Queer Canadian sitcom ‘Schitt’s Creek’ sweeps the Emmys

The hit Canadian show Schitt’s Creek made history Sunday night, becoming the first show to ever sweep the four lead and supporting comedy acting categories for a single season at the Emmys. The show also swept the comedy categories as a whole with seven big wins.

The show started out picking up the first awards of the night with Catherine O’Hara winning Lead Actress In a Comedy Series, and her onscreen husband, played by Eugene Levy, followed by taking the trophy for Lead Actor In a Comedy Series.” Eugene’s son and fellow co-creator, Daniel Levy, also  picked up Supporting Actor In a Comedy Series before sharing the award for Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series with Andrew Cividino.

Daniel Levy also won Outstanding Writing For a Comedy series, while Schitt’s Creek continued dominating the evening with Annie Murphy winning Supporting Actress In a Comedy Series. The show then topped off the night when it was named Best Comedy Series.

In just five years, Schitt’s Creek has gone from being a modest Canadian sitcom to being one of the most memorable and funniest shows in recent years. The show follows the trials and tribulations of the formerly wealthy Rose family when they are forced to relocate to Schitt’s Creek, a small town they once purchased as a joke.

Because of the snarky, stylish and queer son, David, played by Daniel Levy, and his hilariously over-the-top, campy, showtune-loving mother, Moira, played by Catherine O’Hara, the show has gained a large LGBTQ following, and has cemented its place in television history as one of the best queer sitcoms ever, next to the likes of Will & Grace and Modern Family.

In an April interview with Flare Magazine, 11 queer Canadians shared their views on the show, and why it is so meaningful to them. 

Adam Barrett, producer and community arts worker says, “The thing that the show does best in terms of queer representation is actually how it handles the straight characters. It creates a kind of homophobia-free, revisionist reality that hopeful queers have been living in for a while. There’s a kind of non-reaction to David’s (albeit white, male) queerness from the people in this funny little small town, and that non-reaction imagines that it’s a world of full acceptance.”

Alix Markman, screenwriter and script coordinator, says, “Coming at it as both a screenwriter and a member of the queer community, I think a lot of shows struggle with the portrayal of bisexual and pansexual characters. If they pair a queer character with someone of the opposite sex, they fear accusations of gay erasure. But pair a canonically bi or pan character with only same-sex partners, and that’s bi-/pan-erasure. So I think a lot of shows struggle with how to find that balance—and Schitt’s has done it beautifully.

David is completely devoted to Patrick, but never once is he pressured to renounce or suppress his pansexual identity (which, unfortunately, happens in a lot of real-world relationships). In the season 6 premiere (‘Smoke Signals’), when they’re in the process of finding a venue for their upcoming wedding, David makes a reference to an ex-girlfriend. It’s a tiny moment, but as someone who identifies somewhere in between, it meant so much to me.”

Even though the show has just recently wrapped its 6th and final season, all 6 seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.