Everything we know about CBS’s ‘Broke’ with Jaime Camil
Nowadays, sitcoms all have the same plot: a wacky family is forced to get together for some arbitrary reason and have heartfelt talks as they grow closer with hilarious hijinks throughout.
CBS recently released their trailer for Broke, a new sitcom created by Alex Herschlag and starring NCIS veteran Pauley Perrette along with our Jane the Virgin hero Jaime Camil. Apparently, the show will be included in their fall 2019 lineup.
Let’s talk some truth now. While we loved Pauley Perrette the most on NCIS, what really makes our hearts sing is learning we’ll be able to see our fave Jaime Camil – or Rogelio de la Vega as we’ve come to know and love him. We were so very worried that a Jaime-shaped void would engulf our bingewatching schedules after Jane the Virgin has ended.
We’ve made no secret of the fact that “Rogelio’s scenes are the most enjoyable part of any Jane the Virgin episode” and “There are a million and one reasons why Jaime Camil deserves to headline his own show.”
With that out of the way, here’s everything we know about Broke.
It has a suitably ludicrous premise
Broke seems to follow all the same patterns many have seen, which is no surprise coming from the channel that let The Big Bang Theory run for far too many seasons. Jackie, played by Perrette, must take in her formerly wealthy sister Elizabeth (Natasha Leggero) and her husband Javier (Jamie Camil) after their money has all dried up.
Throw in Jackie’s son Sammy (Antonio Corbo) and Javier’s assistant Luis (Izzy Diaz) and you’ve got a basic sitcom many have already seen before.
What does actually make Broke’s trailer charmingly surprising is that it doesn’t fulfill every cliche. Javier is a kind-hearted man from the get-go; any other show would just have him learn the values of family and call it a day, but Broke offers a twist on a dumb cliché. Javier is already a family man and has some love in his heart. There’s even a moment between Jackie and Javier during which Jackie exclaims “Stop being charming when I’m angry!”
It’s closer in tone to beloved rom-coms like Overboard than previous CBS sitcoms
Think more Overboard than Big Bang Theory, since Javier has to adjust to this life without luxury. Yes, it’s a cliche (that we even saw in Jane the Virgin recently), but it’s Jaime Camil, so we’ll give them a break. These new lifestyle adjustments offer Javier a chance to grow as a character in a different way than the tired sitcom tropes we often see. (“Rich man loses everything and becomes nice.”)
It’s all about modern parenting and love in an unconventional family
It’s very clear from Broke’s trailer that Jackie is being portrayed as a strong single mother and fierce woman. She’s living her life on her own terms and doesn’t need a man to come and save her. Jackie prioritizes the relationships she already has in her life and we’re excited to see her character develop on its own merits.
It’s clear this is a woman that doesn’t need a man to define her, so we’re not going to have to suffer her “love interest of the week”, a trope of which so many sitcoms about single parents fall foul.
In short, while Broke seems to be another generic sitcom, it looks to possess charm and avoid some of the more annoying clichés. With cast members like Jaime Camil and Pauley Perrette, we’re sure Broke will be a fun watch this fall.
