Making a hit for the small screen takes talent and a little bit of luck, and while some projects are instant hits, others take some time to blossom. Through the years, we have see plenty of shows like The Mandalorian, Friends, and The Office all excel on the small screen in a flash, but every now and again, a sleeper hit comes along and becomes a giant.
Schitt’s Creek just concluded its run on the small screen, and it could be argued that the show is bigger now than it ever was before. It took a few years to catch on, but once it did, people simply could not get enough of the Rose family.
Let’s take a look at the unique inspiration behind the show!
It Was Inspired By Reality Television
Any person who has watched Schitt’s Creek could probably gauge that the show definitely took some inspiration from the life of the rich and the famous, but what show creator Dan Levy was able to do with his twist on things was brilliant. What would it be like if a wealthy family lost it all and had to live a normal life?
Levy would tell Out Magazine, “It really just started with me being in Los Angeles, knowing that I wanted to write. I had been watching some reality TV at the time and was concentrating on what would happen if one of these wealthy families would lose everything. Would the Kardashians still be the Kardashians without their money.”
Levy’s father, Eugene, had found plenty of success through the years with his writing and his comedy, and Dan would partner up with him to make Schitt’s Creek come to life.
Levy mentioned that the show “could go in two directions. It could go sort of as a sitcom, or it could be played very real, and that’s when I thought of my dad because of everything that he’s written with Christopher Guest and all of those movies and the sensibility that he brings and the heart that he brings to all his film and television roles. And, yeah, I thought it was a good fit. So we started talking.”
The reality television and celebrity life angle were hugely important in the show getting off the ground, but there was another element that it needed. Turns out, a real-life celebrity gaffe proved to be a great source of inspiration.
It Was Also Inspired By A Kim Basinger Bungle
In one of the strangest celebrity tales of all time, Kim Basinger once sunk millions of dollars into a small town. The town was purchased for around $20 million back in the 80s, and Basinger thought that it could be a place that she could develop and make a mint from.
This, of course, was not the case, and the story of Basinger buying a town has become one of the most infamous moments in Hollywood history. It did, however, becoming a source of inspiration for the show.
As fans are well aware of, the Rose family loses everything on the show, except for a little town called Schitt’s Creek that was once purchased as a joke. Because it is their only asset, the family is forced to move there and start a new life from the ground up. Levy’s interesting twist on the Basinger story while also tracking inspiration from reality television proved to be a genius idea.
Schitt’s Creek was not an immediate hit once it debuted, but as soon as people heard about it on Netflix, it was able to generate a considerable amount of hype.
The Series Won Loads Of Emmys
Earlier this year, Schitt’s Creek officially ended its run on the small screen. The Canadian series was an absolute gem from start to finish, and the argument can be made that the show is more popular now that it has ended than it was when it was still fresh.
The show has received an incredible amount of acclaim from fans and critics alike, and eventually, it would start to take home some of the biggest awards in the business. According to IMDb, the show has earned more than a few Emmys, solidifying its legacy on the small screen.
While fans would like to see more of the Rose family, it doesn’t seem like the show will be making a comeback. It had a perfect ending, and fans will just have to enjoy the amazing 6 seasons that can be found on Netflix.
Thanks to a nice twist on some unique inspiration, Dan Levy turned a clever idea into one of the most popular shows in recent memory.