When art imitates real life and vice versa, creatives get to work to produce shows of the likes of “Only Murders in the Building” on the Hulu streaming platform.
Podcasts, a brewing trend pre and post-pandemic, found global media executives budgeting creative teams that worked overtime to produce content galore to be able to keep up with the high demand. Podcasts linked to shows became the norm. During the podcast frenzy, True Crime podcasts emerged as the audience favorite. According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 34% of adults in the U.S. listen regularly to true crime podcasts.
Working overtime to capitalize on the broadcast success, producers John Hoffman and Steve Martin (mostly known for his long-lasting career as a comedian and being an SNL alum)brought into existence the current three-season runner critically acclaimed “Only Murders in the Building.”
To ensure that the show captured diverse demographics, they enlisted beloved actor Martin Short and “Wizard of Waverly Place” pop star Selena Gomez. The Canadian comedian and Latinx artist was joined by Steve Martin himself to form an unlikely amateur trio united by fate to solve crimes while transmitting through the airwaves the clues and latest developments in their quest to find a closure to homicides that occur in The Arconia; an impressive Italian Renaissance apartment complex located in the Upper West Side of New York.
The charming architecture of the filming location is part of the show’s allure. The Belnord Building, located at 225 West 86th Street, was the chosen space to shoot the true-crime podcast extravaganza.
Steve Martin portrays Charles Hidden Savage, a retired actor who lives off his past glory and the syndication checks provided by Brazzos crime drama where he depicts an investigator.
Meanwhile, Martin Short gives a flamboyant rendition of his character Oliver Putnam, a Broadway director equipped with a zealot hope for a successful play in spite of his abysmal resumé.
Lastly, Selena Gomez brings the millennial flair to the show with her character Mabel, a young adult and art aficionado marked by a tragic incident that happened in her twenties.
Only Murders In the Building is crafted with attention to detail, making the true crime the center of the plot sprinkled with colorful characters, surprises, twists, and turns while displaying exquisite and witty comedy showcases with cinematographic quality.