Virtually a decade after premiering on Crave, the favored Canadian sitcom Letterkenny by no means fairly discovered its footing with American audiences on Hulu. The half-hour comedy collection ran from 2016 to 2023, earlier than spawning the equally widespread spinoff, Shoresy, based mostly on one of many principal characters portrayed in Letterkenny by collection creator Jared Keeso. For anybody who finds the concept of Napoleon Dynamite paired with The Trailer Park Boys interesting, Letterkenny is the place to be.
Whereas a number of elements have contributed to Letterkenny‘s success in Canada and failures within the U.S., all 12 seasons can be found on Hulu for North Individuals (and others) to look at and assess for themselves. At its core, the collection drives to the center of small-town dwelling by highlighting the common trials and tribulations that everybody in a small, tight-knit neighborhood faces.
‘Letterkenny’ Is an Absurd Canadian Comedy
Tailored from the 2013 YouTube collection Letterkenny Issues, Letterkenny is an offbeat Canadian sitcom that includes mockumentary and sketch-show components. Created, developed by, and starring Jared Keeso, the sitcom explores the on a regular basis issues dealing with the city of Letterkenny, Ontario, Canada, which has a inhabitants of 5,000.
A lot of the absurd, deadpan, situational comedy revolves round Wayne (Keeso) and Katy (Michelle Mylett), a brother and sister who run a fruit and vegetable stand with their quirky associates, Squirrely Dan (Ok. Trevor Wilson), and Daryl (Nathan Dales). Assume Napoleon Dynamite with a wholesome sprint of The Trailer Park Boys blended in for good measure. That is the form of idiosyncratic humor one can count on.
Visually, the present blends a handheld mockumentary model with the construction of a standard single-camera sitcom. Letterkenny shortly caught on with Canadian audiences regardless of struggling to maintain success in america. The collection lasted 12 seasons and 81 episodes (together with seven TV specials), with solely six or seven episodes per season, making for a quick and simple watch.
The comedic enchantment of Letterkenny lies in its region-specific humor and number of topics. Whether or not poking enjoyable on the native hockey scene, conventional customs on Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, weddings, funerals, and different situations, the sitcom is constructed on the aggressive spirits of its eccentric townsfolk. But, regardless of spawning two spinoffs and gaining acclaim and accolades, Letterkenny proved to be a tad too Canadian to turn into a profitable American import.
Why ‘Letterkenny’ Succeeded in Canada however Flopped in America
Letterkenny premiered on Crave, a Canadian streaming service, in February 2016. One of many largest causes the present did not catch on within the U.S. is that it was launched on Hulu two and a half years later, in July 2018. The primary two seasons have been added to Hulu in July 2018, with the remainder added later in December 2018. As soon as Hulu acquired unique streaming rights within the U.S. in Might 2019, Seasons 7 by way of 12 have been launched yearly.
Proper off the bat, the jumbled launch schedule made it troublesome for U.S. audiences to search out the present, a lot much less entry the episodes in the way in which Canadians may from the beginning. This hampered the viewership within the U.S., even whereas the present continued to soar in Canada. The primary spinoff, Littlekenny, was launched in 2019. After six episodes, the spinoff ended.
Past the cumbersome launch slate, Letterkenny was too area of interest and culture-specific to Canada to resonate amongst American audiences. The alternative of getting a broad enchantment meant to welcome all viewers, the model of humor was too particular, too focused, and, for lack of a greater phrase, too Canadian. With out having the requisite information and familiarity with the nationwide customs, traditions, slang, areas, methods of life, and cultural qualities the present intentionally lampoons, it was almost not possible for Letterkenny to ring a bell within the U.S.
Letterkenny’s premiere was watched by almost one-third of Crave subscribers, making it the platform’s most profitable collection since its launch in 2014. The collection gained the Finest Comedy Collection Award on the 2017 Canadian Display Awards and the Finest TV Comedy Award on the Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards in 2017 and 2018. Most lately, the sitcom gained Finest Pictures and Finest Enhancing in a Comedy Collection on the 2022 Canadian Display Awards.
With most of that success coming earlier than the present was added to Hulu within the U.S., American audiences missed the boat. As such, Letterkenny has not gained any main awards or accolades within the U.S. Regardless of the shortage of worldwide success, Letterkenny lives on by way of its second spinoff, Shoresy, based mostly on one other key character performed by Keeso.
‘Letterkenny’ Followers Ought to Watch the ‘Shoresy’ Spinoff First
Though the primary spinoff, Littlekenny, did not recapture the Letterkenny magic, Shoresy is on par with the unique collection. Each Letterkenny and Shoresy maintain a stellar 8.6 IMDb score, up drastically from Littlekenny’s 7.0 IMDb score. Shoresy has additionally fared higher amongst critics and common audiences, with the sitcom boasting a 100% Tomato Meter score and 93% Popcorn Meter rating on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparability, Letterkenny has an 87% approval score amongst non-critics (the present has no Tomato Meter rating).
Launched in 2022, Shoresy broadened what labored so effectively in Letterkenny and expanded its enchantment to a wider viewers. It is nonetheless very Canadian-centric with particular regional humor, however it’s extra accessible and digestible for worldwide viewers. The collection is called after the raunchy, foul-mouthed Shoresy, who joins a senior hockey group in Sudbury, Canada. Assume Ted Lasso assembly Slap Shot, and one may approximate the tone and tenor of Shoresy‘s big-hearted, foul-mouthed enchantment.
Shoresy has lasted 4 seasons and 24 episodes up to now. In February 2025, the collection was renewed for a fifth season by Crave and Hulu, the place it can proceed to air in Canada and the U.S., respectively. Whereas no official launch date has been given, Shoresy Season 5 is anticipated to premiere in late 2025 or early 2026.
For American audiences who cannot get into Letterkenny, maybe one of the best ways in is to look at Shoresy first. In accordance with a Reddit thread on the subject, many followers discovered Letterkenny by watching Shoresy first, with the consensus suggesting that it would not matter if each collection are watched out of order. Shoresy is a unfastened spinoff at greatest and capabilities independently with no need to finish Letterkenny to start with. And since Shoresy has confirmed to have a broader enchantment for a wider viewers, U.S. Hulu subscribers ought to begin there and work in reverse. Letterkenny is obtainable to stream on Crave and Hulu. Shoresy is streaming on Hulu.
Letterkenny
- Launch Date
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2018 – 2022
- Showrunner
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Jared Keeso
- Administrators
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Jacob Tierney
- Writers
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Jared Keeso
