August 1 • 2019 35
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war comedy that the title and set-up 
might have viewers expect. Well — it 
may start out that way. But very soon 
in, we realize that the show has very 
endearing and light-handed elements 
of sophistication, quaintness and 
warmth. The family does display 
very bad behavior, 
but throughout the 
seasons (they’
ve just 
signed on for their 
sixth and final), each 
character experienc-
es contrition in a way 
that feels very real, 
not corny, while still 
remembering who 
they are — part of a 
zany family built on 
unbelievable premis-
es and high-comedy 
that become completely relatable.
Dan Levy, who came out as gay to 
his supportive parents at the age of 
18, uses Schitt’
s Creek to demonstrate 
a world without homophobia. His 
TV character, David, is pansexual 
and eventually relaxes into a homo-
sexual relationship — but these facts 
are never stated. When David’
s boy-
friend, Patrick (Noah Reid), is intro-
duced in the third season, Dan told 
The Advocate, “I have made a very 
strong point to not ever show bigotry, 
homophobia or intolerance on our 
show because to me, it’
s a celebration 
of love. At the root of it, [Schitt’
s Creek] 
is a celebration of love between the 
family and between the relationships 
that we build.
” 
Like the real-life Levy family — dad 
Eugene is Jewish, mom Deborah is 
not, and kids Dan and Sarah grew 
up interfaith — the Rose family pres-
ents as Jewish, with plenty of Jewish 
humor and references, despite mom 
Moira not being in the fold. In a hol-
iday special aired between seasons 
four and five, Johnny wants to throw 
a Christmas party at the last minute, 
a reminder of the elaborate ones the 
family hosted in their former life, and 
begins to delegate tasks.
“Look at you, Mr. Rose. Seemingly 
possessed by the Christmas spirit,
” 
Moira says.
Johnny responds, “That reminds 
me! Somebody needs to find the 
menorah.
”
Schitt’
s Creek has been gaining heat 
— and extremely loyal fans, reaching 

cult status — since its launch in 2015 
with Pop Network (and screening on 
Canada’
s CBC Television). It gained 
even more in 2017, when it became 
available on Netflix. But most didn’
t 
realize quite how hot the show and 
its actors had become until July 19, 
when the Emmy 
nominations were 
announced and the 
Canadian comedy 
scooped up four 
nods, their first ever. 
Among them: best 
costumes; Catherine 
O’
Hara, an unsung 
comedic genius 
who should have 
viewers flocking to 
their screens just for 
her, as mom Moira, 
earned a best actress in a comedy; 
Eugene Levy, as dad Johnny, got best 
actor in a comedy; and the overall 
outstanding comedy series. (The 
71st Primetime Emmy Awards air on 
Sunday, Sept. 22.)
In 2016, both Eugene and Dan 
Levy were nominated for Canadian 
Screen Awards, they said on the Today 
show, the first time in the history of 
entertainment that a father and son 
were nominated in the same category 
(Eugene won).
Dan, who had previously hosted 
a show on MTV in Canada for eight 
years (without ever referencing his 
famous father) took it in stride. “To 
come to work every day with your 
family is a beautiful thing,
” he says. “I 
think the reason the show has worked 
along so smoothly is because we share 
a similar sensibility.
”
So now, as the writer and co-creator 
of Schitt’
s Creek, Dan says, “there’
s a 
very interesting power shift because I 
get to write what he does. I’
m able to 
hammer home his sensitive spots. One: 
his hair. He has a lovely head of hair — 
but don’
t touch it. It’
s a perfectly coiffed 
head of hair. The second episode of the 
first season, I write a drip in the first 
scene that makes his hair sopping wet. 
My dad read the script and called on 
the phone with a few questions: ‘
How 
wet will the hair be?’
 ‘
Sopping.
’
”
At the end of that season, I had him 
run through an entire scene, full force. 
He’
s not the most athletic person. I 
don’
t think he’
s run in 35 years. That 
was fun.
” ■

details
Join Schitt’
s Creek cast 
members Eugene and Dan 
Levy, Catherine O’
Hara, Annie 
Murphy (Alexis) and Emily 
Hampshire (Stevie) for “Schitt’
s 
Creek: Up Close & Personal” 
7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at 
the Masonic Temple, Detroit. 
$59.50-$99.50. 
Themasonic.com.

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