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“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and the Rise of the Netflix Original Series

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.

Released less than a month ago is the latest Netflix original series, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” a comedy created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Originally set for a 13-episode Spring 2015 debut on NBC, the show was sold to Netflix for a two-season order.

The hilarious series follows Ellie Kemper of Bridesmaids as Kimmy Schmidt, who moves to New York City after being trapped for 15 years in an underground doomsday cult.

Named “best new comedy of 2015” by TV Guide, the jokes and funny nuances are so jam packed in each 22-minute episode, that you may want to watch the episodes more than once because there are so many.

Kemper stars as clueless Kimmy Schmidt, whose New York cohorts include her flamboyant, Broadway-dreaming roommate Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), kooky landlord Lillian Kauschtupper (Carol Kane) and clueless yet wealthy Upper East Side housewife Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski) who gives Schmidt her first job.

But what does this show tell us about where TV is moving in the future? Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is joining the likes of Netflix original binge-watchable shows such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Hemlock Grove. Could these shows have received such praise and critical acclaim if they were aired on TV versus made available for screening on Netflix?

While Netflix original series such as those aforementioned are great because you can watch them as quickly or slowly as you want, that can also be seen as a downfall because it can ruin the suspense of a typical 13-week series and you can be easily spoiled with the season’s ending if a friend is at a different point than you are.  

Tell us what you think of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” by commenting below or tweeting us @HCEmerson!

Hey Collegiettes! I'm Jacqueline a senior at Emerson College. I'm a Journalism major and Political Communications minor at Emerson with hopes of working in freelance journalism with a focus in fitness and beauty! I'm a beauty blogger and a member of the InfluenceHer Collective, the Campus Correspondant for Her Campus at Emerson, am a High School Ambassador Advisor, and interned with Her Campus as a Blogger Network Management Intern in summer 2015.
Emerson contributor