21 Amusing Insights About Schitt's Creek You’ll Love

Schitt’s Creek tells the timeless tale of a family out of their element: The Roses—Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O'Hara), and their grown kids David (Daniel Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy)—lose their video store empire to the government due to unpaid taxes. Their only remaining asset is the quirky town of Schitt’s Creek, which they once bought as a joke. Now, they’re stuck living in the town’s modest motel, sharing two cramped rooms, and struggling to fit into their new, drastically different lifestyle.

At its core, Schitt’s Creek is a heartfelt exploration of family dynamics. “We’ve used the fish-out-of-water premise to highlight their journey,” explained co-creator Daniel Levy in an interview with Assignment X. “By placing them in a motel, we delve into what family truly means, the bonds they share, and how they rediscover their connections.” Here are some lesser-known facts about the beloved series.

1. Some aspects of Schitt's Creek were influenced by reality TV.

“The idea for the show began when I was in Los Angeles, eager to write something meaningful,” Daniel Levy shared with Out in 2015. “At the time, I was immersed in reality TV and pondered what would happen if a wealthy family lost everything. Would the Kardashians still hold their status without their fortune?”

In 2018, Annie Murphy revealed during a 92Y Talks event that she also drew inspiration from the Kardashians for her portrayal of Alexis. “I watched numerous YouTube clips—I couldn’t bring myself to sit through full episodes—of the Kardashians and similar shows to capture Alexis’s tone and gestures, like the distinctive way she holds her hands,” she explained. “They often carry their handbags with their wrists bent, palms facing up. For Alexis, I flipped it so her palm faced downward,” Murphy demonstrated, showcasing the unique mannerism (visible here).

2. Schitt's Creek was a true family collaboration.

To develop his concept, Levy enlisted the help of his father, Eugene Levy, a frequent collaborator with Christopher Guest and star of American Pie. It was their first professional project together, as Daniel had previously been determined to carve his own path. “People often judge children of celebrities harshly,” he told Assignment X. “I wanted to establish myself independently first, so that when I introduced my dad, it would be based on my own achievements, not assumptions about nepotism.”

Why involve Eugene in Schitt’s? As Daniel shared with NPR, he had observed the family-loses-everything trope in mainstream TV and sitcoms but felt it had never been explored through the unique lens of realist comedy, a style his father excelled at. “I approached him with the idea, asking if he’d be interested in developing it further. Luckily, he was intrigued, and we began brainstorming,” he explained.

Eugene expressed his excitement about collaborating with his son in an interview with The New York Times: “My heart was racing so much you could practically see it beating through my shirt.”

The Levy family’s involvement didn’t stop with Eugene and Daniel. Sarah Levy, Eugene’s daughter and Daniel’s sister, also joined the cast of Schitt’s Creek as Twyla Sands, the sole waitress at the town’s popular diner, Cafe Tropical.

3. The title Schitt's Creek was Eugene Levy’s brainchild.

“It was purely coincidental,” Daniel shared with Out. “A few weeks earlier, Eugene had been discussing a fictional town called Schitt's Creek during dinner, imagining places like Schitt Hardware and Schitt Grocers.” While researching how people lose fortunes, they stumbled upon stories of individuals who bought towns and later faced bankruptcy. “We thought, what if this family, as a joke for their son’s 16th birthday, bought a town named Schitt's Creek and later had to live there?” Daniel explained.

The show’s title made promotional tours a challenge: Some TV and radio stations couldn’t say it outright due to concerns about profanity fines. For instance, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the show’s name had to be displayed on screen whenever it was mentioned.

4. Annie Murphy initially auditioned for the role of Stevie Budd.

During a 92Y Talks event in 2016, Murphy disclosed that she tried out for both Stevie Budd—the dry-witted motel concierge where the Roses stay—and Alexis, the self-absorbed socialite she ultimately portrayed. “I’ve never prepared so intensely for an audition,” she admitted. “I made my husband rehearse with me endlessly.”

In the initial presentation pilot—designed to secure a season order rather than for television broadcast—Alexis was originally portrayed by Abby Elliott. However, due to commitments to another project, she couldn't continue. Consequently, auditions were conducted in Los Angeles, where Daniel mentioned they evaluated 'hundreds' of candidates for the role.

“The family needed to possess a certain inherent charm; otherwise, viewers would have little reason to tune in, as they weren't particularly appealing on paper,” he explained. “After two days of auditions, observing numerous candidates dressed akin to Paris Hilton and portraying that archetype—essentially as scripted—I was seeking what Annie uniquely offered. She brought a delightful, natural appeal to a character otherwise perceived as self-absorbed and unlikable. Everything clicked into place, prompting me to call my father and declare, ‘I’ve found Alexis, thank goodness.’”

However, Eugene’s initial reaction, as Daniel recalled, was hesitation due to Murphy’s brunette hair, contrasting with the blonde image of Alexis envisioned from the pilot. Thus, Murphy auditioned for Stevie instead, as Daniel was adamant about including her in the show. Upon securing the role of Alexis, Murphy transitioned to blonde, and Emily Hampshire was subsequently cast as Stevie, replacing Lindsay Sloane from the pilot.

5. Emily Hampshire has no recollection of her audition details.

Emily Hampshire was residing in Los Angeles and enduring a challenging period when she auditioned for Schitt's Creek. "I had just $800 in my account, hadn’t landed a job in a year, and was going through a divorce," she shared with Mytour.

Adding to her struggles, she developed hives during auditions. When her agent mentioned Schitt's, Hampshire insisted she couldn’t attend in person but offered to submit a tape instead. However, at her agent’s urging, she auditioned in front of Daniel and a casting director—an experience memorable for everyone except her, as she recalls none of it.

Fortunately, Levy remembers it vividly. “Emily walked in and immediately apologized, saying, ‘This is going to be awful,’” he recounted at 92Y Talks in 2018. “She performed, and it was fantastic. I suggested, ‘Let’s try it with her finding more amusement in these characters—not just judging them but also enjoying them.’ She did it again, and when it clicked, I said, ‘Perfect, we’re done.’ She responded, ‘No, it was—oh no, it was terrible.’ Then, she hid her face with her shirt. Hampshire doesn’t recall that moment, but Levy said, ‘I remember it fondly.’”

6. Stevie served as the audience's surrogate.

“Stevie’s character has always represented the audience’s perspective," Daniel explained during a 92Y Talks in 2018. "She voices what viewers might be thinking while watching. It’s crucial to have a character like her, someone the audience can rely on.”

Hampshire found a deep connection with Stevie’s character. "What I related to most about Stevie was her role as the audience’s stand-in," she explained. "I felt my job was to observe the people around me honestly, and the humor would naturally follow."

According to the character breakdown Hampshire received during her audition, Stevie was initially portrayed as "a small-town resident with a deadpan demeanor." However, her character developed significantly throughout the series. "In the first season, Stevie deliberately avoided forming attachments to the motel or anyone around her," Hampshire noted. "Staying emotionally detached felt safer. But as the show progressed, she began to open up." By the end, Stevie "matured considerably," Hampshire added, "and took on responsibilities she once avoided."

7. Catherine O'Hara infused Moira Rose with a unique charm.

Eugene proposed O’Hara—his longtime collaborator in Guest’s mockumentaries—for the role of Moira Rose. "I wasn’t about to argue against such a brilliant suggestion," Daniel told The New York Times. "When someone like Catherine O’Hara is offered, you seize the opportunity without hesitation."

Moira’s unique quirks were entirely O’Hara’s creation. "We envisioned Moira as a former soap opera star turned global socialite, leading major charity events," Eugene explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "But Catherine, with her boundless creativity, added an exaggerated flair to the character, making Moira far more hilarious than we initially imagined."

O’Hara shared with Awards Daily that Moira’s distinctive voice was inspired by "a blend of people I’ve encountered. One woman, in particular, is incredibly elegant and charming, with a unique way of structuring her sentences." She also drew inspiration from unexpected sources, like a Sirius radio host who claims to be a pet psychic. "That’s essentially the accent I used in the Season 3 episode ‘New Car,’" she revealed.

8. Moira’s style was inspired by Daphne Guinness.

“When we began defining Moira’s aesthetic, Catherine brought in a photo of Daphne Guinness, the Guinness fortune heir and a McQueen muse," Daniel recalled during a 92Y Talks in 2018. "I wondered how to adapt that for TV. We decided to stick to black and white tones and push the boundaries just enough to make it work."

Moira’s extravagant outfits, including her collection of named wigs, were crafted by Dan and Debra Hanson. "They shop year-round to curate high-end, designer wardrobes for characters who no longer have the means to afford them," O’Hara told Awards Daily. "I’ve never enjoyed wardrobe fittings as much as I do now!"

9. Catherine O’Hara relied on obscure dictionaries to craft Moira’s unique vocabulary.

Before filming, O’Hara would review Moira’s lines and replace ordinary words with more eccentric ones. "I own a few books filled with rare and archaic terms that most people have never heard," O’Hara explained to Entertainment Weekly. "It’s enjoyable to tweak my dialogue and… embellish it with some of these words." Among her references were Foyle’s Philavery: A Treasury of Unusual Words and Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous. Fans adored Moira’s peculiar lexicon so much that a Moira Rose Word of the Day Instagram account was created.

10. The costumes in Schitt's Creek were narrative tools.

“Dan is heavily involved in the costuming process, alongside the brilliant costume designer Debra Hanson," Murphy shared during a Build interview. "Catherine and I spend countless hours in fittings before filming begins. I’ll step out, and Dan will shake his head, saying, ‘Nope,’ and send me back in."

After quipping that this "makes me sound a bit obsessive," Daniel clarified that "the creative goal was to let the wardrobe narrate a story without needing explicit dialogue. The clothing constantly reminds viewers of who these characters are and their origins."

Due to the show’s limited budget, much of the wardrobe is sourced from eBay and thrift stores. Levy explained to Vulture in 2019 that all clothing must reflect the era when the Roses lost their fortune, with a strict $200 cap on any single item.

11. The setting of Schitt's Creek was intentionally left vague.

Although Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian production and the Rose family hails from New York, Eugene emphasized that the town’s location is deliberately ambiguous. "We never placed Schitt’s Creek in a specific country or region," he stated during 92Y Talks in 2016. "The goal was to keep the focus on the town itself. Assigning it to a real location with states or provinces would make it too concrete and distract from the essence of the story."

12. Improvisation was minimal on the Schitt's Creek set.

This might come as a surprise to fans familiar with Eugene and O'Hara’s work in Guest films like Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, where actors rely on action outlines rather than scripts. "Schitt’s is fully scripted, but we often tweak lines on set," Eugene explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "Sometimes what works on paper doesn’t translate when spoken, so we adjust until it feels natural."

“When I receive the script, I refine it on my own and experiment with it beforehand," O’Hara shared with Awards Daily. "The Levys trust my input, and I respect their vision, so I email them with suggestions. The scripts are so strong that improvisation isn’t necessary."

That said, not every moment was strictly scripted: Levy revealed at 92Y Talks in 2018 that Murphy’s iconic line, "you get murdered first!" from the pilot, was improvised.

13. The local baseball team where Schitt's Creek was filmed renamed itself in tribute to the show.

Schitt’s Creek was filmed in Goodwood, Ontario, Canada. "We significantly altered the town’s appearance to fit the show’s aesthetic," Daniel explained to NPR. "It’s a charming town that we transformed into Schitt's Creek."

While all interior scenes were shot in a studio, the exterior buildings are real locations in Goodwood, modified to resemble Schitt's Creek. Hampshire noted that many of these buildings are clustered around a single intersection. "Bob’s Garage is an actual garage, but we added a sign. The café and apothecary are real stores that we repurpose for filming," she said. The motel, once operational, now serves as a basketball camp dormitory. "It has a distinct locker room smell when we film there," she added.

During the first season, locals often watched filming from lawn chairs and occasionally wandered into shots. By the second season, Eugene shared at 92Y Talks in 2016, they had become "proud citizens of Schitt’s Creek." The town embraced its fictional identity, even inspiring the local minor league baseball team to rename themselves. "They changed their name from the Goodwood Bears to the Schitt's Creek Bears for a whole month," Eugene told NPR.

14. Chris Elliot frequently caused Eugene Levy to break character.

Murphy noted that Eugene often "laughs like a child" during scenes with Chris Elliot, who portrayed Mayor Roland Schitt. "He knows exactly how to get to me," Levy admitted in a Build interview. "He deliberately tries to make me laugh on set, and he’s very successful at it."

One scene in the third season was especially challenging, resulting in hours of bloopers. "Chris positioned himself behind me, demonstrating how to properly hold a golf club," Levy recalled. "That moment had me laughing harder than anything else in the three seasons. I couldn’t stop, and the director eventually had to scold me." (They did, however, manage to capture the shot.)

15. Daniel ensured every detail of Schitt's Creek was meticulously crafted.

This even extended to the carpets in the motel. "In my mind, it’s clear that the carpets aren’t vacuumed regularly," Levy explained to GQ in 2019. "These carpets have seen a lot. We’re in a motel, after all. If we vacuum them, which is necessary, we also need to roughen them up afterward." He personally handles the scuffing: "Details matter to me, and when they’re not perfect, I get a bit… particular," he said. (Despite this, Daniel maintains a calm demeanor on set: "He’s incredibly composed and confident running the show," O'Hara told GQ.)

16. Annie Murphy’s favorite prop was the menu at Cafe Tropical.

The extensive menu at Cafe Tropical is a recurring source of humor on Schitt’s Creek, and it’s Murphy’s most cherished prop. "I wish everyone could see the inside of the menu—it’s incredibly detailed, listing every dish imaginable," Murphy shared during 92Y Talks in 2018. "There are around 150 items, each with its own description." Since no real-life menu was large enough, the props team designed oversized custom ones.

17. Emily Hampshire frequently took Stevie’s clothes home with her.

Stevie’s wardrobe, featuring Chucks, flannels, and overalls, is arguably the most comfortable on Schitt's Creek. So much so that Hampshire often borrowed pieces for her personal use. "I always take this pair of Stevie’s jeans—they’re the ideal baggy, rolled-up boyfriend jeans," Hampshire said. "I also take her hoodies and even her Converse, which somehow feel better than mine. Dan doesn’t get it; he’s always asking, ‘Why would you borrow this stuff?’ But the wardrobe team has a knack for finding the perfect hoodie or jeans, so I can’t resist."

18. Emily Hampshire fulfilled a personal dream in Season 5.

When Daniel informed Hampshire that she would portray Sally Bowles in the Schitt’s Creek adaptation of Cabaret, she was stunned. She shared with Decider that it "was surreal because, for years, whenever asked about my dream role, I’d say Sally Bowles in Cabaret. I adore the film and am passionate about musicals. I’ve always mentioned this to colleagues, even telling Dan in the first season, ‘If we ever do a musical, can it be Cabaret?’ But I never imagined Stevie would be involved, let alone play Sally Bowles. It was a dream come true, blending my aspirations with Stevie’s emotions through that iconic song."

Hampshire avoided singing the song during rehearsals because "I wanted my first attempt to be genuine, performed live for the audience. I wanted to capture the raw nerves—both as Emily and Stevie—and the pressure of expectations. During rehearsals, they asked for a sound check, but I held off until the first take. We completed about three full takes, and I felt the imperfections made it authentic. I didn’t want Stevie to suddenly sound like a polished musical performer; I wanted it to feel like her heart was pouring out."

19. Daniel Levy announced the series’ conclusion in March 2019.

20. After filming ended, Hampshire kept a meaningful memento from the set.

Once filming for Schitt's Creek concluded, Hampshire took the stag painting from behind the Rosebud Hotel desk as a keepsake. It now hangs in her small home office. "It’s in a tiny space," she said. "Honestly, it dominates the entire room."

21. Schitt's Creek made Emmy history.

During the 2020 Emmys, the show dominated the comedy category for its final season, securing nine awards in total—"a record for the most wins by a comedy in a single year," as reported by The New York Times. O'Hara and Eugene Levy won acting Emmys for their portrayals of Moira and Johnny Rose, while Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy earned best supporting actor and actress awards for David and Alexis Rose. Additionally, the series won for best directing, writing, casting, and contemporary costumes in the comedy category.