosts is a charming, often family-friendly romp set in a picturesque historical estate, Broad City is a gritty, gloriously unpolished love letter to navigating young adulthood in the chaotic, exhilarating concrete jungle of New York City. Yet, beneath the surface-level differences in setting and decibel, these two shows share a profound, comedic DNA.
Both Ghosts and Broad City thrive on the power of an idiosyncratic ecosystem. At Woodstone, it's a house full of people from different eras, forced to coexist and eventually form an unconventional family. In Broad City, it's the unshakeable, often co-dependent, but always fiercely loyal friendship between Abbi Abrams and Ilana Glazer. Like the spirits of Woodstone, Abbi and Ilana are stuck together, their lives intertwined by circumstance and an unbreakable bond, each a perfect foil and enabler for the other's unique brand of madness. The ensemble, while smaller in primary focus, extends to a vibrant cast of recurring characters – Lincoln, Bevers, Jeremy, Jaime – who, much like Pete, Sasappis, or Trevor, add distinct flavors and crucial comedic beats to the main dynamic.
Furthermore, both shows celebrate imperfection with open arms. The ghosts of Woodstone are flawed, stuck in their past lives and their own particular hang-ups, but it’s their very flaws that make them endearing and relatable. Similarly, Abbi and Ilana are far from polished protagonists. They’re messy, often broke, sometimes selfish, and almost always making questionable decisions. But their vulnerability, their unwavering support for each other, and their authentic portrayal of struggle make them incredibly lovable. You root for them, even when they’re at their most chaotic, because their hearts are always in the right place, much like even the most curmudgeonly ghost has a kernel of goodness buried deep within.
What Broad City offers as a perfect counterpoint and complementary binge is its fearless, often surrealistic, and always hilarious exploration of the everyday. While Ghosts finds its humor in the clash of centuries and the absurdities of the afterlife, Broad City finds its comedy in the very real, often cringeworthy, but utterly relatable experiences of two young women trying to "make it" (or at least survive) in New York. From navigating subway delays to questionable job interviews, from art class anxieties to elaborate attempts to acquire coveted concert tickets, the show elevates the mundane to the magnificent. It’s a masterclass in observational humor and physical comedy, often venturing into animated sequences or dreamscapes that feel as whimsically out-of-the-box as Flower turning into a squirrel or Thorfinn getting his eyes sewn shut.
And then there's the "five-season" sweet spot. Broad City delivers a complete, satisfying arc within its five seasons. It’s long enough for you to deeply invest in Abbi and Ilana's journey, to see their growth (and their glorious lack thereof in certain areas), and to truly miss them when it's over. Yet, it’s short enough that it feels like a perfectly portioned comedic feast – a show you can devour over a long weekend or savor across a few weeks, without ever feeling like it's dragging its feet or succumbing to filler. Each episode feels purposeful, packing in genuine laughs, surprising tenderness, and often, truly iconic moments.
So, as you impatiently await the return of your favorite spectral housemates, consider a temporary relocation to the bustling, brilliantly bonkers world of Broad City. It’s a show that might not have literal ghosts, but it's haunted by the anxieties and absurdities of young adulthood, the lingering specter of past mistakes, and the vibrant, vital, and wildly different kind of found family that can only be forged in the crucible of unwavering friendship. Let Abbi and Ilana fill your screen with riotous laughter and heart while the spirits of Woodstone prepare for their triumphant return. You won't regret the detour.
