Small business romanticism is one of the few forms that uncritical support for capitalism can take across the political spectrum. In the United States, mom-and-pops represent in the eyes of conservatives and liberals an ethical vision of market society free from exploitation. It is therefore no surprise that cultural depictions of idealized communities often rely on the trope of the self-sufficient small business owner, either as a protagonist or an ideal.

The success of Schitt’s Creek, which first aired in 2015, if measured in terms of awards, exceeds that of any other Canadian TV show. That success is partly owed to its ability to tap into and dramatize fantasies about small businesses. Last year, in its sixth and final season, Schitt’s Creek was the undisputed champion of the Hollywood establishment. It swept the Emmy comedy category — the only show to ever do so — and remains the only Canadian program in any category to win Outstanding Series.

Its triumphal final season, which aired during the first year of the coronavirus epidemic and coincided with the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, spoke to a collectively shared desire for a less odious image of capitalism. Last year was a traumatic time for many but especially for American liberals. Acknowledging the role that Schitt’s Creek played as a balm for cultural anxieties, star and cocreator Dan Levy remarked during his Emmy Award acceptance speech that his show was “at its core, about the transformational effects of love and acceptance. That is,” he went on to add, “something that we need more of now than we’ve ever needed before.”