I decided to write down this article which is more a kind of love letter or declaration of my love for the lighthearted Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” and its importance to us to reflect on the type of world we want to live in. It is no wonder that the comedy series became a very popular phenomenon and cult series, with a huge community worldwide who loves The Rose family members and their acquaintances, not just because of all the artistic qualities of Rose’s extravagance sitcom, but its message behind.
Over six seasons, “Schitt’s Creek” received critical acclaim and it has won several awards such as Golden Globe, Emmy Awards and, more recently at the 32nd GLAAD Media Awards which took place yesterday (08/04) and it received the award for “Outstanding Comedy Series” for the second year in a row. The sitcom is already considered one of the most significant television series of all times.
Behind this phenomenal success has two brilliant souls, Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, the father and son duo from real life, and two multifaceted artists who played multiple roles on this project as creators, writers, executive producers, in addition to acting as father and son on the series. They cast a great team of stars such as Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Chris Elliott and Jennifer Robertson, among others talented directors, producers, and TV professionals, to portray the cool, charming, thrilling and apotheotic saga of Moira’s family.
“Schitt’s Creek” depicts the story of the wealthy Rose family. Years ago, Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) invested his entire savings, $2,000, into a video rental business called Rose Video. Rose Video eventually expanded to become one of the largest video rental store companies in North America, leaving Johnny with a sizable fortune. During this period, Johnny met his future wife, Moira (Catherine O’Hara), at a Rose Video store opening. Moira formerly starred as Vivien Blake on Sunrise Bay, a once-popular daytime soap opera, which gave the family even more money and a large social standing as minor celebrities and socialites. Together, Johnny and Moira had two adult children: David (Dan Levy) and Alexis(Annie Murphy).
After decades at the helm, Johnny’s time as CEO of Rose Video came to an abrupt end when he was informed that his business manager, Eli, had been embezzling money from the company for years instead of paying taxes, and the government had no choice but to repossess all of his assets — save for the town of Schitt’s Creek, which he jokingly bought for David as a birthday present. Johnny Rose and Moira Rose —along with their “bebês”, David and Alexis are forced to relocate to Schitt’s Creek and moving to a run-down motel without luxuries, servants, perks and very little money. They meet the local people as the shy motel’s employee Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire), the lunatic mayor Ronald Schitt(Chris Elliott) and his wife Jocelyn (Jennifer Robertson) town council elected Ronnie (Karen Robinson) and Bob (John Hemphill), the vet Ted Mullens (Dustin Milligan), Patrick (Noah Reid) and jazzy girl member and waitress Twyla Sands (Sarah Levy) who change the Rose family’s lives forever.
Although the idea of the series seems to be simple in portraying a very wealthy family that loses everything and is forced to live in poverty, Dani and Eugene Levy lead the narrative in an engaging, creative and seamless way. They arrive in the rural town full of scorn and superiority, making all the cliched jokes about the city and local residents simplicity. But the joke’s on them: it’s the townsfolk the audience relates to, recognising how ridiculous, unhinged and completely devoid of reality they are. It is through the Rose’ family members clash with people from the small town that their conflict is established and their journey set up.
The Rose family has a classic hero’s journey in terms of the TV / Cinema narrative perspective, and also a great life lesson for everybody who has watched it! The pathos (drama), ethos (moral) and the premise’s series showed up from the begging to the end of the series, are based on the value of love. Money can solve several things, but it would never be able to buy happiness, love, friendship and the intimacy that they have achieved over the six seasons.
The series makes us reflect on through entertainment what type of world we want to live in and what really matters to us as human beings regarding human society. In a world turned upside down, with wrong values, where people are more likely interested in acquiring material assets and being famous, influenced by capitalism, or by the digital and traditional media, the series is a cherishing thing to whom believe in a world where the most important thing is being and not having.
When some elements are highlighted in the story’s narrative, for example, the value of a family union, and sincere friendships like David and Stevie built or Twyla and Alexis, true love as Alexis and Ted or David and Patrick, beautiful affections among Jazzy girls club, Jocelyn and Moira, beauty in the simplicity of things in contrast to a luxurious, but a frivolous lifestyle, the importance of connecting with nature, the respect and acceptance of ethnic, sexual, gender and social diversities, among other current social themes that we have been debating for this decade, but we still need to embrace them.
“Schitt’s Creek” is a delightful invitation to everyone through Art and Entertainment to rethinks and changes their olds concepts and behaviors of living.
Photos Credits: CBC and Pop TV
