It was a visitful of memories—and of pain. Dan Levy (42) returned to Goodwood, Ontario, for an interview with “CBS Sunday Mornings.” That quiet place that stood in as the fictional small town in “Schitt’s Creek.” Since wrapping filming shortly before 2020, he hadn’t stepped foot on the site—and underestimated what would greet him. “I didn’t think I’d have such an emotional reaction,” the openly gay showrunner and actor said, clearly moved.
What brought him back in the first place, however, was a joyful note: Levy was there to talk about his new Netflix comedy series “Big Mistakes.” Yet the reunion with the Goodwood Mercantile Store—the shop that belongs to his queer character David Rose, today a souvenir shop stocked with “Schitt’s Creek” merchandise—left him deeply touched. There is now a condolence book for Catherine O’Hara there.
You have to hold on to the memories
Levy has admitted in interviews that he seriously considered continuing the show. But following O’Hara’s death, a line has been drawn. “Not now. That’s not possible,” he told CBS. Tears even welled up when he spoke of his late colleague: “So many memories, so many memories with Catherine. That is what you hold on to—the memories.”
O’Hara, a two-time Emmy winner and an icon of Canadian humor, known for “Home Alone,” “Beetlejuice,” and “Schitt’s Creek,” died at the end of January this year at age 71 from a pulmonary embolism.
From Hidden Gem to Phenomenon
“Schitt’s Creek” aired from 2015 to 2020, spanning six seasons on Canada’s CBC. The series, in which Dan Levy starred alongside his father Eugene Levy (79) and his sister Sarah Levy (39), as well as Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy (39), Emily Hampshire (44), and Chris Elliott (65), follows the story of a wealthy family that winds up stranded in a remote small town after a financial ruin.
The show’s breakout moment came only in the latter half of its run. When Netflix added the series to its international lineup, it grew from a cult favorite to a mainstream phenomenon. At the Emmys, “Schitt’s Creek” was nominated for 19 awards and won nine, including the prize for best comedy series and all four acting categories—a historic achievement in television.
