“It was an impossible task to make another show any time sooner than I did,” Levy shares with EW.

Big Mistakes first look: Dan Levy previews his next TV comedy 6 years after Schitt’s Creek (exclusive)

"It was an impossible task to make another show any time sooner than I did," Levy shares with EW.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

March 12, 2026 9:00 a.m. ET

Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega in 'Big Mistakes'. Credit:

- See an exclusive first look at *Big Mistakes*, the next TV family comedy from *Schitt's Creek* creator Dan Levy.

- Levy previews his hijinks-filled world of organized crime and the two New Jersey siblings thrown into the mix.

- Levy on why it took six years to make another show: "Quality requires time and space and a clear head and a clear heart, and somebody who has lived life."

When *Schitt’s Creek* ended in April 2020, bringing a close to the six-season Emmy-sweeping Canadian comedy, star and creator Dan Levy faced the same kind of question over and over: “What’s the next show?” The answer, at least for a long time, wasn’t something Levy could provide.

The writer, actor, and son of Eugene Levy describes showrunning those 80 episodes of television, his first time in such a capacity, as “the most potent, intensely creative, all-encompassing experience” that "put my life on hold, ultimately, for six years." By the end of it all, Levy was elated for the international sensation the sitcom became, and also terribly exhausted.

“Quality requires time and space and a clear head and a clear heart, and somebody who has lived life,” he tells **. “This constant conveyor belt of delivering ‘content' — for me at least, it was an impossible task to make another show any time sooner than I did.”

Abby Quinn as Natalie, Dan Levy as Nicky, and Taylor Ortega as Morgan on 'Big Mistakes'.

Six years later, Levy is now back on the small screen with* **Big Mistakes*, his second original scripted series and his first as part of an overall TV deal with Netflix, the streamer that helped catapult *Schitt’s Creek* to a larger international audience.

Co-created with Rachel Sennott (*I Love LA*, *Bottoms*), the eight-episode half-hour comedy follows another dysfunctional family: Jersey-based sibling duo Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (*Another Simple Favor*’s Taylor Ortega), their younger sister Natalie (*Knock at the Cabin*’s Abby Quinn), and mother Linda (*Roseanne*’s Laurie Metcalf).

“It's a very different experience making TV now that people know what I do,” Levy explains of the lingering glow of *Schitt’s Creek* and his past role of David Rose. “You have to work extra hard to get out from underneath the expectation of the character that you made. It's like the greatest blessing and a little bit of a curse at the same time. I always wanted to get back to TV, but I also was very aware of the fact that you gotta let the dust settle before you expect people to jump back into something that requires them to see you as somebody else.”

Life of crime

Nicky (Dan Levy), Yusuf (Boran Kuzum), and Morgan (Taylor Ortega) on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

In relation to the six-year gap between shows, Levy says he isn't concerned about his status in the industry. He just wants to make art that means something to him. It's why, during the in-between time, he went and made *Good Grief*, the 2023 film inspired by a personal loss.

When the idea that would eventually spawn *Big Mistakes* reared, he felt passionate enough to finally pull the trigger on his next show, one that was equal parts comedy, thriller, and crime-caper with another brother-sister pair at the center of it all.

The idea stems from a very specific phobia. "I have a completely unfounded fear of being entrapped by organized crime," Levy says. "I don't know whether it was my algorithm or just the kinds of news that I've been drawn to over the years. Most of the time, you can't really get out once you're in, and that felt really scary to me, but it also felt really propulsive as a story idea for TV. Throw two characters who ultimately prove themselves to be a liability to the organized crime dynamic, therein lies the comedy."

Laurie Metcalf as Linda and Dan Levy as Nicky on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

Nicky (Dan Levy) and Yusuf (Boran Kuzum) on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

While hunting with Nicky for a gift for their dying grandmother, Morgan casually swipes a necklace from a local store, which turns out to be a front for an undisclosed crime organization. Cue the arrival of Yusuf (Boran Kuzum), who operates the shop. He remembers Morgan after a tense exchange and comes looking for the necklace. He then blackmails the siblings into assisting on certain shady activities as penance.

Articles, documentaries, first and secondhand accounts of real-world situations were all part of Levy and Sennott's research. However, some of the scenarios they brainstormed — many of which can't be discussed because they ended up in the show, including one involving a bull — felt so outlandish that they needed an expert to point out what was actually theoretically plausible. So they brought on a consultant, also named Dan, who specializes in organized crime.

'Schitt's Creek' star Dan Levy has new chaotic family show coming to Netflix

'Schitt's Creek' stars stage Rose family reunion to close out 2024 Emmys

It turns out many of their ideas were plausible. "You think this feels insane. No, someone has thought of it," Levy quips. "Criminals are incredibly creative minds, just not necessarily putting that creative energy to good use."**

Don’t take sides against this family

Dan Levy as Nicky on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

In writing the role of Nicky, described as an over thinker and generally anxious person, Levy asked himself, "What is the worst possible job for this person to have to get involved in criminal activity?" Pastor came to mind.

Nicky, the only adopted member of his family, leads the flock at Glenview Community Church. Though he's openly gay, this particular congregation requires him to remain celibate, which is why he's hiding his relationship with boyfriend Tareq (Jacob Gutierrez). The constant quest to find himself is what appealed to Levy.

"And then you add the crime element on top of that and it's chaos," he remarks.

Levy wanted the female perspective to feel just as grounded, so Levy tapped his former costar on HBO's *The Idol*, Sennott. He remembers "a lot of improvisation that didn't get used in the show that was very, very funny" between the two of them. They both had the same representation at the time, so he reached out to Sennott and they started writing together soon after. The resulting acidic, dark humor of Morgan is very much in line with the woman who delivered us *I Love LA*.

Dan Levy as Nicky, Taylor Ortega as Morgan on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

Morgan (Taylor Ortega) and Max (Jack Innanen) on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

"We wanted the character to be somebody who failed at the thing that they wanted and returned home to their small town with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, trying to make something of themself," Levy describes. "When we meet Morgan, she is not living the life that she wants."

Jack Innanen plays Max, Morgan's boyfriend who's perhaps too eager to be her fiancé — at least more eager than Morgan.

"She's messy and she's grouchy and she's rough around the edges, but there's also a real heartbeat to this character," Levy continues. "If we do our jobs well, the audience will understand why she is the way she is, which I think builds a bridge of emotional connection to the character."

Abby Quinn as Natalie and Laurie Metcalf as Linda on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

Laurie Metcalf as Linda on 'Big Mistakes'.

Spencer Pazer/Netflix

Adding an additional layer of color to the Nicky-Morgan dynamic is their mother, Linda, who's running for local office with the help of their youngest sibling, Natalie. Linda's divorce from their father years prior is something the show will play with as it goes on, but for the most part, it's about the siblings both living with their mom and doing everything they can to prevent themselves from becoming her.

Levy says he and Sennott took their shot with offering Metcalf the role, and the *Lady Bird* and *Monster* star came back with an instant yes. He likens what she does with the part to what Catherine O'Hara did with Moira Rose on *Schitt's Creek*. "It's a very singular inhabitation," Levy explains. Think press-on nails, sexy stretch denim, and patterned blouses. "I think the character of Linda is so specific," he continues. "Everyone knows this woman. If she's not your mother, she's your aunt. If she's not your aunt, she's a family friend."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

The opening scene of *Big Mistakes*, premiering on Netflix on April 9, is a true showcase of the tornado that is their family dynamic: the trio racing around grandma's hospital room while their dying nonna starts cussing from her bed. "My big goal for this show is that you feel like you've been dropped into the middle of this family and it's sink or swim," Levy shares.

"Ultimately, the show is about what we inherit from our elders, what we inherit from our parents, what they inherit from their parents," he adds. "The screaming starts with nonna in the hospital bed and you realize this is three generations of people who have all kind of been plagued with what came before. They're all fighting to resist turning into their parents. It's a really fun dynamic to write."

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”