In 2015, Eugene and Dan Levy created the sitcom Schitt’s Creek, later revealing that it was inspired by a real-life story involving Kim Basinger.
Back in the 1980s, Basinger bought a small town in Georgia for $20 million, hoping to turn it into a tourist attraction and production hub. However, the plan didn’t go as expected, and she sold the town five years later for just $1 million. The fallout even led to tensions with some family members involved in the project. In a recent interview with Variety, Basinger shared her thoughts on her story serving as the basis for Schitt’s Creek. Speaking about becoming the show’s inspiration, Basinger shared:
Who knew? I love that show. So, hey, made for good material. That would be lovely to have those royalty checks.
Schitt’s Creek tells the story of the wealthy Rose family, led by Johnny Rose and his wife, former soap star Moira Rose, along with their two spoiled adult children, Alexis and David. After their business manager squanders their fortune, the only asset they have left is a small town called Schitt’s Creek—ironically purchased by Johnny as a joke gift for David’s birthday in 1991.
The series starred Catherine O’Hara as Moira and Annie Murphy as Alexis, alongside Emily Hampshire, Chris Elliot, Jennifer Robertson, and Noah Reid. In a 2019 interview with Vanity Fair, the creators shared how the show came to life.
We were in the early stages of figuring out what the backstory was, We started to research different ways that people had lost tremendous amounts of money or gone bankrupt.
Dan Levy explained
In the process, I stumbled upon an article about Kim Basinger having bought this town in Georgia. We thought, what if that could be funny? The family bought the town as a joke because it had this terrible name, and it’s the only asset left after everything gets repossessed, because the government didn’t see any value in it…. Unfortunately, it took a probably very traumatizing experience in Kim Basinger’s life for us to get here, but yeah… It was the most unlikely of Google searches.
He continued,
Despite its unconventional name, the sitcom became a huge success. It earned numerous accolades, including two Critics’ Choice Awards for Catherine O’Hara and Dan Levy. The show also won nine Primetime Emmy Awards, sweeping major categories like Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actor (Eugene Levy), Lead Actress (O’Hara), Supporting Actor (Dan Levy), and Supporting Actress (Annie Murphy).
On Rotten Tomatoes, the Canadian sitcom achieved a rare feat—both critics and audiences largely agreed, giving it an overall 93% score across all six seasons. Season 1 had the lowest critic rating at 68% (though the audience gave it 89%), while the following seasons earned a perfect 100% from critics, except for Season 3, which lacked enough reviews for a score. The show was praised for its heartwarming storytelling, LGBTQ+ representation, and strong character development.
Schitt’s Creek is available to stream on Hulu.
Source: Variety, Vanity Fair