The unlikely rise of “Schitt’s Creek” shows no signs of stopping. Debuting on the little-known American station Pop in 2015, “Schitt’s Creek” went widely unnoticed for its first few seasons. The comedy series, created by father-son duo Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy, then began amassing a following after joining Netflix in 2017. This show about a formerly wealthy family who has to leave everything behind to live in a small town ― a show once toiling in obscurity itself ― is now a bonafide hit. Just last week, the show earned its first Emmy recognition with nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series; Lead Actress, Comedy Series and Best Actor, Comedy Series. It took five seasons and a Netflix bump to reach that notoriety.
Shows that join Netflix after debuting on other networks often get such a bump. Last year, the Lifetime show “You” had almost no viewers until it switched to Netflix and became a massive hit.
But what underrated comedy show on Netflix could be next? Below is a list of comedies that similarly air on small or foreign channels before reaching Netflix. All of these shows have future seasons ahead of them, and therefore still have a chance to break through just like “Schitt’s Creek.”
And if you want to stay informed on everything joining Netflix on a weekly basis, make sure to subscribe to the Streamline newsletter.
Sum Up: Teenage students at a Catholic secondary school in the town of Derry, Northern Ireland, have to balance the dramas of youth with “The Troubles” ― a historic time of violence between a paramilitary and the state in the students’ hometown during the 1990s. The military conflict plays for laughs, while the students get into their own unrelated hijinks.
Original Channel: Channel 4, United Kingdom
“Schitt’s Creek” Similarity Beyond The Humor: The protagonists in both must juggle their personal lives with the madness of their surroundings.
Trailer:
Sum Up: A Korean Canadian family owns and operates a convenience store in Toronto. A wide range of characters pass through the business.
Original Channel: CBC, Canada
“Schitt’s Creek” Similarity Beyond The Humor: Much like “Schitt’s Creek,” the main comedy comes from the relationships between the family members.
Trailer:
Sum Up: Four mothers meet in a parenting group that they don’t like, and so they form their own mini community. The new friends balance parenting life with contemporary struggles of working underwhelming jobs.
Original Channel: CBC, Canada
“Schitt’s Creek” Similarity Beyond The Humor: Both have a subtle critique of capitalism underlying the situations that the characters find themselves in.
Trailer:
Sum Up: While dealing with a divorce, a once-successful actor must take on odd jobs to stay afloat in London. His outlandish personality often gets him into trouble. This has been off the air for a few years, but creator and star Matt Berry has said it’s coming back. Berry currently stars in the fantastic “What We Do in the Shadows” on FX.
Original Channel: Channel 4, United Kingdom
“Schitt’s Creek” Similarity Beyond The Humor: The main comedy comes from a “fish out of water” trope, in which the protagonist used to be “great,” but now has to reckon with being something else.
Trailer: