8.6 /10 1 Votes
97% Rotten Tomatoes Country of origin United States | 7.9/10 IMDb 8.3/10 TV First episode date 6 March 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Created by Tina FeyRobert Carlock Starring Ellie KemperTituss BurgessCarol KaneJane Krakowski Cast Profiles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is an American web television sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring Ellie Kemper in the title role, that has streamed on Netflix since March 6, 2015. 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.
Contents
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).
Since its premiere, the show has received critical acclaim, with critic Scott Meslow calling it "the first great sitcom of the streaming era". As of July 14, 2016, the series has been nominated for eleven Primetime Emmy Awards, including two nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series.
On January 17, 2016, the series was renewed for a third season, which is scheduled to premiere on May 19, 2017.
Production and development
The show was created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock when NBC executives asked them to develop a show for Ellie Kemper. Fey stated that they found an "innocence" about Kemper's face, but also noted there was a "strength" to it. One idea was for the show to center on Kemper's character waking up from a coma, but this idea was abandoned in favor of the cult-survivor storyline.
The show was initially under development for NBC under the title Tooken. However, this was later changed to the current title. Eventually NBC sold the series to Netflix. 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.
Casting
Casting announcements for the remaining roles were held on March 2014, with Tituss Burgess cast as the role of Kimmy's roommate, Titus Andromedon. Titus is a talented singer who works odd entertainment jobs such as dressing up like a robot in Times Square or as a singing waiter at a theme restaurant. Also cast was Carol Kane as Kimmy and Titus' landlord Lillian Kaushtupper.
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 she is told. Jane Krakowski was later cast in the role of Jacqueline Voorhees, a wealthy Manhattanite who hires Kimmy as a nanny. Megan Dodds was originally cast before she was replaced with Krakowski.
Music
The show's theme song, "Unbreakable", was produced by The Gregory Brothers and written by Jeff Richmond. It is a tribute to The Gregory Brothers’ YouTube show Songify the News – auto-tuned news interviews that became viral videos. Richmond also wrote "Peeno Noir", a song performed by character Titus Andromedon during season 1, episode 6 of the series.
Synopsis
In the first season, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) was in 8th grade when she was kidnapped for fifteen years by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm). The Reverend held Kimmy and three other women hostage in an underground bunker, and convinced them that doomsday had come, gone, and had left them the sole survivors of humanity. Once the women are rescued, they go on to appear on the Today Show in New York City. After the show, Kimmy finds herself not wanting to return to Indiana, but instead to start a new life in New York City. Roaming around the city, Kimmy comes across landlady Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane). Kaushtupper offers Kimmy a chance to room with Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) in her downstairs apartment. However, Kimmy has to seek a job in order to get the apartment. Returning a child who has tried to steal candy, Kimmy encounters his mother, Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski) a Manhattan trophy wife, who mistakes her for a nanny, and who Kimmy mistakes as someone trapped in a cult. Soon after, Jacqueline hires Kimmy to be a nanny for her 10-year-old son. As Season 1 continues, Kimmy falls in love with a Vietnamese man, named Dong (Ki Hong Lee) from her G.E.D. class, goes to court to testify against the Reverend, and discovers how the world has changed in the 15 years she was locked up.
In the second season, Kimmy is sick of working for Jacqueline and acquires a job at a year round Christmas store and then as an Uber driver. She tries to get over Dong who enters a green card marriage with another G.E.D. student and eventually is deported. As Kimmy tries to move on, so do Titus and Jacqueline, who both find boyfriends. Titus begins dating a construction worker (Mike Carlsen) and Jaqueline begins dating a lawyer (David Cross). Jacqueline also goes back to her Native American heritage and decides to take down the Redskins, who her boyfriend's father happens to own. When Season 2 ends, Titus leaves to be a performer on a cruise and Lillian protests the invasion of hipsters on her neighborhood, while Kimmy makes amends with her mother (Lisa Kudrow) after advice from her therapist (Tina Fey) before receiving a phone call from The Reverend in prison, telling her that they need to get a divorce.
Main cast
Reception
The show has been widely acclaimed by television critics with significant praise going into the writing and the acting abilities of the cast.
Season 1
The first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt received critical acclaim. 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." On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Scott Meslow of The Week called the series "the first great sitcom of the streaming era", praising its wit, edge, and feminist tone. 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." TV Guide named it the "best new comedy of 2015". 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."
The series' first season was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Some reviewers have criticized the show's portrayal of Native Americans, with Vulture referring to a prominent Native American subplot as "offensive." BuzzFeed cited the lack of a plurality of portrayals of Native Americans as the main issue with the subplot, stating that "the way Native Americans are represented on this show matters. It's not one representation among a cornucopia of representations; it's the single mainstream representation in years."
In the wake of the controversy, Tina Fey retorted: "I feel like we put so much effort into writing and crafting everything, they need to speak for themselves. There's a real culture of demanding apologies, and I'm opting out of that."
Season 2
The second season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has received further critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds a 100% approval rating, based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Not letting up in season two, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is still odd in the best of ways, wonderfully building on its unique comedy stylings and brilliantly funny cast." On Metacritic, the second season has a score of 82 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
The series' second season was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, including a second nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series.
The season's third episode, "Kimmy Goes to a Play!," drew criticism due to its portrayal of an Asian-American protest group, which was seen as a thinly-veiled dismissal of the criticisms the series had received during its first season. Anna Akana, in her 2016 Asians in Entertainment Key Note speech, stated that "the plot fe[lt] like a pointed, ironic response to anyone who has criticized Fey's past projects..."