Television series

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

Name: Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2012
Cast: Krysten Ritter, Dreama Walker, James Van Der Beek, Eric André, Ray Ford

Comedy
Light-hearted

A devilishly charming comedy about June, a Midwestern idealist destroyed by New York, forced to room with Chloe, a con-artist sociopath who's genuinely worse than any nightmare. Sharp, fast, anarchic—it treats its characters like real people while letting them be completely unhinged. Built for anyone who loves chaotic characters and comedy that doesn't apologize.

TVMaze rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy prickly, lopsided friendships where the bad behaviour is the engine, and you like a sitcom that keeps its jokes coming at a brisk, bright clip.

Skip it if you need characters to soften as they go, or episodes that run in tidy order, since the original broadcast shuffled them and some running plots arrive scrambled.

What it asks of you: Thirty-minute episodes, twenty-six in all, played fast and bright, with a steady stream of jokes that rewards you for keeping up.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Broad City2014

Same anarchic energy, same New York setting, same commitment to making its characters wildly unfiltered and genuinely funny. Abbi and Ilana's friendship has that same electric charge as June and Chloe's dynamic.

But It gets deliberately gross and weird in ways that aren't everyone's cup of tea. Also significantly more chaotic—if you want plot, this isn't it.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend2015

Rebecca Bloom plays a deranged woman with the same deadpan commitment Krysten Ritter brings to Chloe. Musicals, character work that's actually intelligent, and comedy that swings between hilarious and genuinely uncomfortable.

But It's a musical, and if you hate that format, no amount of smart writing will fix it for you. Also leans into pathos more than pure comedy.

30 Rock2006

Tina Fey's sensibility: fast jokes, workplace chaos, genuine affection between characters who drive each other insane. Alec Baldwin is James Van Der Beek playing Alec Baldwin. It's exactly as good as that sounds.

But Network TV of that era—some jokes haven't aged well. Also much broader, less character-driven than Don't Trust the B.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Undeclared2001

Both are fundamentally about incompatible people forced into intimacy and discovering that's actually the point of living with anyone. The comedy comes from friction, not resolution.

Judd Apatow's college comedy has the same chaotic-roommate energy and ensemble warmth, but in an era before sitcoms learned they had to be nice. Characters are selfish, mean, and genuinely funny. It's about people learning to live around each other despite themselves.

But Only two seasons before cancellation, which means it never fully lands. Also structured as ensemble storytelling rather than oddballs orbiting a personality.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017

Another female lead destroying the expectations everyone has of her, set in New York, surrounded by an insane supporting cast that steals every scene. Razor-sharp writing and a protagonist with genuine bite.

But It's fundamentally optimistic about its characters in a way this show isn't. Also much more concerned with plot and period detail than raw comedy.

Schitt's Creek2015

A fish-out-of-water comedy with real heart that still commits to making its characters ridiculous. The odd couple dynamic deepens across seasons without losing the anarchic energy.

But The early seasons are much broader and sometimes feel safer than they should. Also takes a while to find its footing tone-wise.

2 Broke Girls2011

Another odd-couple sitcom set in New York with dark humor and characters who refuse to be likeable in conventional ways. Fast dialogue, workplace setting, genuine chemistry between leads.

But Network TV constraints mean it pulls punches this show doesn't. Humor can feel repetitive and the show never quite finds what it's trying to be.

Happy Endings2011

Structured around a found family rather than romance, packed with absurdist humor and characters who genuinely like each other while being completely insane. Joke density rivals anything on network TV.

But It's almost airless—the pace never lets up, which exhausts some people. Also completely dependent on chemistry and ensemble timing.

Community2009

A group of misfits learning to love each other while being fundamentally ridiculous. Tonally elastic, genuinely weird, committed to character work underneath the comedy chaos.

But Seasons 4-5 are genuinely rough. Also gets increasingly self-referential in ways that alienate people who just want to watch the show.

NewsRadio1995

Workplace chaos comedy where the characters are clearly insane but the show loves them anyway. Andy Dick as a oblivious weirdo surrounded by people being slowly driven mad. Tight, fast, character-driven.

But Dated in ways that are sometimes distracting. Also more grounded than this show, which some might find boring by comparison.

Damages2007

Chloe is Damages if someone turned up the comedy and Glenn Close decided to befriend her prey instead of annihilating them. Both are built around watching a sociopath operate in plain sight.

Glenn Close plays a brilliant sociopath who destroys everything around her with absolute charm. It's a thriller structured like a puzzle, but underneath is that same fascination with watching someone completely amoral navigate normal life.

But It's genuinely dark—not comedy dark, actual dark. The pleasure is different: less laughs, more dread. Also serialized in a way that demands attention.

WKRP in Cincinnati1978

Both understand that comedy lives in the space between people who shouldn't work together but somehow do. The joy isn't in the plot; it's in watching people accidentally build a family.

A workplace ensemble where the characters are competent disasters, led by a news director who's constantly baffled by his own staff. Warm, funny, and genuinely interested in why people like each other despite being fundamentally incompatible.

But It's from 1978, which means the rhythms are completely different from modern comedy. Also slower and more gentle—if you want chaos, this softens it.