Only Murders in the Building is an American mystery-comedy streaming television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The ten-episode first season premiered on Hulu on August 31, 2021.[1][2][3] The plot follows three strangers played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, who share an obsession with a true crime podcast. After a suspicious death in their affluent Upper West Side apartment building, the Arconia, the three neighbors decide to start their own podcast about their investigation of the death, which the police ruled a suicide.[4][5]
The series has received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its comedic approach to crime fiction, as well as the performances and chemistry among the lead performers. In September 2021, Hulu renewed the series for a second season which premiered on June 28, 2022.[6][7]Cast and characters[edit]Main[edit]Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage,[8] a semi-retired actor who was the star of the popular 1990s detective drama TV series Brazzos. He lives in 14C at the ArconiaMartin Short as Oliver Putnam,[8] a financially struggling Broadway director who spawns the idea of the podcast and becomes its director. He lives in 10D at the ArconiaSelena Gomez as Mabel Mora,[8] a young woman who lives in 12E at the Arconia, a refurnished unit that she is renovating for her aunt and who was friends with the murder victim, Tim Kono, years earlierAaron Dominguez as Oscar Torres (season 1), a friend of Mabel and Tim who was wrongly convicted of the murder of their friend Zoe ten years ago and recently released from prisonAmy Ryan as Jan Bellows (season 1), a professional bassoonist who lives in 6A at the Arconia and starts dating CharlesCara Delevingne as Alice Banks (season 2), Mabel's love interest who works at an art gallery.[9][10]Recurring[edit]Vanessa Aspillaga as Ursula, the building manager of ArconiaRyan Broussard as Will Putnam, Oliver's sonJulian Cihi as Tim Kono (season 1), a resident of 9A at the Arconia who dies in the first episode. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his death spur Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to do their own investigation.Tina Fey as Cinda Canning, the host of the true crime podcast All Is Not OK in Oklahoma, a parody of Sarah Koenig[11]Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller, an Arconia resident in apartment 3FJayne Houdyshell as Bunny Folger, the iron-fisted board president of the Arconia and resident in 12A. Bunny appears in flashbacks in season 2.Houdyshell also voices Mrs. Gambolini, Bunny's pet parrot who was left to Oliver in her will.Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Williams, a detective on the Kono murder who initially closed the case but becomes interested again after her wife starts listening to the podcastJames Caverly as Theo Dimas (season 1), a deaf Arconia resident and Teddy Dimas' sonMichael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris, a resident in Arconia apartment 3C and cat lover, whose cat Evelyn died the same night as Tim KonoZainab Jah as Ndidi Idoko, an Arconia resident in apartment 9B, Tim Kono's next-door neighbor who looks forward to annexing his apartmentRussell G. Jones as Dr. Grover Stanley, an Arconia resident in apartment 6C who is a therapistAdina Verson as Poppy, a determined assistant of CindaNathan Lane as Teddy Dimas, an Arconia resident in apartment 6B, deli chain owner, and old friend and patron of Oliver's, who agrees to sponsor the podcastMichael Rapaport as Detective Kreps (season 2), a detective on Bunny's murder[12]Guest[edit]Olivia Reis as Zoe Cassidy (season 1), a friend of Mabel, Tim and Oscar who died ten years ago after falling from the roof of the Arconia following an altercation with Theo DimasSting as a fictionalized version of himself (season 1), an Arconia resident[13]Adriane Lenox as Roberta, Oliver's ex-wifeRoy Wood Jr. and Jacob Ming-Trent as Vaughn and Lucian (season 1), hosts of a horticulture podcast that give a ride to Savage and PutnamJimmy Fallon as himself (season 1)Mandy Gonzalez as Silvia Mora, Mabel's motherJaboukie Young-White, Daniel Oreskes, and Ali Stroker as Sam, Marv, and Paulette, enthusiastic fans of the Only Murders in the Building podcastJane Lynch as Sazz Pataki, Charles' former stunt doubleAmy Schumer as herself (season 2),[14] she moves into Sting's former apartment and proposes a TV series to OliverShirley MacLaine as Leonora Folger (season 2),[14] Bunny's partly-blind motherEpisodes[edit]Season 1 (2021)[edit]Season 2 (2022)[edit]Production[edit]Development[edit]
In January 2020, it was announced that Steve Martin and Martin Short would star in an untitled Hulu series, created by Martin and John Hoffman, with Martin, Short, and Hoffman as executive producers, alongside Dan Fogelman, with 20th Television serving as the studio.[19] On September 14, 2021, Hulu renewed the series for a second season.[6]Casting[edit]
Alongside the initial announcement, it was announced Martin and Short would star in the series.[19] In August 2020, Selena Gomez joined the cast and also serves as an executive producer.[20] In November 2020, Aaron Dominguez joined the cast in a series regular role.[21] In January 2021, Amy Ryan joined the cast in a series regular role.[22] That same month, Nathan Lane joined the cast in a recurring role.[23] On December 1, 2021, it was reported that Cara Delevingne joined the cast as a new series regular for the second season.[9] On January 12, 2022, Short announced that Shirley MacLaine and Amy Schumer were cast to guest star for the second season.[14] On February 11, 2022, Michael Rapaport joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season.[12]Filming[edit]
Principal photography for the first season began on December 3, 2020, in New York City,[24] and concluded in April 2021.[25] The Belnord was used for exterior shots of the Arconia.[26] Filming of the second season began on December 1, 2021.[27]Music[edit]
A digital album for the score was released on August 27, 2021, four days before the series' debut.[28]
All music is composed by Siddhartha Khosla.Only Murders in the Building: Original ScoreTitle1."Main Title"0:512."Mission Theme Pt. 1"1:113."Arconia Elevator Theme"0:374."Frozen Cat"0:465."Aphrodite"1:436."Vantage"1:447."All Is Not Okay"0:398."Oliver's Monologue"1:579."Who Was Tim Kono"3:2110."Podcast Theme (Punk Version)"1:2411."Romantic Theme Pt. 1"1:0312."Romantic Theme Pt. 2"1:3113."Interrogation Fantasy Pt. 1"0:5614."Interrogation Fantasy Pt. 2"0:4515."Detective"1:2216."Mabel and Tim"1:5517."Pilot Ending"1:4318."Jan"1:3019."Charles"1:1620."Mission Theme Pt. 2"1:0221."Finale"5:19Total length:34:03Release[edit]
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.[29] On Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and Star+, Only Murders in the Building episodes were scheduled to debut on a weekly basis.[2] The second season premiered on June 28, 2022.[7]Reception[edit]Audience viewership[edit]
On September 3, 2021, it was reported that Only Murders in the Building set a record for the most-watched comedy premiere in Hulu history.[30]
On October 28, 2021, Hulu Originals president Craig Erwich said in an interview with Vulture that the show 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 show went from having about 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 1 finale dropped on October 19. This meant that the day after the finale the show ranked as high as 14th on the list of most in-demand shows in the U.S. and signaled a "massive" 135% growth rate that according to Erwich is mainly to be attributed to word of mouth.[31]Critical response[edit]
For the first season, review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10, based on 102 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."[32] Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 34 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[33]