Schitt's Creek


Schitt's Creek is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy consisting of 80 episodes over six seasons, airing on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. Produced by Not a Real Company Productions and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, it follows the formerly wealthy Rose family who, after their business manager embezzles the family business, Rose Video, lose their fortune and relocate to a motel in the small town of Schitt's Creek, where they must adjust to their new life circumstances.
The series concept came from Dan Levy, who wondered how wealthy families, as frequently depicted on American reality television, would react if they lost all their money. He developed the series with his father Eugene before pitching it to several Canadian and American networks. It was first sold to CBC Television in Canada and secured final funding to start production in its sale to Pop in the United States. Although limited in popularity for its first few seasons, its regional appearances on Netflix after its third season are credited for its rise in stature and a dynamic social media presence.
Schitt's Creek received critical acclaim and garnered a cult following, particularly for its writing, humour and acting. It has won various prizes, including two ACTRA Awards and 18 Canadian Screen Awards. It is the first Canadian comedy series to be nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Series. It also received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and a total of 19 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series twice. It received 15 of these nominations for its sixth and final season, setting a record for most Emmy nominations for a comedy series's final season. For its portrayal of LGBTQ+ people, it received three nominations for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning twice.
At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, the series's final season swept all seven major comedy awards. It was the first time a comedy or drama series received all seven awards; Dan Levy notably received Outstanding Comedy Series, Writing and Directing for a Comedy Series. It set records for winning all four major acting categories for O'Hara, Murphy and both Levys—a first for a comedy or drama series; for most Emmy wins by a comedy series in a single season, and for most Emmy nominations and wins by a comedy series in its final season.

Synopsis

The wealthy Rose family — video store magnate Johnny, his wife and former soap opera actress Moira, and their pampered, self-centred adult children David and Alexis — lose their fortune after being defrauded by their business manager. With their mansion seized by the government, they are forced to move to their sole remaining asset: a remote town named Schitt's Creek somewhere in Canada, which Johnny bought the legal deed to for David's birthday in 1991 as a joke.
The Roses begin living in two adjacent rooms in the town's run-down motel. As the family adjusts to their new lives, their well-to-do attitudes conflict with the town's more provincial residents, including mayor Roland Schitt, his wife Jocelyn, and their son Mutt, the motel's clerk Stevie Budd, town council members Ronnie Lee and Bob Currie, veterinarian Ted Mullens, and Jazzagal member and Café Tropical waitress Twyla Sands.

Cast and characters

Main
  • Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose, the well-meaning and patient patriarch of the Rose family, who always tries to do what's best for his wife and children.
  • Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose, an eccentric former soap opera star, with a firm commitment to glamour and a fierce belief in her own celebrity. She uses an extensive vocabulary and speaks with an unplaceable, faux-upper class accent.
  • Daniel Levy as David Rose, Johnny and Moira's artistic and fashion-obsessed pansexual son, who yearns to return to his urban single life in New York City.
  • Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose, Johnny and Moira's daughter and David's younger sister; a flighty socialite and former reality television aspirant, she has had liaisons with many celebrities and survived several outrageous and often dangerous encounters in multiple foreign countries.
  • Emily Hampshire as Stevie Budd, the sardonic clerk and later owner of the motel, who becomes David's best friend and Johnny's business partner.
  • Chris Elliott as Roland Schitt, the posturing, nosy, and often irksome mayor of Schitt’s Creek who eventually starts working at the motel with Johnny and Stevie.
  • Jennifer Robertson as Jocelyn Schitt, the mayor's cheerful, optimistic, down-to-earth wife, who is also a schoolteacher and leader of the women’s a cappella group The Jazzagals.
  • Noah Reid as Patrick Brewer, David's earnest, pragmatic, and warmhearted business partner; he and David soon begin a romantic relationship that culminates in their marriage at the end of the series.
  • Tim Rozon as Mutt Schitt, Roland and Jocelyn's unambitious, contented son, and Alexis's love interest in the first two seasons.
  • Dustin Milligan as Ted Mullens, the town veterinarian with a penchant for puns who falls in love with Alexis.
Recurring
  • Karen Robinson as Veronica "Ronnie" Lee, a headstrong member of the town council and a leading member of the Jazzagals who frequently butts heads with Patrick.
  • Sarah Levy as Twyla Sands, the unwaveringly cheerful yet knowing Café Tropical waitress, who often tells rather tragic and upsetting stories about her childhood in a concernedly offhand manner.
  • John Hemphill as Bob Currie, proprietor of Bob's Garage and a member of the town council who often talks about his wife Gwen.
  • Rizwan Manji as Ray Butani, the town's only real estate agent and a former town council member, who has a variety of other businesses.
  • Robin Duke as Wendy Kurtz, one-time owner of the Blouse Barn and David's former employer.
  • Steve Lund as Jake, a polyamorous, free-spirited furniture maker who is, at various points, a love interest for both David and Stevie.
  • Marilyn Bellfontaine as Gwen Currie, Bob's wife.

    Episodes

Development

Conception

Dan Levy came up with the idea for the show while watching reality television. "I had been watching some reality TV at the time and was concentrating on what would happen if one of these wealthy families would lose everything. Would the Kardashians still be the Kardashians without their money?" He turned to his father Eugene to help develop the show, who came up with the series title. Dan decided to make the location of Schitt's Creek vague, but has said that it is in Canada.
The premise of being forced to move to a town they once bought as a joke was inspired by actress Kim Basinger's $20 million purchase of the town of Braselton, Georgia in 1989. Eugene Levy said, "My wife had an idea for a television show about boomers not having money or moving in with their kids. Their situation was described as being up sh–'s creek. It just made us laugh. Then my son Daniel came in with an article one day about an actress, Alec Baldwin's ex-wife, who bought a town. She was hoping that film people would come to the town to use it as a location area and she lost a lot of money. The idea of wealthy people buying a town went back to the Schitt's Creek idea."
The Levys initially pitched the show to several networks in Canada and the United States. Cable networks HBO and Showtime passed on the series, while a broadcast network in America and the CBC in Canada expressed interest. The show was first sold to the CBC, but the Levys decided against major U.S. broadcasters after getting nervous about their reputation for creative interference. Schitt's Creek eventually found a U.S. home on Pop TV after striking a deal with network head Brad Schwartz, who had previously hired Dan on MTV Canada.
During the early stages of development, various networks suggested the title of the show be changed to avoid the vulgar word. The Levys resisted these suggestions and argued "Schitt" was a legitimate last name. To prove their point, they brought pages copied from a phone book to the CBC showing listings for individuals with the "Schitt" surname. The CBC agreed and allowed the Levys to keep the original title.
Dan Levy initially envisioned the series ending with season five, but agreed to a sixth season after receiving a two-year renewal following the show's fourth season.

Casting

was the series creators' first choice for the role of eccentric family matriarch, Moira Rose. O'Hara had previously worked with Eugene Levy on SCTV and several of Christopher Guest's films. She initially turned down Levy's offer to star, citing "laziness" and an aversion to long-term projects. Levy reached out to another actress, but continued to court O'Hara for the role. O'Hara eventually agreed to participate in the presentation pilot with no obligation to continue in the role after Schitt's Creek was ordered to series. After the show was picked up by the CBC, O'Hara agreed to continue in the role.
Annie Murphy was offered the role of spoiled socialite Alexis Rose after actress Abby Elliott was unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts. Murphy was on the verge of giving up on acting since she had not worked in over two years when she got an email inviting her to audition for the role. She first auditioned in Los Angeles, where Dan Levy said she stood out due to her "wonderfully natural likability." Eugene Levy was unsure of Murphy's casting because she did not possess the blonde hair he had pictured for the role of Alexis. Murphy was subsequently called back for a second audition for a different role, sarcastic motel clerk Stevie Budd. After this audition, Dan Levy convinced his father that Murphy could dye her hair blonde, and she was officially cast as Alexis Rose.
Emily Hampshire was cast as the deadpan motel clerk, Stevie Budd, after auditioning for the role in Los Angeles. She originally requested to submit a taped audition on account of her nerves and recurring hive breakouts. Hampshire ultimately agreed to audition in person, but states she has no recollection of the experience. According to Daniel Levy, who was present for the process, Hampshire gave a "great" audition, then proceeded to lift her shirt over her head to hide and slowly rocked back and forth. Levy later told Hampshire he found her audition "charming", and she was offered the part of Stevie.
Noah Reid was offered the role of David's business partner and love interest, Patrick Brewer, in season three. Dan Levy was socially familiar with Reid and invited him to audition on the suggestion of Stacey Farber. Reid had never watched the show before he auditioned and was unsure how long the character would be a part of the series. Dan Levy was not present during the audition process and did not "chemistry test" with Reid before he was cast.
Other cast regulars Chris Elliott and Sarah Levy were given the roles of Roland Schitt and Twyla Sands, respectively, without auditioning. Elliott says when Eugene Levy offered him the role of the town mayor, he thought, "Why would I say no?" Sarah Levy, the daughter of Eugene and sister of Dan, was asked to be a part of the show before it was fully developed. She says she was glad not to be cast as Alexis, as being out of her family's orbit on the show allowed her to "do own thing."