We live in Schitt's Creek

Goregaon resident Ruchita Mehra says members of the Original Schitt`s Creek Fan Club, ask and offer love and comfort, and were a source of support for many during the pandemic. Pic/Satej Shinde

That Schitt's Creek is more than a show for its fans is evident, when initially-hesitant, "I am not sure I have enough to share with you", turn into half-hour conversations with little need for prodding. For a show that first aired on January 15, 2013, and wrapped up in April 2020, after six seasons and nine Emmy awards in 2020, the popularity in India, interestingly surged during the lockdown.

Says 30-year-old communications professional Rishitu Amarnani, "I think during the lockdown, people wanted positivity in their life, a cuddle, some warmth and the show gave that." Amarnani completed the show, and all its six seasons some time in May 2020, when Mumbai was still in the throes of the COVID-19 lockdown. The show, created by Candanian actor, writer, director and producer duo Dan Levy and his father Eugene Levy, available on Netflix, stars Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone fame) and Anne Murphy. It's the story of a rich American family whose life will remind you much of the Kardashians, that loses everything and has to move to a small town called Schitt's Creek and, live in a run-down motel. Amarnani says, the show - the heart of the story is that all its characters are essentially nice people - helped him a lot. "I was not in a great space during the initial phase of the lockdown and felt so hopeful by the end of the show that I sought conversations around it."

A publicity image of Schitt's Creek, starring Annie Murphy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Dan Levy

The search landed Amarnani and others like him to Original Schitt's Creek Fan Club, created by Tina Canavan and her wife Kat Haney. Now, two years old almost, the group has over 88,000 members.

What's different about this group and members of the Schitt's Creek community, feels journalist Suryasarathi Bhattacharya, is the difference in the conversations. "I remember, someone had posted ‘who is your favourite character?' And, instead of picking one, I had said that everyone was integral to the show. Even Bob [one of the characters in the town] was needed in the show. Instead of arguing, the conversation turned to how others felt about other characters, too. Compare that to a fan group of even a show like Masterchef Australia, where one negative comment against a contestant will lead to a blowout."

Kat Haney and Tina Canavan

Both Amarnani and Bhattacharya say the way the show normalises LGBTQA+ relationships - portraying it like any other love story - is another aspect that makes it so popular.

Ruchita Mehra, a 40-year-old communications director with a multinational firm, turned to the group in 2019 when she realised that no one around her had watched or cared for the show. "I still remember my first FB post on the show. No one liked it. And I thought that is impossible, there have to be people who love it. That's when I started searching for fan groups and found this one. It was like being gathered into a warm, warm hug. The group is amazing. It has people from all over the world, across ages and genders, and everyone bonds over one show."

Suryasarthi Bhattacharya and Rishitu Amarnani

But, it's also about how the show has changed their own perspective about life and relationships. Someone posted on the group recently about how "someone in their friend's daughter's school was upset that she had two mothers. Because they got to have two moms while this child only had one". "And that's the only plausible reason to be upset about a same-sex marriage".

Says Mehra, "Everyone shares about their lives from their heart. Whether it's happy or sad. They ask people for love, comfort and are sure to get it back. This
was even more visible during the pandemic as people were troubled, losing loved ones, and everyone was just there for each other, despite being total strangers." Dan Levy, says Amarnani, too promotes this, giving a shoutout to stories and posts from fan pages.

As examples take these posts. On January 7, one post read: "I'm here and can be an emotional support Australian. Can provide comfort with a lot of swear words and pictures of quokkas." Another just asked people to share good news or interesting news. And if not that, make something up.

For Canavan, the popularity of the page has been an exhilarating experience. "Its aim was just a page for friends who love the show to share posts and laugh. We never expected it to grow to this scale." It evolved into a support group, feels Canavan, because it was founded by mostly all LGBTQ members. "We all know how harsh the world can be, so we often come together to help support anyone who needs it. The group is growing to this day and I think it will stick around for a while due to all of the support and open conversations."