Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | |
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Genre | Comedy |
Created by | |
Starring | |
Opening theme | "Unbreakable" by The Gregory Brothers and Mike Britt |
Composer | Jeff Richmond |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Editor |
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Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 22–28 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Netflix |
Release | March 6, 2015 present | –
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is an American sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring Ellie Kemper in the title role, that has streamed on Netflix since March 6, 2015.[1] Originally set for a 13-episode first season on NBC for spring 2015, the show was sold to Netflix and given a two-season order.[2]
The series follows 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt (Kemper) as she adjusts to life in New York City after her rescue from a doomsday cult in Indiana where she and three other women were held by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm) for 15 years. Determined to be seen as something other than a victim and armed only with a positive attitude, Kimmy decides to restart her life by moving to New York City, where she quickly befriends her street-wise landlady Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane), finds a roommate in struggling actor Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), and gains a job as a nanny for the melancholy and out-of-touch socialite Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski). With their help, Kimmy struggles to adapt to an unfamiliar world and jump-start the adult life that had been taken away from her.
Since its premiere, the show has received critical acclaim,[3] with critic Scott Meslow calling it "the first great sitcom of the streaming era".[4] On July 16, 2015, the series was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
On January 17, 2016, the series was renewed for a third season.[5]
Production and development
The genesis of the show was Tina Fey and Robert Carlock being asked to develop a show for Ellie Kemper.[6] Fey has stated that they found an "innocence" about her face, but also noted there was a "strength" to it.[6] One idea was for the show to center on Kemper's character waking up from a coma, although this was ditched in favor of the cult survivor storyline.[6]
The show was initially under development for NBC under the title Tooken.[7] However, this was later changed to the current title.[8] Eventually NBC sold the series to Netflix.[1] Fey has stated that this was in part due to NBC "not feeling confident about watching comedies". Prior to the network switch, NBC planned to air the series as either a mid-season replacement or as a summer series.[6]
Casting announcements on the remaining roles began in March 2014, with Tituss Burgess cast in the role of Titus, Kimmy's roommate, an extremely talented singer who works odd entertaining jobs such as dressing up like a robot in Times Square or as a singing waiter at a theme restaurant.[9] Shortly afterwards, Sara Chase and Lauren Adams joined the series. Chase signed on for the role of Cyndee, Kimmy's closest friend during their years in the cult; Adams was cast in the role of Gretchen, a 10-year member of the cult who believes everything that they were told.[10] Jane Krakowski was later cast in the role of Jacqueline Voorhees, a wealthy Manhattanite who hires Kimmy as a nanny. The role was originated by Megan Dodds before she was replaced with Krakowski.[11]
Music
The show's theme song, "Unbreakable," was a tribute to the trend of auto-tuned news interviews becoming viral videos. It was produced by The Gregory Brothers and written by Jeff Richmond. Richmond also wrote "Peeno Noir", a song performed by character Titus Andromedon during season 1, episode 6 of the series.[12]
Cast
Main cast
- Ellie Kemper as Kimberly "Kimmy" Schmidt, a naive but surprisingly resilient woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York.[9]
- Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon (born Ronald Wilkerson), a flamboyantly gay, aspiring Broadway performer.[9]
- Carol Kane as Lillian Kaushtupper, Kimmy and Titus's landlady.[13]
- Jane Krakowski as Jacqueline Voorhees (née Jackie Lynn White), a wealthy and insecure Manhattanite who hires Kimmy as a nanny.[11]
Recurring cast
- Dylan Gelula as Xanthippe Lannister Voorhees, the pretty, popular and seemingly bratty stepdaughter of Jacqueline, who is later revealed to be hiding her high achieving, 'good girl' personality.[14]
- Ki Hong Lee as Dong Nguyen, Kimmy's GED study buddy and love interest.
- Adam Campbell as Logan Beekman, an upscale man from a wealthy family who was interested in Kimmy and briefly dates her.
- Sara Chase as Cyndee Pokorny, Kimmy's best friend from the cult.
- Lauren Adams as Gretchen Chalker, a willing member of the cult, who believes everything she was told.
- Sol Miranda as Donna Maria Nuñez, a cult member who pretends to not speak English, and is revealed to be using the "Mole Woman" name to advertise products.
- Mike Britt as Walter Bankston, a witness to the raid on the Bunker, whose remixed interview (set to music by The Gregory Brothers) serves as the series' theme song. Walter Bankston is loosely based on Charles Ramsey, one of the rescuers of the captives of the Ariel Castro kidnappings.[15][16]
- Tanner Flood as Buckley Voorhees, Jacqueline's son.[17]
- Andy Ridings as Charles, Buckley's tutor, who has a crush on Kimmy.
- Susanna Guzman as Vera, Jacqueline's housekeeper.
- Tim Blake Nelson as Randy, Kimmy's stepfather, a very incompetent state trooper who met Kimmy's mother while searching for and failing to locate the missing Kimmy.[18]
- Jon Hamm as Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, the man who imprisoned Kimmy, Cyndee, Gretchen and Donna in an underground bunker for fifteen years and led them to believe that they had survived the end of the world.
- Tina Fey and Jerry Minor as Marcia and Chris, incompetent prosecutors in the case against "the Reverend". They are based on Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden, the lead prosecutors in the OJ Simpson murder case.[19]
- Sheri Foster and Gil Birmingham as Fern and Virgil, Jacqueline's Lakota parents seen in flashbacks.
Guest stars
- John McMartin as Grant, a friend of the Voorhees' and a war veteran. ("Kimmy Goes on a Date!")
- James Monroe Iglehart as Coriolanus Burt, Titus' rival. ("Kimmy Goes to the Doctor!")
- Martin Short as Dr. Grant (pronounced "Franff"), Jacqueline's plastic surgeon. ("Kimmy Goes to the Doctor!")
- Brandon Jones as Brandon, Cyndee's childhood crush and later boyfriend. ("Kimmy Kisses a Boy!")
- Richard Kind as Mr. Lefkovitz, Kimmy's GED teacher. ("Kimmy Goes to School!")
- Mark Harelik as Julian Voorhees, Jacqueline's adulterous husband. ("Kimmy Goes to a Party!")
- Amy Sedaris as Mimi Kanasis, an acquaintance of Jacqueline's who suffers from her divorce. ("Kimmy Is Bad at Math!")
- Kiernan Shipka as Kymmi, Kimmy's half-sister. ("Kimmy Has a Birthday!")
- Christine Ebersole as Helene, Xanthippe's biological mother. ("Kimmy's in a Love Triangle!")
- Dean Norris as M. Le Loup, a coach to helps Titus to pass as a heterosexual in order to improve his chances with casting ("Kimmy's in a Love Triangle!")
Episodes
Season 1 (2015)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Kimmy Goes Outside!" | Tristram Shapeero | Tina Fey & Robert Carlock | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) has been held captive in an underground bunker for the past 15 years by a Reverend who told her and three other women that the Earth was destroyed in an apocalypse. After getting rescued, the women are dubbed 'The Mole Women'. Kimmy decides that she wants to stay in New York City and try out life there. On her first day, she looks for a roommate, which she finds in a broke prospective Broadway singer named Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), who tells her that she must get a job first. Kimmy gets a new job as a nanny for a rich upper-class Manhattanite—Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski)—but is fired after she shows up for her first day two hours late. Later, at a nightclub, Kimmy gets her backpack stolen, along with the $13,000 in cash that she has from the 'Mole Fund'. After finding that she has nothing left and being told to return to Indiana by Titus, she remembers how she survived with the Reverend for fifteen years and decides to stay in New York City to fix what she can. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Kimmy Gets a Job!" | Tristram Shapeero | Sam Means | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy attempts to get her job back from Mrs. Voorhees and, to prove her worth, is tasked with throwing a perfect birthday party for Mrs. Voorhees' son and grounding her step-daughter, Xanthippe (Dylan Gelula), who seems to run the house. Mrs. Voorhees is devastated after she finds that her husband isn't coming to her son's birthday party, believing that he is cheating on her and that their marriage is falling apart. Kimmy blackmails Xanthippe and is able to ground her for drinking alcohol. Mrs. Voorhees tries to fire Kimmy but after she finds that Kimmy has done everything she tasked her with she proclaims that Kimmy is her best friend and rehires her. Meanwhile, Titus works to get his security deposit back from his costume rental after Kimmy tells him to quit his job to pursue his dream, as she now has her job back and is able to pay the rent and take care of things around the apartment. | ||||||
3 | 3 | "Kimmy Goes on a Date!" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy believes that she needs someone to talk to, which prompts Jacqueline to set her up with a rich elderly man, which subsequently prompts jealousy from Charles (Andy Ridings). After being asked about her heritage, Jacqueline remembers the family that she came from, after Charles helps Buckley with a project, showing that she was originally a Native American Indian woman. Jacqueline stands up for Kimmy when Xanthippe sets out to find out everything about her and Charles tries to ask Kimmy out. Titus tries to hide his money from Lillian, which is for new head-shots so he can make it on Broadway, resulting in him going to a funeral of an elderly Korean man, but when he comes clean about what the money is for, it is stolen. | ||||||
4 | 4 | "Kimmy Goes to the Doctor!" | Tristram Shapeero | Jack Burditt & Tina Fey | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy gets a call from Cyndee, from the cult after Titus sends her a letter to her because he believes that she needs to talk to someone about her life in the bunker. Jacqueline takes Kimmy to her surgeon (Martin Short), prompting Kimmy to want to get a new face because she doesn't want to get recognized from the bunker. Titus auditions for a spot in a Broadway production, after Kimmy convinces him that he needs to be more confident in himself. Later, she also explains to Jacqueline that she needs to accept herself for who she is and not focus so much on her looks. Kimmy then realizes that she needs someone to talk to about the bunker and invites Cyndee to come visit her in New York. | ||||||
5 | 5 | "Kimmy Kisses a Boy!" | Linda Mendoza | Allison Silverman | March 6, 2015 | |
Charles tells Kimmy that he likes her and when she says the same, the two kiss. Cyndee arrives with her boyfriend Brandon, who had also been her former middle school crush. Titus immediately suspects that Brandon is gay, but Kimmy disagrees. After Kimmy realizes how many free things Cyndee has been getting due to the sympathy of others, she tricks Brandon into revealing that he is gay, but he says that he's only with Cyndee because he too feels sorry for her. Shortly after, Brandon proposes to Cyndee, prompting Kimmy to tell Cyndee the truth, though Cyndee says she already knows and does not care. After a misunderstanding when speaking to Charles on the phone, Kimmy tells him that she loves him. She then realizes that she hadn't been working on the goals she set out when in the bunker and was jealous of all Cyndee had done, leading her to enroll in a GED program. Meanwhile, Titus has a crisis regarding his age and if he is still found attractive. | ||||||
6 | 6 | "Kimmy Goes to School!" | Michael Engler | Dan Rubin & Lon Zimmet | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy enrolls into an adult GED class in an attempt to pass the eighth grade. There, she encounters a teacher (Richard Kind) that could not care less for her education, and would much rather screw up until he's placed in a room where he can do nothing. He uses his tenure as a stand for never actually getting fired. Kimmy, who is vehemently against this, enlists her classmates - including a Vietnamese immigrant named Dong Nguyen (Ki Hong Lee) - to fight against the teacher. Meanwhile, Lillian helps Titus make a music video in Jacqueline's house. | ||||||
7 | 7 | "Kimmy Goes to a Party!" | Nicole Holofcener | Robert Carlock | March 6, 2015 | |
Jacqueline's husband Julian (Mark Harelik) finally makes it home and is throwing a surprise cocktail party, which Jacqueline believes she can use to prove his infidelity. Jacqueline invites Kimmy as a guest/accomplice and Kimmy invites Titus to sing at the party. While at the party, Kimmy flirts with an upscale guest Logan Beekman (Adam Campbell) and Titus seeks to impress a guest he believes works on Broadway. | ||||||
8 | 8 | "Kimmy Is Bad at Math!" | Michael Engler | Meredith Scardino | March 6, 2015 | |
Realizing just how poor her math skills are, Kimmy seeks out classmate Dong to get some private tutoring sessions, which he agrees to in exchange for some help at his delivery job. Meanwhile Jacqueline is contemplating her ability to survive without Julian's financial assistance. Titus starts his new job as a werewolf at a horror-themed restaurant on Broadway, but finds that life as a werewolf may be easier than that of a black man. Kimmy also begins dating Logan. | ||||||
9 | 9 | "Kimmy Has a Birthday!" | Todd Holland | Jack Burditt | March 6, 2015 | |
It's Kimmy's 30th birthday and she's throwing a party. She invites both Logan and Dong, but is also unwillingly joined by her incompetent state trooper step-father Randy (Tim Blake Nelson) and half-sister Kymmi (Kiernan Shipka). Titus invites an attractive coworker to the party without seeing his face, only to realize the two had a rough history together. | ||||||
10 | 10 | "Kimmy's in a Love Triangle!" | Jeff Richmond | Azie Dungey & Lauren Gurganous | March 6, 2015 | |
Logan wants Kimmy to stop talking to Dong and tries to have him deported. Kimmy finds out, breaks up with Logan, and begins dating Dong. Meanwhile, Titus is overlooked for a new role at the restaurant because he can't "play straight." As a result, he seeks out help from a "straight coach," M. La Loup (Dean Norris). | ||||||
11 | 11 | "Kimmy Rides a Bike!" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | Sam Means & Allison Silverman | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy is summoned to testify against Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm) but refuses. Kimmy and Jacqueline begin regularly attending a spinning class instructed by Christopher "Tristafé" Micellito (Nick Kroll) to escape their problems - Kimmy to avoid the guilt of not returning to testify and Jacqueline to cope with her divorce. Kimmy notices similarities between Tristafé's spinning class and a cult and exposes Tristafé's scheme. Titus goes to the local library to watch the trial unfold online, though the prosecuting attorneys Marcia and Chris (Tina Fey and Jerry Minor) aren't doing very well. | ||||||
12 | 12 | "Kimmy Goes to Court!" | Ken Whittingham | Emily Altman & Jack Burditt | March 6, 2015 | |
Kimmy returns to Indiana to testify against Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. The Mole Women return to the shelter to look for evidence against Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne when the prosecutors begin to lose the case. Titus becomes an internet sensation. | ||||||
13 | 13 | "Kimmy Makes Waffles!" | Tristram Shapeero | Robert Carlock & Sam Means | March 6, 2015 | |
The Mole Women become trapped in the bunker when Kimmy's stepdad fails to properly guard the hatch door and begin to argue. Jacqueline and Lillian attempt to travel to Indiana to support Kimmy, but struggle to make it out of New York as neither of them drive. Eventually, Jacqueline uses knowledge from her Native American heritage to navigate them to Indiana. Meanwhile, the Mole Women make up and work together to escape the bunker themselves. The Mole Women head back to the trial and use a tape of Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne found in his bunker to win the case. Jacqueline decides to return to her home in South Dakota. Dong gets married to Sonya from GED class to avoid being deported. Titus's estranged wife finds him after seeing his YouTube video. |
Season 2
On November 21, 2014, NBC sold Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Netflix with a two-season order.[1] The second season commenced principal photography in August 2015, and is set to stream on April 15, 2016.[20][21]
Season 3
On January 17, 2016, the show was renewed by Netflix for a third season.[22]
Reception
The first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt received critical acclaim.[3] On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a rating of 95%, based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Blessed with originality and a spot-on performance from Ellie Kemper, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is as odd as it is hilarious."[23] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24] Internet Movie Database rates Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 8/10.[25]
Scott Meslow of The Week called the series "the first great sitcom of the streaming era", praising its wit, edge, and feminist tone.[4] Brian Moylan of The Guardian noted that it is "the sort of show that could benefit from multiple viewings, because the jokes are so packed in you’re sure to miss something while laughing."[26] TV Guide named it the "best new comedy of 2015".[27] IGN reviewer Max Nicholson gave the first season an 8.3 out of 10 'Great' rating, saying "Tina Fey and Robert Carlock's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is another winner in Netflix's original series catalog. Not only is it charming and funny, but it's unabashedly kooky, and Ellie Kemper nails the lead role."[28]
The series' first season was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Accolades
Season 1
See also
References
- ^ a b c Wallenstein, Andrew (November 21, 2014). "Netflix Nabs 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' from NBC". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 11, 2014). "NBC 2014-2015 Schedule: 'Parenthood' Renewed; 'State of Affairs' & 'Marry Me' To Air Post-'Voice'; 'The Blacklist' Moves Midseason + 'Parks and Recreation' Final Season Benched". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
- ^ a b "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' Has Two Native American Actors. It Needed Three". Indian Country Today Media Network. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ^ a b "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' Is the First Great Sitcom of the Streaming Era". The Week. The Week Publications. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ^ "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' Renewed For Season 3 By Netflix – TCA". Deadline.com. January 17, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ a b c d D'Alessandro, Anthony. "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tina Fey & Robert Carlock On Netflix And Their Modern Princess Tale". Deadline. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 31, 2013). "NBC Picks Up Comedy Series From '30 Rock's Tina Fey & Robert Carlock Starring Ellie Kemper With 13-Episode Order". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ "Development Update: Tuesday, May 6 – NBC Gives "Tooken" New Moniker of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"". The Futon Critic. Futon Media. May 6, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (March 1, 2014). "'30 Rock's Tituss Burgess Joins Tina Fey & Robert Carlock's NBC Series 'Tooken'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ "Development Update: Wednesday, March 19". The Futon Critic. Futon Media. April 5, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ a b Reed, Kayla (May 12, 2014). "'Jane Krakowski joining Tina Fey's New NBC Sitcom'". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Villarreal, Yvonne (March 31, 2015). "'Kimmy Schmidt' composer Jeff Richmond on the show's viral-friendly songs". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ "Netflix to Premiere Globally in March 2015 the New Tina Fey and Robert Carlock Comedy Series Starring Ellie Kemper". The Futon Critic. Futon Media. November 23, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Giacomo Gianniotti Joins ABC's 'Selfie'; Andy Ridings & Dylan Gelula In NBC's 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. August 15, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ^ Harris, Aisha (March 11, 2015). "The Creators of Kimmy Schmidt's Theme on Sending Up the "Hilarious Black Neighbor" Meme". Slate. The Slate Group. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Rosenberg, Alyssa (March 10, 2015). "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' mines comedy out of sexual abuse". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ "Tina Fey's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" starring Ellie Kemper on Netflix March 6th". The Laugh Button. January 7, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ Levine, Daniel S (April 17, 2015). "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' recap 9: 'Kimmy Has A Birthday!'". The Celebrity Cafe. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Virtel, Louis (March 11, 2015). "Weird Crush Wednesday: Tina Fey's Idiotic 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' Character". HitFix. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Snetiker, Marc (April 2, 2015). "Everything we know about season 2 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (January 17, 2016). "Release date confirmation". Facebook. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Vlada Gelman. "'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix - TVLine". TVLine.
- ^ "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. March 6, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 2015-03-06, retrieved 2016-02-04
- ^ Moylan, Brian (March 6, 2015). "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Tina Fey's joyous new creation". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ Eng, Joyce (March 5, 2015). "Netflix's Sunny, Dark Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Is the Best New Comedy This Year". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ Nicholson, Max (March 6, 2015). "Unbreakable Kimy Schmidt: Season 1 Review". IGN. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
External links
- 2015 American television series debuts
- 2010s American television series
- American comedy television series
- American LGBT-related television programs
- American television sitcoms
- Fictional cults
- English-language television programming
- Netflix original programming
- Single-camera television sitcoms
- Television shows filmed in New York
- Television series about women
- Television series by Universal Television
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