End of Schitt’s hits fans hard
Heartwarming and kooky, Canadian comedy ach ieves international stardom
It would’ve been perfect, except for the bell — that little brass call bell on the reception desk at the Rosebud Motel. Upon wrapping filming on CBC’S comedy Schitt’s Creek, co- creator and star Eugene Levy wanted it as a souvenir.
“I really wanted the bell in the motel office, but by the time we wrapped that set and I went in to look for the bell, I couldn’t find it,” he says. “I have no idea who would have taken it, or why. It didn’t work, but that’s why I loved it.”
Levy swiped a menu from the show’s Cafe Tropical and a framed portrait of his onscreen family instead. But really, what better way to end his time on the award-winning, internationally acclaimed, fan-favourite comedy than with a perfectly imperfect twist of fate?
To be sure, that was the impetus for the series’ narrative journey in the first place. Schitt’s Creek debuted in 2015 with the story of the filthy rich Rose family, who lose their fortune and are forced to relocate to the titular and somewhat filthily named town.
There’s matriarch Moira (Catherine O’hara), a former soap opera actress with a penchant for fanciful phrases and peculiar enunciation. Son David ( Dan Levy) can deliver a withering stare par excellence and daughter Alexis ( Annie Murphy) has a past that includes a shortlived reality show and being taken hostage on David Geffen’s yacht by Somali pirates.
But throughout the show’s run, Johnny Rose, the former CEO of a video rental chain, has remained a patriarch both positive and pragmatic.
“I was excited about playing the straight man because up until Schitt’s Creek, my career trajectory had been in another direction,” says Levy, who’s starred in Canadian sketch comedy SCTV alongside O’hara, the American Pie movies and various Christopher Guest films, again with O’hara.
“I was the guy who was hired to come in and be funny. I was the guy who was supposed to get laughs without having to carry story and exposition. I had a great time doing that, but this was something so different for me.”
Over the next six seasons, Schitt’s Creek has become known for being equal parts heartwarming and kooky. David courtship with fiancé Patrick ( Noah Reid) has inspired many a fan fiction, and Moira and Johnny are unfailingly committed to each other — even when the mother of Alexis’s boyfriend sends what Johnny calls “a whisper of desire” his way.
The Roses have also grown into less materialistic, more compassionate versions of themselves. Levy cites a key scene in season 2 when Johnny and Moira defend Schitt’s Creek’s mullet- wearing mayor and his wife against barbs from their snooty former friends.
“It was a big turning point for the Rose family and it was a nice point for Johnny to realize the positive attributes of this town,” he says.
With Schitt’s Creek airing its last- ever episode on Tuesday, followed by a onehour behind-the-scenes special, the formula has proven nothing less than a success. Schitt’s Creek has been the No. 1 scripted Canadian comedy on prime-time television in Canada since it launched, CBC says.
In the U. S., it started with an average audience of 263,000 viewers on cable network Pop TV, saw doubledigit growth when the first two seasons hit Netflix, and season 5 took in 3.3 million viewers on the network’s various platforms.
Along the way, Schitt’s Creek won 18 Canadian Screen Awards and four Emmy nominations. But for Levy, much of the pleasure has just been working with his kids. He co- created and stars in the series with his son Dan, and daughter Sarah Levy plays Cafe Tropical waitress Twyla.
“When I started this show, I found myself working in scenes with both Dan and Sarah, and in my head I was just thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m working on camera with my daughter! I can’t believe I’m watching my son in a scene with Catherine O’hara!” he says. “It’s been a joy.”
Now, the younger Levy has a three- year deal with ABC Studios to develop and produce more scripted projects. Meanwhile Eugene’s onscreen daughter, Murphy, will star in AMC’S upcoming series Kevin Can F--- Himself.
Naturally, though, fans are wondering whether a Schitt’s spinoff or prequel could be in the cards.
“I think anything is a possibility at this point, but nothing specifically has been discussed. We just want to be careful with exactly what it is and how it’s approached. The reason we’re ending the show now is because it’s time to end the show,” Levy says.
“We don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the reputation and the quality of Schitt’s Creek. The show basically represents love. That’s something we’ve all been very proud of and it’s something only a few shows I think can claim.”
this was something so different for me.