Don’t worry, that’s his sister in the picture. Right now, I’m going to be that person that tells you I just watched the first season of this TV show and I think you should really watch it. Because you should seriously watch “Schitt’s Creek”.
Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hare star in this Canadian comedy where they go from riches to rages and have to relocate to a small town after living the good life. Following them in their designer bags and clothes, their children played by Annie Murphy and Dan Levy – yes Eugene’s actual son. These characters are all superficial who care more about their facial creams from Paris than remembering each others middle names. At least at first they are.
At first, this show seems like a typical comedy, making fun of the rich people living in a dingy town filled with people whose car costs less than their pants and a mayor – played by Chris Elliot – with a beer gut and poor table manners. But as the show continues to develop and the characters predicament settles in, it really starts to shine on the character development and the writing of the show.
Johnny Rose (Eugene) plays the somewhat level headed father while his wife, Moira (Catherine) is an actress who runs on drama and being dramatic in every sense of the word. Then there’s the kids, princess Alexis (Annie) who thrives on her socialite status and crazy stories about being trapped in a drug lords trunk for two weeks. Her brother, David (Dan) has more designer brand clothes than he can fit in his motel closet and is into his different types of wine – if you get what I’m saying.
The characters start out as self centered, disconnected from each other – the siblings fight over the beds because who ever sleeps in the one closest to the door will be murdered first – and ignoring each other unless there’s gossip or money involved. But as they come into contact with people from the town and learn to talk to each other, they actually seem more human and relatable. Taking them away from their big home and lifestyle and putting them in a small town forces them together and to actually start being a family.
Besides the characters having extreme personalities, it’s the writing that really adds to the show. The bickering and banter between the siblings is so authentic and real that I could see myself saying these things to my own brother. Their backhanded comments or blatant distaste of the town catches you almost off guard and you can’t believe what these people are saying. I love a show that surprises you by the characters actions and dialogue because it keeps you watching, it keeps you entertained.
Co-creators Eugene and Dan really come together to great a new twist on an old trick with “Schitt’s Creek”. Creating characters that cover different types of personalities in the most extreme way and giving them high volume dialogue that has you turning up the TV so you don’t miss a thing. While Dan writes most of the script, Eugene contributes by improvising along the way. And if that’s not enough to convince you just know that the show has been nominated numerous times for awards and has won nine awards just from the first season. I mean, the awards don’t lie.
I know starting a new series on Netflix can be, well, scary. But sometimes, after a couple glasses of wine and nothing else to do on a Saturday night, a new series seems like a good idea. It was for us and now I’m hooked.
The Technicolor Sound 