'Schitt’s Creek' creates history at Emmys 2020. Here’s why it deserves all the applause

If you've been living under a rock (or just avoiding watching news for your own personal reasons),  a little Canadian show 'Schitt's Creek' recently made history at Emmys 2020. The family-comedy show won the big television night by taking home seven awards in the comedy categories including the Best Actor, Actress, Director and Outstanding Cast.  It was a clean sweep for the series and a historic one at that. Schitt’s broke a slew of records by becoming the first comedy to win all four main acting awards in one year, and also became the most awarded comedy in a single year. What's even more fascinating is the fact that the show found recognition in one of TV's biggest nights only with its final season. The six seasons of the Rose family and their struggles, concluded this year and while the fans bid goodbye to the show, the jury at the Emmys made sure to give them a gala farewell.

'Schitt's Creek' is about John Rose, a successful businessman who loses all his wealth and goes broke, only to find a home in a motel in a little unknown town called Schitt's Creek that he bought as a joke. The entire series is about him and his eccentric and dandy wife Moira Rose, as they try to adjust in this new life along with their two adult kids - Alexis Rose and David Rose. Featuring veteran actors like Eugene Levy and Catherine O' Hara along with brilliant Annie Murphy and talented Dany Levy, the show is the perfect blend of hope and distress, acceptance and denial, and a call to keep looking for greener pastures.

A blessing in Pandemic

As someone who came across this brilliant series during the awful pandemic, I can vouch when I say it's one of the most relevant pieces of art you can enjoy while cribbing about an uncertain future. The entire world could relate to the Roses when their world turned upside down overnight and they were left with nothing but their family in a two-room suite at an almost empty town. The interactions they never had in their mansions when everybody was busy in their own lives. From getting to know their child's middle name to their relationships and more, everything that happens between the Roses, resonates with the lockdown period spent with the family. Probably, this was the reason that while accepting his Award for Eugene thanked the Netflix audience for making this spark of a show, rage like fire and become visible enough to be noticed across the globe.

Characters that grow on you

The tale of a dysfunctional family, Schitt's Creek, takes on the humour of four bizarre characters and weaves into this beautiful, heartwarming yet hilarious narrative, that morphs into something beautiful in every season. John, as the patriarch of the family, is the softest of them all and the one who keeps his head out of water and breathes for the entire family. He is a caring husband, and puts in every effort to make his children's life less miserable than it already is. He is also a good friend to town's mayor Roland Schitt (who is again a character that takes a while to grow on you).  Moira Rose, probably, deserves a whole other article. One of the most flamboyant characters in comedy series history, Moira, is a show in herself. Unapologetic, self-centered, a diva in every sense of the word, you feel her when she goes through a nervous breakdown and celebrates her 'caww'  as she gets back on her feet without letting anyone walk over her.

David Rose is the pessimist son who celebrates queerness in the show without it looking like tokenism. He along with Patrick, make one of the most romantic pairings in the LGBTQIA+ TV history. I mean, yes, we all love Mitch and Cam from 'Modern Family', but David and Patrick take romance to another level. What's great about David (apart from his wardrobe), is his arch in the show - from being a complainer to a business owner. Similarly, his equation with sister Alexis, is as real as sibling relationships can get. Easily, one character who has the best arc in the show is Alexis, from a carefree,  confused rich brat to a kind, compassionate, understanding and ambitious woman, Alexis is one character we all hope to be, at sometime in our lives.

Other than the Rose family, each and every supporting cast in the series, owns your heart - from Stevie, Roland to Bob, Ted and Twlya. Every character has been given enough attention during the six season run, to find their own story and path, without feeling rushed or incomplete. All the characters are a prime example of what good writing and attention to detail can bring out in a story, which has nothing else to offer other than human bonds,
 
Quirks- like never before

As it is with every sit-com, Schitt's Creek also gives you ample one-liners that deserve their own fandom. While Moira Rose wears the crown with her "What's your favourite season? Awards." to her "Stop acting like a disgruntled pelican" and her style of saying 'bebe'. Alexis 'Ew David' is probably one of the most famous quote coming from the show. The show has ample quirks in it to become a pop-culture phenomena. The niche audience discovered it in 2015, but the way the Roses' tragedy fits perfectly, and eerily in these difficult times, is something that the pop-culture enthusiasts will study for years to come.

Another standout in the series is the characters' looks and outfits. Be it Moira's innumerable wigs, to her outrageous ensembles, if any character can give Met Gala red-carpet a run for its money, it's Moira Rose. David's amazing sweaters deserve a retail place of their own, his every look shouts 'MOOD' in Alexis' voice.

A wholesome show that never sounds preachy

As stated by the cast members during the Emmys, the main purpose of the show was to celebrate inclusivity and optimism during trying times, and it serves it pretty well. From one of the best gay romances in TV history with a song of their own, to wholesome friendships and dysfunctional bindings, Schitt's Creek celebrates them all. It's a safe space where women who keep themselves first are celebrated, being unapologetic is encouraged, queerness is showcased without any past trauma, shame and with simple ease, and economic disparity is showcased without any mockery, but as a set-back to achieve something more permanent. A show that is genius in terms of creativity and limitless in terms of inclusivity. All that, in a simple setting of a small town. Schitt's Creek does have a big Canadian heart of its origin.

A year when everything looks bleak and the tunnel seems to be never ending, Schitt's Creek is a little light of warmth and happiness that might give you joy for a little while, as you try to make it through. Just like the Roses, the greener pastures await, and like Moira says, "One must champion oneself and say, I'm ready for this."

And there's nothing more this shows teaches us more than valuing yourself and those around you. Maybe the entire Canada felt the same emotion as they lit up the CN tower in the colour of Schitt’s Creek to honor its historic win.

Cheers to the show that deserved all the success it got this week and more. Now, it's time for another rerun because the world deserves more of Roses and ‘it’s never bad to ask for what you deserve’.