This is a public service announcement to put the Canadian sitcom ‘Schitt’s Creek’ on your radar if it is not already or if you just need a little encouragement to finally watch (or rewatch) this television gem.
Schitt’s Creek is a series that has become loved by fans and critics alike for its humour, writing and acting. The show well and truly cleaned up at the 2020 Emmy Awards which saw the sitcom win the entire comedy category including Best Comedy Series for its sixth and final season, setting a new Emmy record. What a way to go out.
Schitt’s Creek was created by on-screen and off-screen father-son-duo Eugene and Dan Levy. The show began with Dan Levy conceptualising how rich families, like those often portrayed on American reality TV, would react if they suddenly lost all of their money. The sitcom follows the once filthy-rich Rose family whose tax-evading business manager has left them suddenly broke. The family is forced to relocate to Schitt’s Creek, a small town they once purchased as a joke that has now become their only remaining asset. The show features a perfectly cast ensemble with Eugene Levy as video store mogul Johnny Rose, Catherine O’Hara in arguably her best role in existence as the wonderfully theatrical former soap opera star Moira Rose, Dan Levy as their sarcastic style-icon son David and Annie Murphy as their confident socialite daughter Alexis.
The show feels like a family affair on and off-screen. Father and son Eugene and Dan also play father and son on-screen, and Sarah Levy, Eugene’s daughter and Dan’s sister, plays Twyla who works at the town café. Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy reunited to play married couple Johnny and Moria after first working together and becoming friends over 40 years ago. And Annie Murphy and Dan Levy have undeniable and hilarious chemistry as on-screen siblings, creating some of the show’s best scenes together.
The series features some of the most unlikely loveable characters on TV. Before discovering the show, I would not have expected this family of spoilt, entitled, chaotic personalities to be so enjoyable to watch. The character growth we see throughout the six seasons from each member of the Rose family is delightful and rewarding to watch.
The show, which has been praised for its inclusivity, even winning a GLAAD Media Award, has only become more popular with age. The series has blown up in later seasons when many other shows would commonly wind down. In fact, the series seemed to wrap up just as it achieved mainstream success. According to Dan Levy, this was the perfect time to end the show’s run. The series ended on a high note now continues to be talked about and enjoyed immensely.
You can watch all six seasons of Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. Enjoy!