Fox Television Stations Acquire Comedy ‘Schitt’s Creek’

Fox Television Stations have nabbed the rights to Emmy-nominated comedy Schitt’s Creek, Pop TV’s highest-rated series, in a two-year deal with Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury. All seasons of Schitt’s Creek will begin airing in U.S. broadcast markets beginning in September 2020. The series returns for its sixth and final season on Pop TV and Canada’s CBC in January 2020. Its total episode count will be about 80 episodes, which is a syndicatable amount by today’s standards.

It is not very common for a cable series, especially a single-camera comedy, to be sold in broadcast syndication, especially one airing on a smaller channel like the CBS-owned Pop. But Schitt’s Creek has not been an ordinary series, increasing its ratings every season and growing its popularity beyond television throughout its run. That was recently taken to another gear with Schitt’s Creek’s launch on Netflix.

Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury acquired U.S. broadcast syndication rights to Schitt’s Creek from international distributor ITV Studios Global Entertainment in May 2018 when Pop was still co-owned by Lionsgate and CBS (It has since become solely owned by CBS). The sale to the Fox Stations comes on the heels of Schitt’s Creek big Emmy breakthrough, landing four Emmy nominations this year for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Eugene Levy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Catherine O’Hara and Outstanding Contemporary Costumes.

“Schitt’s Creek will enter syndication on Fox and other television stations throughout the country next fall with one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases on television,” said Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus. “It is so rare to have a show like this that appeals equally to viewers, Emmy voters and critics – a testament to its extraordinary gifted cast and writing.”

Said Frank Cicha, EVP of Programming for Fox TV Stations, “Program? What program? I thought Debmar was actually selling us the town!”

The comedy, created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy, follows a wealthy family who suddenly find themselves broke and forced to live in Schitt’s Creek, a small town they once bought as a joke. It centers on an outrageously wealthy video store magnate, Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy); his former soap-star wife Moira (Catherine O’Hara); and their two adult children – the self-described black sheep of the family David (Daniel Levy) and career socialite Alexis (Annie Murphy). With their pampered lives a memory, they struggle to find jobs and relationships, and most importantly, figure out what it means to be a family in the makeshift but loveable town they’ve reluctantly come to call home.

The cast also includes Chris Elliott, Emily Hampshire, Jennifer Robertson, Noah Reid, Dustin Milligan, Sarah Levy and Karen Robinson.

Commissioned by CBC, Schitt’s Creek is produced by Not A Real Company Productions Inc. and created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy. The executive producers are Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Andrew Barnsley, Fred Levy, David West Read and Ben Feigin. Schitt’s Creek is produced in association with CBC and PopTV and distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.