Only Murders in the Building

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Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders logo.jpeg
Genre
Created bySteve Martin & John Hoffman
Starring
Music bySiddhartha Khosla
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Thembi Banks
  • Jane Raab
CinematographyChris Teague
Editors
Running time26–35 minutes
Production companies
  • Rhode Island Ave. Productions
  • Another Hoffman Story Productions
  • 40 Share Productions
  • 20th Television
DistributorDisney Platform Distribution
Release
Original networkHulu
Original releaseAugust 31, 2021 (2021-08-31) –
present (present)
External links
Website

Only Murders in the Building is an American mystery-comedy television series, created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The series, consisting of ten episodes, premiered on August 31, 2021, on Hulu.[1][2][3] Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers, played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, who share an obsession with a true crime podcast.[4][5] After a murder in their building, the three neighbors decide to start their own show that covers their investigation of the murder. Only Murders in the Building has received largely positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised its comedic approach to crime fiction and the lead actors' performances. In September 2021, the series was renewed for a second season.[6]

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

  • Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage,[7] an actor who was the star of a popular 1980s detective drama before drifting into obscurity. He lives in the Arconia.
  • Martin Short as Oliver Putnam,[7] a struggling Broadway director who spawns the idea of the podcast, and becomes its director. He lives in the Arconia.
  • Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora,[7] a young woman who lives in an unfinished apartment in the Arconia she claims to be renovating for her aunt
  • Aaron Dominguez as Oscar, a former close friend of Mabel and Tim, who was convicted of the murder of their friend Zoe
  • Amy Ryan as Jan, a professional bassoonist who also lives in the Arconia

Recurring[]

  • Vanessa Aspillaga as Ursula, the Arconia building manager
  • Julian Cihi as Tim Kono, a recently deceased resident in the Arconia building. Tim Kono's death under mysterious circumstances spurs Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to do their own investigation.
  • Jackie Hoffman as a neighbor
  • Jayne Houdyshell as Bunny, a board member and resident of the Arconia building
  • Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas, an Arconia resident, deli chain owner, and old friend of Oliver's who produced many of his shows. He agrees to sponsor the podcast out of pity.

Guest[]

  • Tina Fey as Cinda Canning, the host of a true crime podcast called "All is Not OK in Oklahoma"[8]
  • Maulik Pancholy as Arnav, Charles's next door neighbor
  • Sting as himself,[9] a resident of the Arconia
  • Adriane Lenox as Roberta, Oliver's ex-wife

Episodes[]

No.Title [10]Directed byWritten by [10]Original release date [11]Prod.
code
1"True Crime"Jamie BabbitSteve Martin & John HoffmanAugust 31, 2021 (2021-08-31)1DWB01
Charles-Haden Savage, a washed-up television actor; Oliver Putnam, an unemployed Broadway director; and Mabel Mora, an apartment renovator, live in the Arconia. By chance, the three of them meet on an elevator and see Tim Kono on the phone. Later, they are forced to evacuate and bond over their shared love of a crime podcast. They decide to sneak back inside the Arconia where they learn that there has been a murder and discover Kono dead. The investigators believe it was suicide, but the three think otherwise; finding more and more evidence to the contrary, such as his frantic phone call and a package addressed to him that contained an engagement ring. Meanwhile, Oliver struggles with his relationship with his son, Charles discusses his need for loneliness, and Mabel expresses her fear of getting personal with people. They decide to start a podcast titled Only Murders in the Building as they continue to investigate. It is revealed that Mabel was once friends with Kono as evidenced by an old photo of herself and her friend group dubbed "My Hardy Boys".
2"Who Is Tim Kono?"Jamie BabbitKirker ButlerAugust 31, 2021 (2021-08-31)1DWB02
Charles and Oliver try to learn more about who Tim was and they, along with Mabel, attend a memorial service for him. It is revealed that nobody in the building liked him and he had several complaints filed against him. The trio go into Tim's apartment to find more clues, but their lack of trust in one another makes things tense. Mabel records a video in private that reveals that she has known Tim since they were children, bonding over The Hardy Boys books and solving pretend mysteries together. As they grew older, they added new friends Oscar and Zoe. One night, 10 years previously, the four attended a New Year's Eve party on the roof of the building, and Zoe was later found dead. As he and Zoe had been arguing earlier in the evening, Oscar was arrested for her murder. However, Tim informed Mabel that he had seen someone else fighting with Zoe before she died, but he failed to disclose this to the police, causing a rift between himself and Mabel. Later on, Mabel revisits Tim's apartment and finds a cache of jewelry and some of her old drawings.
3"How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?"Gillian RobespierreBen SmithAugust 31, 2021 (2021-08-31)1DWB03
Charles, Oliver, and Mabel all think that Howard is a prime suspect, and Charles and Mabel interview him in his apartment. Bunny threatens Oliver that she will get him evicted if he doesn't catch up on the building fees he owes. He goes to Teddy, begging for money; after initially refusing, Teddy agrees to sponsor the podcast. Later, Oliver sees Sting in the elevator, and thinks he may also be a suspect. Mabel comes across a note from Tim detailing a meeting in one week with somebody identified only as "G.M." Oliver discovers a threatening note on his door and that Winnie, his bulldog, has been poisoned, presumably by the same perpetrator.
4"The Sting"Gillian RobespierreKristin NewmanSeptember 7, 2021 (2021-09-07)1DWB04
Oliver suspects that Sting poisoned Winnie and enlists the help of Charles and Mabel to prove he is responsible for both Winnie's poisoning and Tim's murder. After consulting Cinda Canning, the host of their favorite podcast, the trio present Sting with a turkey and question him about Tim, revealed to be Sting's former stockbroker. Sting guiltily confesses that, after Tim lost a substantial sum of his money, he angrily fired Tim and told him to kill himself, but is relieved when the trio announce that they believe Tim's death was murder instead of suicide. Meanwhile, Charles goes on a date with Jan. It is a disaster, but she agrees to a second date when Charles later shares a personal story with her. Mabel finds a connection to the jewelry she found in Tim's apartment and Oliver's son, Will, reveals that he remembers Mabel from their youth and her connection to Tim. A flash forward to a few months later reveals that Charles, Oliver and Mabel are the subject of Cinda Canning's new podcast, Only Murderers in the Building.
5"Twist"Don ScardinoThembi L. BanksSeptember 14, 2021 (2021-09-14)1DWB05
Mabel is being followed by "Tie Dye Guy", who turns out to be her old friend Oscar, who recently was released from prison for Zoe's murder. He offers to drive her to wherever she's going, which eventually turns out to be Bayport, New York in Long Island. Charles and Oscar see Mabel leaving their apartment building, so they tail them into Bayport. They end up in a tattoo parlor there, where Mabel finally admits that she previously knew Tim. Oscar admits that he is "Tie Dye Guy", but that he didn't murder Tim; he was however outside his door when he heard a gunshot.
6"To Protect and Serve"TBAMadeleine George & Kim RosenstockSeptember 21, 2021 (2021-09-21)TBA
7"The Boy from 6B"TBAStephen Markley & Ben PhilippeSeptember 28, 2021 (2021-09-28)TBA
8"Fan Fiction"TBAMatteo Borghese & Rob TurbovskyOctober 5, 2021 (2021-10-05)TBA
9"Double Time"TBAJohn Hoffman & Kristin NewmanOctober 12, 2021 (2021-10-12)TBA
10"Open and Shut"TBAJohn Hoffman & Rachel BurgerOctober 19, 2021 (2021-10-19)TBA

Production[]

Development[]

In January 2020, it was announced Steve Martin and Martin Short would star in an untitled Hulu series, created by Martin and John Hoffman, with Martin, Short, and Hoffman set to executive produce, alongside Dan Fogelman, with 20th Television serving as the studio.[12] On September 14, 2021, Hulu renewed the series for a second season.[6]

Casting[]

Alongside the initial announcement, it was announced Martin and Short would star in the series.[12] In August 2020, Selena Gomez joined the cast and also serves as an executive producer.[13] In November 2020, Aaron Dominguez joined the cast in a series regular role.[14] In January 2021, Amy Ryan joined the cast in a series regular role.[15] That same month, Nathan Lane joined the cast in a recurring role.[16]

Filming[]

Principal photography began on December 3, 2020, in New York City,[17] and concluded in April 2021.[18]

Release[]

Only Murders in the Building premiered on August 31, 2021 on Hulu.[3] Internationally, the series premiered on the same day on Disney+ under the dedicated streaming hub Star, as an original series, and on Star+ in Latin America. Disney+ Hotstar released the series in select territories on September 3, 2021.[19] On Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and Star+, Only Murders in the Building episodes is scheduled to debut on a weekly basis.[2]

Reception[]

The performances of (left to right) Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez have received critical acclaim.

The series received widespread critical acclaim with most critics commending the performances of Gomez, Short and Martin. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.90/10, based on 55 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Only Murders in the Building's silly approach to true crime obsessives is at once hilarious and insightful, thanks in large part to its extremely charming central trio."[20] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 33 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B and wrote, "Only Murders delivers above-average laughs, a clever mystery, and a starry cast. But it's hard to shake the feeling that the show missed an opportunity to be something special."[22] Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of four and a half out of five stars and said, "The series soon turns out to be—like The Princess Bride, Galaxy Quest, or Jane the Virgin—that rare and wonderful thing: the parody that also offers a great example of the genuine article."[23]

References[]

  1. ^ White, Peter (January 22, 2020). "Hulu Unveils Details Of Steve Martin & Martin Short Comedy As 'Y: The Last Man' & 'American Horror Stories' Become FX On Hulu Originals". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "THE 2020 INVESTOR DAY PROGRAMMING FACT SHEET" (PDF). The Walt Disney Company.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Petski, Denise (May 18, 2021). "'Only Murders In The Building': Hulu Comedy Series Starring Steve Martin, Martin Short & Selena Gomez Unveils Trailer, Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Horton, Adrian (August 31, 2021). "Only Murders in the Building review – Steve Martin's hit-and-miss whodunnit". The Guardian. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Chavez, Danette (August 31, 2021). "Only Murders In The Building gleefully sends up true-crime obsessives". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Schwartz, Ryan (September 14, 2021). "Only Murders in the Building Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu". TVLine. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Bell, Josh (August 23, 2021). "Only Murders In the Building Is a Wry, Funny Take on True Crime Podcasts". CBR. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Horton, Adrian (August 31, 2021). "Only Murders in the Building review – Steve Martin's hit-and-miss whodunnit". The Guardian. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  9. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (August 25, 2021). "Hulu's 'Only Murders in the Building': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Only Murders in the Building". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "Shows A-Z - only murders in the building on hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2020). "Steve Martin & Martin Short Comedy Series From Dan Fogelman Ordered By Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  13. ^ Otterson, Joe (August 7, 2020). "Selena Gomez Joins Steve Martin, Martin Short in Hulu Comedy 'Only Murders in the Building'". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 16, 2020). "Aaron Dominguez Joins Hulu Comedy Series 'Only Murders In the Building'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2021). "Amy Ryan Joins Hulu Comedy Series 'Only Murders In The Building'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 13, 2021). "Nathan Lane Joins Hulu's 'Only Murders In The Building' & HBO's 'The Gilded Age' As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  17. ^ Martin, Steve [@SteveMartinToGo] (December 3, 2020). "Today is the first day of filming our new TV show, "Only Murders in the Building," in Manhattan. Starring the incredible Selena Gomez and the just okay Martin Short" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2020 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Martin, Steve [@SteveMartinToGo] (April 15, 2021). "We just wrapped "Only Murders in the Building," a four month shoot with Marty, Selena and me. Protocols protected the crew and cast. Thank you Disney and Hulu for stringent, defensive measures that worked". Twitter. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  19. ^ Disney+ Hotstar ID [@DisneyPlusID] (July 29, 2021). "Tiga orang terobsesi dengan pembunuhan tiba-tiba terlibat dalam sebuah kasus. Apa yang akan terjadi? Only Murders in the Building Premier Ekslusif 3 September di #DisneyPlusHotstarID" [Three people obsessed with true crimes suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. What will happen? Only Murders in the Building premieres exclusively 3 September on #DisneyPlusHotstarID.] (Tweet) (in Indonesian). Retrieved July 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Only Murders in the Building: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  21. ^ "Only Murders in the Building: Season 1". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  22. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (August 23, 2021). "Only Murders in the Building review: A starry caper that settles for broad comedy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  23. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (August 23, 2021). "'Only Murders in the Building': A Podcast Parody That Shoots to Kill". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 27, 2021.

External links[]

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