Did Netflix’s new sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt leave you feeling like you’d just binged on everything you could get your hands on at a candy store? There’s a good reason for that. The series’ use of color is quite remarkable, especially in the often understated world of the TV sitcom.
Watch: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s wonderful world of color
Kimmy Schmidt stands out in a monotone subway
The world of former abductee Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) pops with accent colors in all hues of the rainbow, while the worlds of those who might keep her down are often styled in more neutral tones — grays and whites and beiges and the like. Yet the color always wins out, because Kimmy is, as you might have noticed from the title, unbreakable.
Season 1 Episode 6 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt uses color to develop character
Pushing Daisies also used color to assist the story.
There are other shows that use color beautifully. The works of creator Bryan Fuller (of Pushing Daisies and Hannibal fame) are particularly noteworthy in this regard, and you don’t have to search very far to find lengthy explanations of the use of color in Breaking Bad. But it’s a bit rare for a half-hour sitcom to do as much work with color as Kimmy Schmidt does, and that’s one of the things that makes it special.
Watch the video above for a complete visual guide to the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
