Network: CBC Television Network
Broadcast Run: 2014
Broadcast Medium: Television
On February 11th 2014, the CBC and Not A Real Company Productions Inc. announced the planned production of a new “audacious” half-hour comedy series to be titled Schitt’s Creek. The series would star Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Chris Elliott. The series had been created by Eugene Levy and his son Daniel, who would also appear in the series.
Schitt’s Creek was not in the CBC fall 2014 schedule that was announced on May 29th, but it was planned to introduce the new series during the 2014-15 season. In making this announcement, the CBC described the new series thus:
“When a filthy rich video store magnate Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy), his soap star wife Moira (Catherine O’Hara), and their two kids – über-hipster son David (Daniel Levy) and socialite daughter Alexis (Annie Murphy) – suddenly find themselves broke, they are forced to live in Schitt’s Creek, a small, depressing town they once bought as a joke.
With their pampered lives now abandoned, they must confront their new-found poverty and discover what it means to be a family, all within the rural city limits of their new home.”
Schitt’s Creek debuted on Tuesday January 13th 2014, with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 9:30 pm. It was also announced that CBC had ordered a second season of the series, and on March 4th the CBC confirmed that 13 new half-hours would be produced for broadcast in 2016.
After another successful season for Schitt’s Creek in 2016, which earned Catherine O’Hara a Best Actress in a Comedy Series award, and co-star Emily Hampshire the Best Supporting Actress award, at the Canadian Screen Awards in March 2017, it was no surprise when the CBC announced that it had commmitted to a fourth season, which would air in the winter of 2018.
On March 6th 2018, with the final episode of season four due to air on April 10th, the CBC announced that Schitt’s Creek had been renewed for a fifth season, returning in the winter of 2019, with an increased order of fourteen episodes.
On March 21st 2019, Eugene and Dan Levy announced that there would be a sixth, 14-episode season of Schitt’s Creek on CBC in 2020, but that they had decided that this would be the final season.
On Suinday September 20th, at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Schitt’s Creek created a recoird for winning the most Emmys ever in a single saeason, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Eugene Levy won Outstanding Lead Actor, Catherine O’Hara won Outstanding Lead Actress, Dan Levy won Outstanding Supporting Actor, and Annie Murphy won Outstanding Supporting Actress. Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series both went to Dan Levy, with Andrew Cividino. . Another record was set – it was the first toime every one of the lead actorss won an Emmy in one season. The series had also been awarded best costuming and best casting the previous day.