Schitt's Creek returns with more fish-out-of-water comedy

The outlandish expectations of the pampered Rose familyconfrontingits new, small-town surroundings in TV hitSchitt'sCreekmake for fish-out-of-water comedy gold. But star EugeneLevy believes it is therelatabilityof the show'scharactersand relationships that arekey to its popularity.

The CBC-TV comedy, kicking off itssecondseason Tuesday night, returns to the titular town owned by the once-wealthy Roses, who were left nothing but the tiny community when the family lost its fortune.The showearned average ratings of more than one million viewers per episode during its inauguralseason.

"We've tried to keep things as honest and as real-to-life as we can, tried to keep the situations real and certainly we want the characters to be real. That was always the intention," Levy told CBC News during filming of season two last summer.

The veteran comic actor'sson Dan, who co-created Schitt's Creek with him and serves as its head writer, ascribes show's appeal to its ability to connect with different generations.

"We have two really distinct perspectives going on in the show:you have a younger generation of stories being told through Alexis and David and how they integrate into the town and all the young people we meet there," he said, referencing thecharacters he and onscreen siblingAnnie Murphy portray.

"Then you have, I don't want to say an older,buta more sophisticated generation that's dealing with...relationship issues and marriage and professional dilemmas and all of those things that Johnny and Moira(Levy Sr. and actress Catherine O'Hara)have to deal with in their lives. I think between the two we've somehow managed to engage quite a wide group of people."

A family affair

For many viewers, part of the show's appeal is watching a real-life family perform together.

Eugene and Dan Levy star as father and sonJohnny and David Rose. Meanwhile,Sarah Levy daughter of Eugene and sister to Danplays Twyla Sands, a no-nonsensewaitress in the town.

Then, there's also the longtimechemistry between Levy and perennial comedy partner O'Hara, who plays his wifeMoira, a formersoap opera star.

Both actors said theyespecially enjoy the scenes where O'Hara performs with Levy's children.

"I saw them when they were babies.I remember on SCTV when Daniel was born.It's just crazy and lovely.It'ssweet. And thank God they're good, because that could've been reallyawkward!" she laughed.

Begrudgingbelonging

Look for more of those family dynamicsand further awkward interactions between the Rose familyand townsfolkas season two gets under way.

"The first season was: how do we get out of here and when do we get out of here?" saidEugene Levy.

Schitt's Creek: Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara back for season 2

9 years ago

Duration 8:51

The longtime performing partners are back in the fish-out-of-water comedy Schitt's Creek

"This season is: we're not going to get out of here as quickly as we thought we would, so this family does have a life to live, they do have to get through every day, and you can't just burrow yourself constantly in the motel room and just pretend you want your old life back. Youhave a life to live!"

The second season of Schitt's Creek begins at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday on CBC-TV.