Schitt's Creek (Netflix)

Hannibal_Smith · 10-11-2020 9:10am #1

I know I'm late to the party but for anyone who hasn't seen it yet - it's a beautifully funny story of the prima donna Rose family who lose everything and have no option but to go live in a town they bought as a birthday present for their son as a joke because of its name.

It finished in April and stole the show at the Emmys this year but with the glory of Netflix is available to binge whenever you're ready. Do it

grayzer75 · 10-11-2020 9:12am

Hannibal_Smith wrote: »

I know I'm late to the party but for anyone who hasn't seen it yet - it's a beautifully funny story of the prima donna Rose family who lose everything and have no option but to go live in a town they bought as a birthday present for their son as a joke because of its name.

It finished in April and stole the show at the Emmys this year but with the glory of Netflix is available to binge whenever you're ready. Do it

My wife loves it but it ain't for me.

readyletsgo · 10-11-2020 9:16am

I've watched it I think 5 times since March now. Its nothing amazing at all TBH, its just an easy background show (especially in lockdown), but it does have its moments and Catherine O'Hara is brilliant, she just gets better and better each season.
I think shes one of my favorite actors ever, She was great in those 'Might Wind' comedy's back in the day. Forgot she was also in Death Becomes her and Beetlejuice too.

Cina · 10-11-2020 9:23am

I'd urge anyone who struggled with it early on to stick with it.

Season three onward really picks up and it's hilarious.

Mantis Toboggan · 10-11-2020 9:43am

It's a bit meh, I'm 4 seasons in, don't find it particularly funny. It's grand but I've recently finished modern family and that's a far superior show.

Hannibal_Smith · 10-11-2020 10:04am

Eugene Levy has said that S1 is setting the scene of how shallow the family is and after that they could get into the story. So if you're having trouble with S1, stick with it. It's part of a bigger picture.

Having said that S1 has Danny Boy

whisky_galore · 10-11-2020 10:28am

Typical dumb American chewing gum comedy.

You can see the jokes coming a mile off in most cases.

H8GHOTI · 10-11-2020 10:33am

Loved it from the very first episode.
If anything, I didn’t enjoy the later episodes as much. I think we watched it too fast, all 5 seasons in like 2 weeks.

Overall it was excellent though. One of my favourite shows. Great characters & great actors. It’s rare for us to find something we both like but this really hit that sweet spot.

gmisk · 10-11-2020 10:36am

Cina wrote: »

I'd urge anyone who struggled with it early on to stick with it.

Season three onward really picks up and it's hilarious.

Totally agree
Season 1 is a tad meh.
Parks and recreation was the same in fairness

ixoy · 10-11-2020 10:36am

whisky_galore wrote: »

Typical dumb American chewing gum comedy.

Well it's Canadian to start with..

How much have you watched? S1 is fairly standard but it improves a lot. It's not a sharp comedy but it's very strong on characters (and their growth) which is what nails it for me.

gmisk · 10-11-2020 10:36am

whisky_galore wrote: »

Typical dumb American chewing gum comedy.

You can see the jokes coming a mile off in most cases.

...not even American...but hey...

blackbox · 10-11-2020 10:37am

Doesn't do it for me.

I'd be interested to hear what other comedies appeal to people who enjoy this.

whisky_galore · 10-11-2020 10:38am

gmisk wrote: »

...not even American...but hey...

North American. Happy now?

readyletsgo · 10-11-2020 10:38am

Hannibal_Smith wrote: »

Eugene Levy has said that S1 is setting the scene of how shallow the family is and after that they could get into the story. So if you're having trouble with S1, stick with it. It's part of a bigger picture.

Having said that S1 has Danny Boy

Oh.....................Danny........................Booooohy...

whisky_galore · 10-11-2020 10:39am

ixoy wrote: »

Well it's Canadian to start with..

How much have you watched? S1 is fairly standard but it improves a lot. It's not a sharp comedy but it's very strong on characters (and their growth) which is what nails it for me.

I'm not really interested in toughing any show out. I either get it from S1 or I leave it.

ixoy · 10-11-2020 10:45am

blackbox wrote: »

Doesn't do it for me.

I'd be interested to hear what other comedies appeal to people who enjoy this.

Out of curiosity, how much did you watch?

I enjoy lots of different comedies but the one right now that most closely matches it in tone, I think, is "Kim's Convenience" (also on Netflix). Other family-based sit coms, such as "Modern Family" I initially enjoyed but grew tired of. I felt "Schitt's Creek" didn't get stale, much like "Parks and Recreation" which also had a poor start.

Hannibal_Smith · 10-11-2020 10:46am

H8GHOTI wrote: »

Loved it from the very first episode.
If anything, I didn’t enjoy the later episodes as much. I think we watched it too fast, all 5 seasons in like 2 weeks.

Overall it was excellent though. One of my favourite shows. Great characters & great actors. It’s rare for us to find something we both like but this really hit that sweet spot.

I had to go back and watch the last 4 episodes again. I rushed through it too fast too and was far too emotional to absorb it all the first time.

I only realised the other day that the song they play at the end of S2 is the first song the Jazzagals sing in the last episode.

gmisk · 10-11-2020 10:48am

blackbox wrote: »

Doesn't do it for me.

I'd be interested to hear what other comedies appeal to people who enjoy this.

I like a wide range of comedy all different types of style tbh
30 rock
Parks and recreation
the Royle Family
Nighty night
Friday night dinner
Chewing gum
The IT crowd
Father Ted
Black Books
Alan Partridge

Maybe it just isn't for you, it's personal taste.
A lot of people seem to love the big bang theory or two and half men...I would rather watch static than sit through either of those.

Hodors Appletart · 10-11-2020 10:58am

It's similar-ish to The Good Place and Happy Endings, both are comedies where the characters are really sort of wholesome to each other and there's no badness in them.

H8GHOTI · 10-11-2020 11:07am

blackbox wrote: »

Doesn't do it for me.

I'd be interested to hear what other comedies appeal to people who enjoy this.

Seinfeld & Curb Your Enthusiasm are my favourites, along with this. But Schitts Creek is more than just a comedy.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, Arrested Development had their moments, I enjoyed some episodes. Fawlty Towers was hilarious but that’s obviously going back a bit.

Can’t stand the likes of Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two & a Half Men etc.... If someone were to lump Schitts Creek in with them, I’d strongly disagree.

Hannibal_Smith · 10-11-2020 11:20am

blackbox wrote: »

Doesn't do it for me.

I'd be interested to hear what other comedies appeal to people who enjoy this.

What we do in the Shadows.

I'm not sure what that says about me

gmisk · 10-11-2020 11:29am

Hannibal_Smith wrote: »

What we do in the Shadows.

I'm not sure what that says about me

Love that!
Second season was even more fun than the first.

gmisk · 10-11-2020 11:30am

If people like schitts creek I would also recommend fresh off the boat.
It's a bit hit and miss but it's warm and funny imo.

Mantis Toboggan · 10-11-2020 11:37am

It's decent enough, I'll power through the last 2 seasons but if I didn't I wouldn't really miss it.

Most of the characters in it are very annoying, some of it is pure cringe to be honest. Roland probably my favourite but isn't in it enough.

ax530 · 10-11-2020 11:37am

I really love Schitts Creek think the characters are so good, spend so much time trying to pick which is my favourite.
I'm well into S3 but limit my watching to 4-6 episodes a week as I want it to last. I wouldnt consider myself a fan of comedys.
Like the fact that it good and mostly positive and upbeat making it enjoyable to watch during these covid restricted evenings.
would recommend to everyone, glad to see this thread has recommendations for other shows so I know there is something else to watch when I get to end of Schitts Creek

HeidiHeidi · 10-11-2020 11:48am

I love it!

It was recommended to me a while back, so enthusiastically that it nearly put me off trying it at all. Series 1, yes, was a bit meh. But I'm through series 2 now, and it just keeps giving.

It sails SO close to being utterly cringe, but just comes up short, mostly due to the brilliant acting by them all (the father is the least impressive for me, Moira is just inspired, and the "kids" are just brilliant, all in completely different ways).

I also love that it's 20 minute bitesize episodes, seems like less of an "investment" than sitting down to watch an hour episode of something.

And as someone else posted above, it's lovely to have something cheerful, harmless, and generally just good-humoured as a break from grim reality these days!

gmisk · 10-11-2020 12:12pm

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

It's decent enough, I'll power through the last 2 seasons but if I didn't I wouldn't really miss it.

Most of the characters in it are very annoying, some of it is pure cringe to be honest. Roland probably my favourite but isn't in it enough.

It just shows you how subjective comedy is.

Roland is far and away my least favourite character in the entire show.

It's maybe not helped by the fact when I see him I can only see that character he played in the scary movie films with the weird hand...

Mantis Toboggan · 10-11-2020 2:10pm

gmisk wrote: »

It's maybe not helped by the fact when I see him I can only see that character he played in the scary movie films with the weird hand...

He reminds me of the Tiger King.

Shelga · 30-11-2020 12:01pm

I finished this last night. I enjoyed it but didn't think it was as incredible as other people seem to. Tonally, it was like a totally different show for its second half, and I found the constant declarations of love towards the end to be a bit much. I couldn't even look at the screen when Patrick started singing to David at the wedding, it was so cringe! :eek:

All of the main characters were lovable though, and Moira was hilarious. I, like others, didn't like Roland.

Overall I preferred the dark comedy elements, and the whackiness of Moira, to the cheesy stuff.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 02-12-2020 4:50am

Finished the final season tonight (started watching last year, but took about a two month break in between each season, as I wanted to make it last) and the last few episodes were absolutely superb. I cried a lot through the last two episodes.

Loved everything about it, even Roland who I didn't like at first, had really grown on me by the final season and thought he had some really strong moments towards the end, that will make me like him a lot more on re-watches (of which I'm sure there'll be many).

Spoilt for choice on an overall favourite character, and really hard for me to separate between David, Alexis, Moira, and Stevie because I love them all so much, but I'd probably have to go with Stevie because she's literally me, personality wise.

Mantis Toboggan · 02-12-2020 8:29am

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

I cried a lot through the last two episodes.

Everything you want from a 'comedy'..

icdg · 02-12-2020 10:19am

gmisk wrote: »

It just shows you how subjective comedy is.

Roland is far and away my least favourite character in the entire show.

It's maybe not helped by the fact when I see him I can only see that character he played in the scary movie films with the weird hand...

Not a fan of his either. Can’t figure out whether he is meant to be playing an outright “villain” character or just a “loveable rogue”.

For a whole generation Eugene Levy is “Jim’s Dad“. Those films were way more popular than they had any right to be, but it may colour some people’s impressions of this series.

Posy · 02-12-2020 11:40am

I never seen Eugene Levy in anything other than Schitt's Creek, luckily.

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Everything you want from a 'comedy'..

I think most good sitcoms have a bittersweet ending, where you are sorry to say goodbye to your favourite characters and see them move on. Even 'Friends' was a bit of a tearjerker as all the characters left the empty apartment.

If I wasn't a little bit sad at the end of a series, it would just mean (to me) that the series wasn't really that good.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 02-12-2020 1:04pm

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Everything you want from a 'comedy'..

Tears of joy is exactly what i want from a feel-good show, especially in its last season.

I also found it funny throughout, which can't be said for many comedies anymore.

EDIT: oh I see you thought Modern Family was funny (maybe for the first season or two sure, but it went downhill fast) so we probably won't be in agreement over comedies.

AbusesToilets · 02-12-2020 3:21pm

I found Stevie's treatment frustrating. She starts out as a pretty strong, self reliant character, yet by the end of the show she looks like she's about to burst into tears constantly. I thought her and David's interactions were great, but they pushed her backwards in favor of Patrick, who was fairly milquetoast imo.

Mantis Toboggan · 02-12-2020 4:01pm

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

Tears of joy is exactly what i want from a feel-good show, especially in its last season.

I also found it funny throughout, which can't be said for many comedies anymore.

EDIT: oh I see you thought Modern Family was funny (maybe for the first season or two sure, but it went downhill fast) so we probably won't be in agreement over comedies.

Yeah for me Modern Family is just an all round better show. I still enjoyed parts of Schitt's creek though just can't see how it won so many awards. Moira hands down the best character, she's brilliant, lot of other characters I found annoying tbh.

JP Liz V1 · 02-12-2020 6:24pm

Cina wrote: »

I'd urge anyone who struggled with it early on to stick with it.

Season three onward really picks up and it's hilarious.

Yes it got better as it went on

pixelburp · 02-12-2020 6:32pm

AbusesToilets wrote: »

I found Stevie's treatment frustrating. She starts out as a pretty strong, self reliant character, yet by the end of the show she looks like she's about to burst into tears constantly. I thought her and David's interactions were great, but they pushed her backwards in favor of Patrick, who was fairly milquetoast imo.

Yeah, hers was the one arc that left me a little cold TBH: it felt like the writers didn't know what to do with an ultimately rootless, drifter character by the end. That everyone needed new horizons, but that ran contrary to her being, Stevie seeming relatively "happy" having no goals. Tough luck apparently, as she became a bit of a passenger to her own life while David & Johnny Rose made career decisions for her.

I think any sitcom that leaves the viewer a little teary by the end has done it's job well: Schitt's Creek; The Good Place; Parks & Recreation; New Girl, to name four were all excellent sitcoms that nailed the landing in giving everyone a nice wee send-off. I was sorry to see their stories come to an end, but enjoyed knowing they still had a life beyond what we saw on-screen.

Ashbourne hoop · 17-12-2020 12:58pm

Last two seasons were good, not brilliant. Almost gave up on many occassions, but stuck with it to the end. Overall it was decent enough, but I'm struggling to see how they won so many awards. Alexis as my fav in it.

Hannibal_Smith · 19-12-2020 9:44am

I think with Stevie, they took her out of her comfort zone. She said to Moira in Cabaret that she watches everything happen from behind a desk. She never really tried for more. Getting the Motel nearly destroyed her.

But by the end, she's standing in a room of corporate people giving a presentation. Which is a decent jump.

Say Your Number · 19-12-2020 10:00pm

I loved the arc of Alexis, starting out as this vain brat and then becoming very likable, loved the scene around series 3/4 when she's in the pub looking at her old friends and having a laugh to herself about how shallow they are, would say Moira is one of the best comedy characters of all time.

stopthevoting · 13-02-2021 6:19am

I am in the middle of Season 2 now. I am trying to understand how exactly do the Roses (or David to be precise) own the town. Do they own the land it's built on? Do they own some or all of the houses and buildings, and get rental income? It doesn't look like that is the case though. Do they own the motel, and if so, is Stevie their employee, and who was her boss before they arrived? I presume they have free accommodation at the motel, or are they paying guests? Do they have any income from owning the town? They don't seem to have any other benefits of ownership. They don't seem to have any power or control in the town. For example, Moira had to ask the town council to provide some shrubs, and Roland was complaining that Johnny didn't apply for permission for his office work in Bob's garage.

stopthevoting · 13-02-2021 6:53am

Actually, just looked back at the first episode and it seems that Roland is in charge of the motel. Not sure if he owns it or just manages it.

icdg · 13-02-2021 9:19am

stopthevoting wrote: »

Actually, just looked back at the first episode and it seems that Roland is in charge of the motel. Not sure if he owns it or just manages it.

It’s all explained later in the series exactly about the motel’s ownership (

it was owned by Stevie’s great-aunt, and so Stevie is effectively the owner until first Johnny and then later Roland buy in

)which makes the scenes in the pilot harder to explain except to say that he is meeting them as the mayor. Exactly what the Roses got out of their supposed ownership of the town is never stated. It’s just a plot device to get them there and not important past the pilot really.

Hannibal_Smith · 13-02-2021 9:29am

David Rose owns the town, but seemingly not the buildings on it. Its almost as if there's a superior ownership interest (not sure how US land ownership is broken up) of the town itself and that's what the Roses own.

Roland doesn't own the Motel. He's the mayor of the town which was founded by his ancestors.

The Motel, when they arrive in Schitts Creek is owned by Stevie's aunt.

They are told in the first episode that they can stay in the town virtually for nothing which is how the end up there.

Its clearly not considered a valuable enough asset to have been taken from them when they lose everything at the start and they're not gleaming any money from it so town ownership seems to be a valueless namesake thing only.

stopthevoting · 13-02-2021 11:22am

Thanks for above two replies.
I can imagine that it could be something similar to the Freehold versus Leasehold property ownership in Ireland, where if your house only had a Leasehold title, you only owned the building itself but not the land that it was built on, and you were liable to pay annual Ground Rent to the owner of the land.
But maybe in their case, as you say, the land ownership has no real monetary value.
I suppose, as owners of the town, the Roses must have some real or honorary right to free or subsidised accommodation to be provided for them by the town council. Maybe the mayor arranged for two motel rooms for that reason. Otherwise they could have gone to any other cheap motel anywhere in North America.
I wish it was explained directly, but maybe owing a town is a well known concept in Canada/USA that doesn't need to be explained to the viewers.

BOSTIK · 14-04-2021 11:53am

Just finished bingewatching the first 5 seasons, very enjoyable so far. I like that it's not meanspirited comedy, it's quite clever and there are some smashing heartwarming scenes too.

Think the standouts are Stevie & Johnny, they're the perfect foil for the dramatics of Moira, Alexis & David. I like Jocelyn & Ronnie as well.

Roland could've been a good character, but I find Chris Elliott to be plain annoying in everything he does, otherwise it's pretty well cast.

Lokking forward to the final season now.

Hannibal_Smith · 14-04-2021 9:35pm

Aww... Enjoy the last series. Some fantastic episodes in there! That's what I love about it too... There's nothing mean spirited about it. Its just a really lovely funny story

the purple tin · 29-04-2021 9:06am

Bob is one of my favourite characters. I love the little saunter he does

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD_3ZYL9wfY

Hurrache · 29-04-2021 11:28am

Ha, I love his trot, I look like an eejit every time I try to demonstrate it to someone.

BOSTIK · 06-05-2021 3:49pm

Hannibal_Smith wrote: »

Aww... Enjoy the last series. Some fantastic episodes in there! That's what I love about it too... There's nothing mean spirited about it. Its just a really lovely funny story

Got to the end of this. Final season wasn't as good as the preceding ones, but still had some good moments. Think I preferred Stevie when she was sarky rather than tearful.

Think they were right to end it when they did while there was a bit of road left.

Bob was well, Bob. Think everyone knows somebody like him.

Schitt's Creek (Netflix)

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