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The web seriesPsusyunabashedly proclaims itself to be theBroad Cityof New Zealand.
Theyre funny, thoughtful, gross, and occasionally disturbing often in the span of a couple minutes.
I spoke with Beach-Robertson and Duckworth about the project and what they have planned going forward.
Sometimes its subtle, sometimes its more overt.
Talk a little about how you write the show.
And if we hadnt, were like Okay, this is a good place to start from.
After the first season people would just come up to me and start telling me weird shit.
And Im like, Oh.
Anna Duckworth:I think a persons universe can be quite surreal.
Jaya:There were no rules.
If she had said no, those things might not have progressed.
That first episode this season is a good example.
Sharee is getting a lap dance and is a little uncomfortable.
It goes a lot of places in just a few minutes.
Jaya:In three minutes, yeah.
Thats what people like.
If youre not holding their attention with this weird stuff, youre going to lose them.
Anna, you werent working on the first season how did you get involved?
Anna:I knew Jaya and we had worked on a few other projects together.
This is so good.
Where have you been hiding this?
How could you be this good and I didnt know?
I was like, I have to work with you on the next one.
The first season was just so stressful because she was trying to direct and essentially also produce.
I have a lot of experience with low-budget filmmaking so I was like, Dont do that.
First, get a production person, and then take the directing off your shoulders while youre shooting.
And she would go, Oh, yeah.
Its good to have someone with this external eye who can see that.
Jaya:People constantly say to us, Thats not really the law is it?
No, that is the law.
Anna:So many young people dont even know about it.
Jaya:Thats why I wrote it.
I was like, That is not okay.
Im making this thing so I have to talk about this, because its really messed up.
It was done quick, the location was a little bit fucked, but we made it work.
You walk in and ask, One abortion hey, and the counselor goes, Um, no.
Jaya:Part of our mission statement withPsusyis to handle serious issues without tiptoeing around them.
Its better to bring up the floor to discussion than to just be tiptoeing around these things.
I think its a real turnoff when people are seeing videos where its like abortion is very serious.
Like the episode where they take meth.
We wondered, Should we be doing this?
Well…people take meth.
Anna:Were not advertising it.
Jaya:Yeah, you probably shouldnt do it.
That came from Lauren, whos a script advisor.
When she suggested that I was like, Thats disgusting.
But yeah, its pretty gross.
The problems with treating it.
Im a guy but I thought, You couldnt have made this up.
This is so stupid, it has to be real.
Jaya:Its based on my own experience aside from the fantasy squirting bit.
This is not just me, this is actually confusing stuff.
The whole anxiety about having to put medication inside you.
I imagine it would be similar to putting a suppository in.
Anna:You want me to put what where?
Jaya:Its these weird icky feelings that people dont discuss.
We can share in our own icky feeling-ness.
It makes them feel slightly less alone and makes them feel more that this is just funny and weird.
Youve been very up front aboutBroad Citybeing the model for what you wanted to do.
The first thing was I saw them and I was like, Holy shit.
They dont look like the normal girls you see on TV or in comedy shows.
Theyre not cookie-cutter pretty, theyre not stick thin, they have flaws and they do really weird stuff.
It was hilarious, and I can relate to them because theyre not perfect.
Theyre the stars of a comedy, so that means I can do it!
I connected with them and I related to who they were.
Theyre just different and that was the main thing just seeing true difference.
Ilanas got crazy curly hair and shes weird and loud and inappropriate and amazing.
Abbi is amazing and neurotic and gets nervous around boys and is cute and beautiful.
Anna:Also, when you see something likeBroad Citythat is just so incrediblygood, thats really inspiring.
Jaya:Theres so many more female based comedies out there now, likeFleabag.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is beautiful but shes not a classic leading lady.
She has a mole and she didnt cover it up.
Her show is about this lady whos a fleabag.
I was like, Yes.
Anna:Chewing Gum.
Jaya:Theyre doing great things.
Having done two seasons of short episodes, have you started thinking about a third?
Are you interested in telling longer stories?
Jaya:Its literally all based on funding.
I used my savings for the production and then we crowdfunded for the post-production.
So its really a matter of funding.
We definitely want to make more.
Were planning on making a 25-minute pilot, and then Id really like to make more.
Id like to find a producer who could take us to another level where we could get funding.
Probably not from government agencies.
Anna:Its quite a niche thing, this gross-out humor, super in-your-face lady stuff.
There isnt really a large enough audience in New Zealand.
Thats why its online.
Either way were trying to work towards longer form.
Jaya:Theres so much more stories that we have to tell.
Aria Dehar, who plays Sharee, is this treasure trove of just weirdo experiences.
Because shes half-Maori, shes got a really interesting take on things.
Her being in between people saying she doesnt look Maori enough and then sometimes shes too Maori.
Theres just so much stuff that I want to tell.
Its about how do we do that.
We need a producer and we need some money!
