Schitt's Creek will be leaving Netflix in the fall, it was confirmed this week.
The comedy. which ran for six seasons, will move from Netflix to Hulu in the US this fall, with October 3 being its last day on Netflix. At the moment, the decision only has an effect in the United States.
Created by American Pie fame Eugene Levy and his son, comedian Daniel Levy, the show followed the Rose family. Once wealthy video library moguls, after discovering their business owner had embezzled their fortune, the family is forced to move to Schitt's Creek, a small town they had bought as a joke a few years earlier.
Schitt's Creek has become so synonymous with Netflix that it's considered a Netflix show, but it was actually commissioned and produced by CBC Television, part of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Netflix held the rights to the show in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Japan, Australia, and South Africa, where most viewers discovered it later.
The show was a huge hit for Netflix and also a huge hit at award shows. Its final season won all seven major Comedy Emmy Awards in 2020, setting a new record for the most Emmy Awards won by a comedy series in a single season.
Now, however, he leaves and heads elsewhere.
Hulu must be excited...
It does, and Hulu president Joe Early has confirmed it. He said of the move: "Based on the number of Schitt's Creek GIFs we release each day, it's no surprise that we're absolutely thrilled to welcome Johnny, Moira, Alexis, 'Daviiid' and the wonderfully unique residents of Schitt's Creek to Hulu. We can't wait to share the incredibly funny yet heartwarming, award-winning series and characters with our subscribers. We know they'll be a good fit."
Is it still bad news for Netflix?
This is certainly not good news. While it could be argued that Schitt's Creek got good value from Netflix in the time it did, the comedy has such a good reputation that it now sits alongside shows like Friends, The Office, and Parks and Recreation that demand endless review.
Marketing for a streaming service shouldn't be based entirely on new content. There's a lot to be said for back catalog value and viewing comfort. You can be sure that Hulu will be marketing the hell out of Schitt's Creek when the show ends service in October.
Along with the news of the loss of 200.000 subscribers, layoffs, and two canceled shows, this could be the last episode of Netflix's hellish week.