Only Murders in the Building | |
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Season 1 | |
Starring |
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No. of episodes | 10 |
Release | |
Original network | Hulu |
Original release | August 31 – October 19, 2021 |
Season chronology | |
The first season of the American mystery comedy-drama television series Only Murders in the Building premiered on August 31, 2021, on Hulu. The series follows a trio of strangers (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez), all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating murders in their apartment building, and producing their own podcast about the cases. The season also stars Aaron Dominguez and Amy Ryan.
In January 2020, Hulu greenlit Only Murders in the Building for a straight-to-series order. Filming for the season began in December 2020, and wrapped in April 2021. The season consists of ten episodes, and had a three-episode premiere on August 31, 2021. The season became the most-watched comedy premiere in Hulu's history.
The season received critical acclaim. It received 17 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, with three wins. It also received the Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation and The ReFrame Stamp for hiring people of underrepresented gender identities, and of color.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
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1 | 1 | "True Crime" | Jamie Babbit | Steve Martin & John Hoffman | August 31, 2021 | 1DWB01 |
Charles-Haden Savage, a misanthropic former television actor who starred in the 1990s crime drama Brazzos; Oliver Putnam, a struggling Broadway director; and Mabel Mora, a young apartment renovator, live at the Arconia. By chance, the three meet on an elevator, joined by Tim Kono, who enters talking frantically on his phone. Later, after evacuating the building for an alarm, they bond over their shared love of a certain true crime podcast. They learn that there was a death at the Arconia and sneak back inside, where they see Tim, dead. The investigators believe it was suicide, but the three think otherwise. They find more and more evidence, such as Tim's frantic phone call in the elevator 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 solitude, and Mabel expresses her fear of getting personal with people. They start a podcast titled Only Murders in the Building as they continue to investigate. An old photo is shown of Mabel and the friends she dubbed "My Hardy Boys", which includes Tim. Note: The episode begins with a flash-forward set two months after the trio's first meeting, in which Charles and Oliver find Mabel kneeling over a dead body. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Who Is Tim Kono?" | Jamie Babbit | Kirker Butler | August 31, 2021 | 1DWB02 |
Charles and Oliver try to learn more about who Tim was, and along with Mabel they attend a memorial service for him. It is revealed that he was unpopular among many Arconia residents and 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 privately records a video that reveals 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 earlier, 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, but Tim told Mabel that he had seen someone else fighting with Zoe before she died. He did not disclose this to the police, causing a rift between him and Mabel. Later, Mabel revisits Tim's apartment and finds a cache of jewelry. | ||||||
3 | 3 | "How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?" | Gillian Robespierre | Ben Smith | August 31, 2021 | 1DWB03 |
Oliver uses his theater director skills to find the prime suspect in the investigation, which leads them to their cat-loving neighbor, Howard. They find his cat's paw prints in Tim's blood, but upon a visit they discover he has vasovagal syncope, making it impossible for him to be a cold-blooded murderer. Board president Bunny Folger threatens to evict Oliver if he does not pay his building fees. He goes to his old associate Teddy, begging for money; after initially refusing, Teddy agrees to sponsor the podcast. Charles meets Jan, a professional bassoonist, and Mabel suggests that he ask her out. 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 | 4 | "The Sting" | Gillian Robespierre | Kristin Newman | September 7, 2021 | 1DWB04 |
Oliver suspects that Sting poisoned Winnie and enlists the help of Charles and Mabel to prove he is guilty of 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, not 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 out that "G.M." is actually a place called "Gus Montrose's Gems", 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 | 5 | "Twist" | Don Scardino | Thembi L. Banks | September 14, 2021 | 1DWB05 |
Mabel is being followed by a mysterious person, who turns out to be her old friend Oscar, recently released from prison after he was wrongly convicted of the murder of Zoe. He offers to drive her wherever she is going, and Mabel directs him to Bayport, New York, on Long Island. Charles and Oliver see Mabel leaving the Arconia with a stranger, so they follow her with the help of a horticulture podcast's hosts, who have heard about their podcast. Charles and Oliver catch up with Mabel, who finally admits that she knew Tim. Gus Montrose's Gems is revealed to be a tattoo parlor that was a contact point of a black-market jewelry dealer named "Angel". They learn there that Tim had been trying to take Angel down for years, which is why he collected the jewels in his apartment. Oscar admits that he is "Tie-Dye Guy", someone Charles saw during the evacuation of the building, but claims that he did not murder Tim; he was, however, outside Tim's door when he heard a gunshot. | ||||||
6 | 6 | "To Protect and Serve" | Don Scardino | Madeleine George & Kim Rosenstock | September 21, 2021 | 1DWB06 |
Oscar and Mabel appear to have feelings for each other. Mabel's mother does not want her involved in Tim's murder investigation, but Mabel asserts her independence on this matter. Meanwhile, Detective Williams discovers the growing popularity of the Only Murders in the Building podcast and starts having second thoughts about closing Tim's case so quickly. While dealing with the pressure of the arrival of her and her wife's first child, she decides to send Tim's phone to Mabel to help their investigation. Cinda Canning appears on Jimmy Fallon's show, openly mocking the podcast, but Teddy is thrilled that his business is mentioned on Fallon's show. He writes Charles and Oliver a check for $50,000 for more episodes. Charles notices that the check is drawn from an "Angel" account, making Teddy the black market dealer Tim was after. | ||||||
7 | 7 | "The Boy from 6B" | Cherien Dabis | Stephen Markley & Ben Philippe | September 28, 2021 | 1DWB07 |
Teddy's son Theo spies on the trio and breaks in to take photos of their board of suspects, relaying to his father that the podcast is on to them, but Teddy dismisses the concerns. Charles and Mabel break into Teddy's apartment and discover a secret room of urns from a funeral home. Later, Oliver and Mabel leave to investigate the funeral home, while Charles has a date with Jan. At the funeral home, the two discover a secret room with jewelry. Theo is working there and stealing items off the bodies, and soon notices Oliver and Mabel. Flashbacks reveal that Theo had a crush on Zoe, who communicated with him in ASL. Theo saw Zoe stealing a ring from Teddy's apartment, which Teddy noticed during the New Year's Eve party. After an argument, Theo and Zoe got into a scuffle that led to Zoe falling off the roof by accident. Tim was the only witness, but an implied death threat from Teddy silenced him. Back in the present, Theo has kidnapped Oliver and Mabel, driving them to an unknown location, but not before they send texts to Charles telling him the password to Tim's phone might be "Theo". Note: There is no audible dialogue throughout this episode. The scenes are either shown from Theo's perspective or present situations where the characters stay quiet. | ||||||
8 | 8 | "Fan Fiction" | Cherien Dabis | Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky | October 5, 2021 | 1DWB08 |
Teddy returns Mabel and Oliver to the Arconia on the condition that they end the podcast and absolve the Dimas family of suspicion. Back at the building, Mabel and Oliver are swarmed by fans of the podcast calling themselves "the Arconiacs". Detective Williams suggests the trio release all their evidence on the podcast. Oscar shares that Tim already had Zoe's green ring when he died and was planning on using it as evidence, although its whereabouts are unknown. Oliver invites the Arconiacs to help the group solve Tim's murder in time for their abrupt series finale. Charles is distracted by Jan, so Mabel and Oliver force her out of the investigation. Jan returns to her apartment, where she finds a note on the door that reads: "I'm watching you". The podcast finale premieres, complete with evidence of the Dimases' crimes. Williams doubts the Dimases' involvement in the murder when Tim's autopsy reveals death by poisoning. Security footage also proves Teddy and Theo were not in the building at the time of Tim's murder. Charles visits Jan's apartment, where he finds her unconscious and bleeding. | ||||||
9 | 9 | "Double Time" | Jamie Babbit | John Hoffman & Kristin Newman | October 12, 2021 | 1DWB09 |
On their podcast, the trio retract their accusation of Teddy and Theo in Tim's murder. Jan survives her stabbing and Charles helps with her recovery. Charles' former stunt double, Sazz Pataki, shows up and immediately jumps into helping the trio investigate, much to the dismay of Charles and Jan. Later, a building meeting is called to address the podcast and the building votes to evict the trio, even after Charles says the podcast is done. Oliver and Mabel try to find a new lead to convince Charles to stay on the investigation and speculate that Tim might have had a secret girlfriend, a theory seemingly confirmed by Tim's neighbor. Charles goes to Jan's concert at Sazz's urging and sees a young female bassoonist who has replaced Jan at first chair. At the same time, Oliver and Mabel find a bassoon cleaner among Tim's stash of sex toys. | ||||||
10 | 10 | "Open and Shut" | Jamie Babbit | John Hoffman & Rachel Burger | October 19, 2021 | 1DWB10 |
The trio realize that Jan is the murderer. Having been romantically involved with Tim, she killed him a day after they broke up. Mabel and Oliver break into Jan's apartment and find evidence, including a poison bottle, Zoe's ring, and a bloody knife she used to stab herself to deflect suspicion. As Charles confronts Jan, he realizes she has poisoned him. Jan tries to gas the whole building via the newly open fireplaces, but the trio run to the basement and stop it. Jan appears and threatens to shoot them. A scuffle ensues, ending with Mabel knocking Jan out with the emerald ring. Jan is arrested while Charles is treated by paramedics. Days later, as the trio celebrate, Mabel goes to get more champagne, and Oliver and Charles receive a mysterious text message telling them to leave the building. The scene that opened the series is repeated, as Oliver and Charles run to Mabel and find her hunched over Bunny's dead body, covered in blood. The trio is led out of the Arconia in handcuffs while the Arconia tenants and others, including Detective Williams, Oscar, and Cinda, watch. |
Co-creator and star Steve Martin conceived of the idea for Only Murders in the Building decades before its premiere. [1] His original idea involved three elderly men who discover that they are all obsessed with solving crimes, but are too old and tired to go outside, so they decide to solve crimes that are only in the building. The idea later developed with one of the old men changed to a younger woman. [2]
In January 2020, it was announced Hulu had greenlit a straight-to-series order for a then untitled half-hour serialized comedy created by Martin and John Hoffman, with Martin, Martin Short, and Hoffman as executive producers, alongside Dan Fogelman, with 20th Television serving as the studio. [1]
Alongside the initial announcement, it was announced Martin and Short would star in the series. [1] In August 2020, Selena Gomez joined the cast as the series' third main lead, and also serves as an executive producer. [3] [4] In November 2020, Aaron Dominguez joined the cast in a series regular role, confirmed to be playing the character of Oscar. [1] In January 2021, Amy Ryan joined the cast in a series regular role and Nathan Lane joined the cast in a recurring role. [5] [6] In addition to the main cast, the season also features multiple guest stars, such as Tina Fey, Jackie Hoffman and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Sting appears as a fictionalized version of himself. [7]
The pilot episode was written by co-creators Martin and Hoffman, with Hoffman also co-writing the final two episodes of the season. The rest of the episodes in the season were written by Kirker Butler, Ben Smith, Kristin Newman, Thembi L. Banks, Madeleine George, Kim Rosenstock, Stephen Markley, Ben Philippe, Matteo Borghese, Rob Turbovsky and Rachel Burger. [8]
Principal photography for the season began on December 3, 2020, in New York City. [9] Filming concluded in April 2021. [10] The Belnord was used for exterior shots of the Arconia, the fictional apartment building featured in the series. [11]
The soundtrack for the season was wholly composed by Siddhartha Khosla. A digital album for the score was released on August 27, 2021, four days before the season's debut. [12]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Main Title" | 0:51 |
2. | "Mission Theme Pt. 1" | 1:11 |
3. | "Arconia Elevator Theme" | 0:37 |
4. | "Frozen Cat" | 0:46 |
5. | "Aphrodite" | 1:43 |
6. | "Vantage" | 1:44 |
7. | "All Is Not Okay" | 0:39 |
8. | "Oliver's Monologue" | 1:57 |
9. | "Who Was Tim Kono" | 3:21 |
10. | "Podcast Theme (Punk Version)" | 1:24 |
11. | "Romantic Theme Pt. 1" | 1:03 |
12. | "Romantic Theme Pt. 2" | 1:31 |
13. | "Interrogation Fantasy Pt. 1" | 0:56 |
14. | "Interrogation Fantasy Pt. 2" | 0:45 |
15. | "Detective" | 1:22 |
16. | "Mabel and Tim" | 1:55 |
17. | "Pilot Ending" | 1:43 |
18. | "Jan" | 1:30 |
19. | "Charles" | 1:16 |
20. | "Mission Theme Pt. 2" | 1:02 |
21. | "Finale" | 5:19 |
Total length: | 34:03 |
The season premiered on August 31, 2021, with the first three episodes on Hulu. [13] Subsequent episodes released weekly until the season finale on October 19, 2021. [14] Disney+ Hotstar released the series in select territories on September 3, 2021. [15] The first season made its broadcast television premiere on ABC on January 2, 2024; episodes were edited to meet broadcast standards and practices and follow FCC rules. [16]
On September 3, 2021, it was reported that the first season of Only Murders in the Building set a record for the most-watched comedy premiere in Hulu's history. [17] On October 28, 2021, Hulu Originals president Craig Erwich said in an interview with Vulture that the season had become the most-watched comedy ever on Hulu "by a good measure." In the same article, Vulture reported that, according to Parrot Analytics, the season went from having around 16 times the audience demand in the U.S. as an average show when it debuted on August 31 to generating 37 times typical demand by the time the season finale dropped on October 19. After the finale, the season was ranked 14th on the list of most in-demand shows in the U.S. and signaled a "massive" 135% growth rate. [18] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, the first season of Only Murders in the Building was the most-streamed television series across all U.S. platforms during the week ending October 24, 2021, [19] and second during the week ending October 31, 2021. [20]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10, based on 108 critic reviews for the season. 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." [21] Metacritic gave the season a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 34 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]
Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the season a "B" grade 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." [23] Reviewing for Rolling Stone , Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of four and a half out of five stars for the season, 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." [24]
The first season received 17 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, with three wins, including Nathan Lane for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Notable nominations included, Outstanding Comedy Series, Steve Martin and Martin Short for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Jamie Babbit and Cherien Dabis for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, and Martin and John Hoffman for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. [25] [26]
"The Boy from 6B", the seventh episode of the season, was given the Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for the portrayal of Theo by James Caverly, as an actor with a disability and at least five lines of dialogue. [27] The season was additionally recognized with The ReFrame Stamp for hiring people of underrepresented gender identities, and of color. [28]
Stephen Glenn Martin is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for his work in comedy films, television, and recording, he has received many accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and an Honorary Academy Award, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards. He also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2005, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics. The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.
Martin Hayter Short is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television shows. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Short was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019.
Selena Marie Gomez is an American singer, actress, producer, and businesswoman. She began her career as a child actress, starring on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004), and rose to prominence as a teen idol, leading as Alex Russo on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). As a singer, she signed with Hollywood Records in 2008 and formed the pop rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The band released three studio albums, all of which have been certified gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Wizards of Waverly Place is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo, a teenage wizard living on Waverly Place in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, who undertakes training alongside her siblings, Justin and Max, who are also equipped with magical abilities. The siblings are trained knowing that one day they will compete to win sole custody of their family's powers. Episodes focus on Alex's challenges in keeping her secret powers hidden while she deals with the social and personal issues of her youth. She frequently uses magic in her everyday life, sometimes irresponsibly, and develops her supernatural abilities over the course of the series. The main themes depicted include family, friendship, and adolescence; the series also contains fantasy elements.
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Sonny with a Chance is an American teen sitcom created by Steve Marmel that aired on Disney Channel for two seasons between February 2009 and January 2011. The series centers on Sonny Munroe, portrayed by Demi Lovato, a teenage comedian from Wisconsin who joins the cast of a sketch comedy television series titled So Random! after moving to Hollywood, Los Angeles. Episodes deal with Sonny's attempts to develop relationships with her castmates and establish her role within the group, focusing on her life working on the show's set, as well as coming to terms with her newfound fame. The main themes depicted include the focus on friendships and adolescence. The series also stars Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochu and Allisyn Ashley Arm. Sonny with a Chance also contains fully-produced comedy sketches from the show-within-a-show. These elements draw inspiration from the Nickelodeon series All That, which executive producers Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett previously worked on, as well as 30 Rock.
Steve Martin starred in such films as The Jerk (1979), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983), All of Me (1984), Three Amigos (1986), Roxanne (1987), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) Parenthood (1989), Father of the Bride (1991), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), and The Pink Panther (2006). Martin has also hosted Saturday Night Live 16 times.
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Selena Gomez is an American actress, singer, and producer. As a child, she began her acting career by appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004). She rose to prominence for her lead role as Alex Russo on the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series, Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). It garnered positive reviews, with Gomez's being particularly praised for her comic timing and sarcastic delivery. Gomez had a leading role as an aspiring dancer in the direct-to-video film Another Cinderella Story (2008), and won the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie — Leading Young Actress. This was followed by lead roles in two 2009 Disney Channel films—Princess Protection Program and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie—the latter was cable's number-one scripted telecast of the year in total viewers and won a Primetime Emmy Award. Gomez then starred in the film adaptation of the children's novel series by Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Beezus (2010), with Gomez portraying Beezus Quimby. The following year, she played the lead role of Grace, a teenager "mistaken for a British heiress", in the comedy film Monte Carlo.
Only Murders in the Building, often abbreviated as OMITB, is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The main plot focuses on a trio of strangers, all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating a succession of suspicious murders in the Arconia, their affluent Upper West Side apartment building, and producing their own podcast about the cases, titled Only Murders in the Building. Its four ten-episode seasons premiered on Hulu in August 2021, June 2022, August 2023, and August 2024. The series was renewed for a fifth season in September 2024.
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The second season of the American mystery comedy-drama television series Only Murders in the Building premiered on June 28, 2022, on Hulu. The series follows a trio of strangers, all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating murders in the their apartment building, and producing their own podcast about the cases.
The third season of the American mystery comedy-drama television series Only Murders in the Building premiered on August 8, 2023, on Hulu. The series follows a trio of strangers, all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating murders in the their apartment building, and producing their own podcast about the cases.
The fourth season of the American mystery comedy-drama television series Only Murders in the Building premiered August 27, 2024, on Hulu. The season stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are a trio of friends producing true crime podcasts that investigate murder cases in their apartment building, along with Michael Cyril Creighton.