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Schitt's Creek

CBC renews Schitt’s Creek for Season 5

From a media release:

CBC has renewed the critically acclaimed hit comedy series SCHITT’S CREEK, created by and starring Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy, for a fifth season (14 x 30). Returning winter 2019, season 5 sees an increased order from 13 to 14 episodes.

Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC, the SCHITT’S CREEK season 4 finale airs April 10 in Canada.

Currently in its fourth season, SCHITT’S CREEK is one of the top 10 Canadian entertainment programs, drawing a total reach of more than 1.4 million weekly and an average audience of 742,000 (2+ AMA) on CBC so far this season, with 41% of viewers in the 25-54 demographic.*

Related: Read our interview with Noah Reid regarding David and Patrick’s relationship

Since its debut in 2015, the series has been recognized with more than 50 award nominations and 18 wins to date, including Canadian Screen Award wins for Best Comedy Series (2016), Best Writing in a Comedy for Daniel Levy (2016), Best Comedy Performance for both Eugene Levy (2016) and Catherine O’Hara (2016, 2017) and Best Supporting Actress, Comedy for Emily Hampshire (2016, 2017).

SCHITT’S CREEK is a half-hour, single-camera comedy starring Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, Chris Elliott, Emily Hampshire and Jennifer Robertson. The series follows a wealthy family who suddenly find themselves broke and forced to live in Schitt’s Creek, a small town they once bought as a joke.

Commissioned by CBC, SCHITT’S CREEK is produced by Not A Real Company Productions Inc. and created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy. The executive producers are Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Andrew Barnsley, Fred Levy, David West Read and Ben Feigin. SCHITT’S CREEK is produced in association with CBC and PopTV and distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

 

 

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Preview: The schitt hits the fan in Season 4 of CBC’s Schitt’s Creek

It really doesn’t feel like a new year has arrived until CBC’s Tuesday night comedy block of Schitt’s Creek and Workin’ Moms has begun. So, here we are, with Season 4 of the Rose’s madcap adventures in that little town they’ve reluctantly called home.

When we last left them, Moira (Catherine O’Hara) had established herself not only on town council but as a member of the Jazzgals, David (Daniel Levy) had opened a business and begun a relationship with Patrick (Noah Reid), Alexis (Annie Murphy) graduated from high school and Johnny (Eugene Levy) had teamed with Stevie (Emily Hampshire) to run the motel. The Rose’s, who once so badly wanted out of Schitt’s Creek, have finally settled into life there. That’s good because it means a constant expansion of the world for themselves and viewers … and laughs.

When Episode 1—written by Daniel and directed by The Kids in the Hall‘s Bruce McCulloch—kicks off Tuesday at 9 p.m., it’s the day after the Season 3 finale. The motel parking lot is packed for the first time, a nod to the success Johnny and Stevie have made it. It’s a personal triumph for Johnny, who has (hilariously) struggled to find something he’s good at. Yes, I’m happy to see the motel packed, but I do miss the days he spent at a dirty desk in Bob’s garage. Of course, this being Schitt’s Creek, it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows. So when Stevie reveals there’s a dead guy in Room 4—also the name of the episode—things quickly head south, especially when Roland (Chris Elliott) swings by. I love it when Elliott and Eugene Levy are in a scene together; their facial expressions and eye-rolling give me the giggles every time.

Alexis, meanwhile, is indignant that David has gotten romanticly involved with Patrick so quickly, seeing as he was against she and Ted rushing into things.

“Patrick is a sweet little button-face,” Alexis advises her brother. “So don’t mess this up.” And David doesn’t plan to, except he’s worried Patrick might have regrets. As for Patrick … well, he’s not ready to rush into anything. For me, the strength of Schitt’s Creek isn’t just about the funny moments and the miscommunication, but the heart. Patrick and David may be going through a super-awkward time but you’re emotionally invested in them as a couple. The same can be said for Ted and Alexis. My heart aches every time those two are in the same room because of things left unsaid when they broke up.

It promises to be another great season of Schitt’s Creek, especially with one humdinger of a story twist revealed in next week’s second instalment. Hang onto your hats fans, because the Schitt’s going to hit the fan.

Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Daniel Levy on the “most exciting season” of CBC’s Schitt’s Creek

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For two seasons, the Rose family has been desperately trying to leave Schitt’s Creek. But Johnny’s (Eugene Levy) plan to sell the town (hilariously) fell through, Moira’s (Catherine O’Hara) attempts to distance herself from the locals has failed and Alexis (Annie Murphy) and David (Daniel Levy) have slowly been accepted into the community.

Now, in Season 3—returning for 13 episodes beginning Tuesday, Jan. 10, to CBC—the Roses have more or less embraced Schitt’s Creek and all that comes with it, including Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott), Jocelyn Schitt (Jennifer Robertson), Mutt (Tim Rozon), Twyla (Sarah Levy) and Ted (Dustin Milligan). We spoke to co-creator, co-executive producer and writer Daniel Levy about what fans can expect in Season 3.

I’ve seen the first episode of Season 3 and the Roses are going through some transition in their lives.
Daniel Levy: Yes, they are. This whole season centres on the premise of transition and just digging a little deeper into the town.

I did wonder where you can go in a third season. I guess the answer is, throw him into a three-way relationship between Stevie (Emily Hampshire) and a guy named Jake (Steve Lund).
{Laughs.] One of the mandates from season to season is, ‘What haven’t we done before?’ And that was definitely a fun little arc to play with.

Is Jake around for a full season or a recurring character?
He plays a pivotal role in the first two episodes. Steve was in the final episode of Season 2 and it’s an interesting casting choice because he does play a sexually fluid character and something Steve brought into the room felt right. We thought he did such a good job at the end of Season 2 that it could be fun to bring him back. And, again, we’re playing off the complexity of David and Stevie’s relationship that David identifies and pansexual and how much fun you can have with the idea of a ‘throuple.’ [Laughs.]

As funny as those scenes are between Stevie and David, there is that undercurrent of serious feelings they have for each other. It’s an added, emotional layer.
Going back to your earlier comment about where you go in a third season, for us, it was taking the focus away from the circumstance and shining the light on the characters in a slightly more dimensional way than we have in the past. For two seasons, it was really important in terms of the narrative, to really substantiate the scenario, the premise of the family adapting to this town. For Season 3, we’re really peeling back the layers of the four protagonists and also with Stevie and Roland and Jocelyn.

To me, this is the most exciting season that we’ve done, and hopefully, rewarding to the fans of the show because we’ll see these people in new and dynamic situations they’ve never seen them in before.

I’ve almost forgotten they’re trying to get out of the town. That’s not part of the narrative anymore, really. Moira is part of the town council and rather than trying to get out of it, has made the best of it.
She’s going to make it about her, basically. Now that they’re not getting out, how are they going to make the best of their time there?

When you say this is the best season ever, have you been working towards this season via the last two?
When I go into each season, it’s not with an end goal in mind when I go into the room. There are emotional beats and emotional places where we want to find our characters at the end of every season. But, to be honest, on a lot of shows the premise wears thin. Being able to dig deeper is a relief, to say the least. But that’s also because of the strength of our actors. They have substantiated these characters in ways that far surpassed all of our expectations and, in a way, have allowed us to tell stories that are uniquely tailored to their skills.

Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Cast image courtesy of CBC.

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Schitt’s Creek’s focal family mixes with the locals in Season 2

The bloom is off the rose for the Roses. The rich family that saw their fortune seized by the government and cast out to live in their remaining asset—the town of Schitt’s Creek—tried desperately to sell the burg and escape. The Season 1 finale saw an end to that as the lone buyer died suddenly, leaving Johnny and his family stuck. What’s the plan for Season 2 of Schitt’s Creek, returning Tuesday at 9 p.m. to CBC? Lay low.

“They’re always looking to get out and if they had the opportunity they would,” co-executive producer and Johnny actor Eugene Levy says. “The reality is that they can’t sell the town, they can’t do much about their situation and they’re going to have to be there longer than they thought they initially would be. Now what do you do? You have to get on with your life.” That means—gasp—finding jobs. Johnny is on unemployment but trying to figure out how to make the best of the situation while kids David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) have to get work so they have money to spend, leading to interaction with the townspeople.

“David gets a job at a clothing store and [Robin Duke] plays Wendy, the manager of the store,” Dan Levy says. “The store is struggling, so she is balancing the reality of an unstable business with having hired David, who wants to redo the whole store. His ideas are not coming from a business mind.”

One of Schitt’s Creek‘s strengths has been the heart hiding behind the hilarity. There are cringeworthy and laugh out loud moments aplenty, but those are contrasted with scenes of genuine feelings, like those between David and Stevie (Emily Hampshire), Alexis and Mutt (Tim Rozon) and even Johnny and Roland (Chris Elliott). Elliott recalls the rookie season scene where Roland and Johnny bonded over a plate of really good ribs.

“And they were really good ribs,” Elliott says wistfully. “I have not been able to find them since. I kept hoping for another take so that I could keep eating them. Then I purged and we went back and ate more.” Roland, Elliott teases, is still a pain in Johnny’s ass this time around, but acknowledge to having more in common than they first thought.

That’s important to Season 2, adds Eugene.

“That’s key to building the relationships,” he says. “Rather than running into the townspeople and saying, ‘Ooo, I wish we weren’t running into you,’ there is a little less of that.”

“Though Roland does tend to show up when Johnny doesn’t want him to,” Elliott says. “It’s not necessarily him, just not now.”

“Which is still most of the time,” Eugene says.

Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Schitt’s Creek expands in Season 2

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One of the big surprises in Season 1 of Schitt’s Creek were the relationships. Far from being a formulaic comedy series hitting viewers with a rat-a-tat-tat of jokes, Dan Levy’s co-creation showed real heart among its characters … when they weren’t caught in cringe-inducing situations.

By the end of the rookie go-round, David Rose (Dan Levy) was speeding out of town in a stolen truck after breaking up with Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire) and Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy) was trying to decide which man she wanted to be with: stoic, stable Ted (Dustin Milligan) or rough and tumble Mutt (Tim Rozon). Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) and Moira (Catherine O’Hara), meanwhile, were plotting to get the family out of Schitt’s Creek. When Season 2 returns to CBC in January with two back-to-back episodes, three days have elapsed since David disappeared and Alexis decides to cut Ted loose.

“Ted returns a changed man after going on a honeymoon by himself,” Dan says with a smile while O’Hara cackles with glee. “Ted goes away to a sunny resort and learns a lot about himself.” The same is true of the other major characters; Johnny is plans to sell Schitt’s Creek but opens up an office in the meantime, Moira attempts to inject the town with some sophistication and David goes looking for a job. Now that the writers’ room members know more about the characters, they can interplay and explore other parts of the town.

“We definitely went into this season saying, ‘OK, let’s go with some different pairings,'” Dan says. “We see a really lovely episode between Moira and Alexis halfway through the season.”

“They wrote a great story,” O’Hara says. “Alexis gets sick and Moira doesn’t know how to mother her. There was always someone there to take care of Alexis when she was growing up. These are new experiences for Moira.” O’Hara is quick to point out Moira is forced into these mothering situations; there is no forethought or plan to make her a better mom. Or cook, as illustrated in Episode 2 of Season 2, when Moira’s attempt to re-create a Mexican dish from her own mom’s recipe turns into a fiasco in Jocelyn’s (Jennifer Robertson) kitchen.

David, meanwhile, goes on a job hunt, which leads to the introduction of a new character played by former Saturday Night Live and SCTV actress Robin Duke.

“David gets a job at a clothing store and she plays Wendy, the manager of the store,” he teases. “The store is struggling, so she is balancing the reality of an unstable business with having hired David, who wants to redo the whole store. His ideas are not coming from a business mind.” Also on tap? More Twyla (Sarah Levy), thanks to a group activity that starts happening in the town.

“Again, this was a way of showing our characters in different lights and providing a different through-line that was outside of the areas we’ve associated them with.”

Schitt’s Creek returns Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Plus: Vote for Schitt’s Creek for Favourite Canadian TV Series of 2015.

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