Man Seeking Woman’s Britt Lower and Simon Rich Preview “Teacup” [Exclusive] 

I think Man Seeking Woman is one of the funniest shows on TV right now. Not only is it a sharply observed comedic take on the trials and travails of dating, but the quirky surrealism only adds to its appeal. If you haven’t been watching, you’re missing out on a truly great show. If you are watching, you know just how satisfying, funny and strange this series is.

TV Goodness has the opportunity to speak exclusively to series star Britt Lower and creator/EP Simon Rich about this week’s episode, “Teacup.” Normally the action focuses on Jay Baruchel‘s Josh, but this week we get to spend some quality time with Liz, who in this episode deals with a break-up and now feels the pressures of being single in her late twenties, much like her brother has. How will Liz handle the challenges during her fantastical quest for love as a Woman Seeking Man?

TV GOODNESS: Simon, when people hear the premise of this show are they tripping over themselves to share their dating horror stories with you?

Simon Rich: “Yes, all the time. That’s one of the most fun parts of the creative process, even though it’s a completely weird, surreal show, it’s extremely autobiographical for all of us. We find the show to be pretty confessional. The most exciting thing for us is when people say they relate to what they’ve seen on the show. That’s our goal, is to tell our own stories and ideally have people respond to them emotionally.”

TV GOODNESS: Britt, I love that this is such an unconventional and quirky comedy. Are you still surprised when you get the scripts?

Britt Lower: “I must say, I’m absolutely pleasantly surprised every time I get a new script, by how absurd and wonderfully surreal they are. My favorite episode is 109, because I’m in all of it. [Laughs.] But, I was just really excited to get to give Liz a really personal insight. You can see Liz’s point of view in this episode, so that’s what I was really excited about.”

TV GOODNESS: Let’s talk about “Teacup.” I loved it and it’s great to be getting a Liz-centric episode. For both of you, can you preview the episode and tell us what to expect?

Simon: “After spending eight episodes in a row fixating in obsessive detail on every aspect of Josh’s dating life, we spend an episode away from him and instead fixate obsessively on Liz’s dating life. The premise is very similar to the pilot of Man Seeking Woman. Liz breaks up with her long-term partner and has to enter the dating world for the first time in years.

Obviously, because she is a woman and not a man, some of the situations that she has to encounter are different, but much of it, at least emotionally, is just as raw and miserable and hellish as anything that Josh experiences. That’s what was so fun about writing it, is not just as a staff trying to figure out what are the differences, but also trying to figure out what are the similarities. I think when it comes to love, regardless of your gender or your situation the highs and lows are often very similar.”

Britt: “Totally agreed and I think this episode in particular is a chance for Liz, who usually has all the answers and everyone’s seeking her advice, for her to make the mistake of listening to everyone else besides herself.”

Simon: “Yeah, exactly. Throughout the entire series the character of Liz is smarter and more successful and in control of her life than Josh. But when it comes to love, even the most high-achieving people on earth still struggle when it comes to finding somebody. That’s one of the themes we wanted to explore.

Edited for space and content. 

Man Seeking Woman airs Wednesdays at 10:30/9:30c on FXX. Be sure to check out my postmortem with Simon and Britt after you’ve watched the episode.