As we continue to count down the days until international travel bans are lifted, it’s safe to say that exploring countries other than our own is on the top of our post-pandemic list.
For those eager for escapism to the sun-lit cliffs of Santorini or the spice-riddled souks of Morocco, the sights and sounds of New York City is yet another go-to travel destination—especially if you’re still on a high from the Sex And The City revival.
Enter: Netflix’s Pretend It’s A City.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the legendary filmmaker follows his longtime friend, fellow New Yorker and prolific writer Fran Lebowitz for a tour of the real New York—from the Metro to Times Square itself. The pair dive deep into the highs and lows of the Big Apple and succesfully giving us non-New Yorkers some serious travel envy.
Piqued your interest? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the docuseries—from the plot to where you can stream it in Australia.
What Is The Plot Of Pretend It’s A City?
A seven-episode docuseries, Pretend It’s A City follows the hilarious Fran Lebowitz and iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese through the streets of New York City. Picking up from their previous 2010 docuseries, Public Speaking, the pair hold court in lecture halls with Scorsese questioning the prolific writer on certain topics—from money, athletics, transportation—with each half-hour instalment diving deep into their realities of the Big Apple.
“We both have such a strong connection to New York that, in fact, when I made my deal with Marty… Marty said, ‘OK, here’s the deal. We don’t leave Manhattan,'” Lebowitz reveals in the series.
Functioning almost as an essay about the highs and lows of life in New York City and given the current global pandemic, Pretend It’s A City is the closest any of us will get to Manhattan ourselves. From Grand Central Station to Times Square, the docuseries goes deep into the addictive rush of NYC normalcy, shining a Broadway spotlight on why it is one of the greatest cities in the world.
Intrigued? Check out the trailer below to see for yourself.
WATCH BELOW: Pretend It’s A City Trailer
Who Stars In Pretend It’s A City?
While fans of the zeitgeist—or any red carpet event—are sure to recognise Martin Scorsese and Fran Lebowitz, here’s a refresher for those unfamiliar with their friendship and legacies.
Scorsese grew up in Manhattan’s Little Italy and spent his infamous period of the 1970s in Los Angeles. One of the most prolific filmmakers of his generation, Scorsese is responsible for iconic films such as Goodfellas, The Wolf Of Wall Street and Gangs Of New York to name a few.
Scorsese and Lebowitz have been both longtime friends and collaborators, so long in fact that they can barely remember the first time that they met—although Lebowitz thinks it was at a party.
“Whenever I saw Marty at a party, I would spend most of the evening talking to Marty,” she says.
Born in New Jersey, humorist Fran Lebowitz is what it means to be a New Yorker. Most known for her two hilarious collections of essays from the ’70s and ’80s, Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, her work features her cutting observations and opinions on life and thankfully, we have the pleasure of said commentaries once again.
When can we watch Pretend It’s A City in Australia?
Looking for your next binge-watch? Pretend It’s A City is currently available to stream on Netflix.
