Dan Levy wanted to explore family trauma and dysfunction. So he made 'Big Mistakes'

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NEW YORK — You might wonder what Dan Levy has been up to in the six years since bidding farewell to “Schitt’s Creek,” the beloved, acerbic comedy series he co-created and co-starred in with his father, Eugene Levy.And the answer is, he’s turned to a life of crime.His new series for Netflix, “Big Mistakes,” will release on April 9, and is once again centered on a dysfunctional family: hapless siblings Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), their seemingly perfect sister, Natalie (Abby Quinn), and their domineering mother, Linda (Laurie Metcalf).Opening on an already wild scene where the family members are bickering at the hospital deathbed of Linda’s mother, the events of “Big Mistakes” escalate quickly and considerably.

At the end of the first episode, Nicky — a gay pastor — and Morgan — impulsive and stuck in a seemingly dead-end relationship — land in the pocket of organized criminals, being forced at gunpoint into the back of a delivery truck.Though it may seem outlandish, the series (which Levy created with Rachel Sennott, the “I Love LA” star) is really a comedic exploration of small-f family dynamics, generational trauma and why we stand by the people who make us craziest.“Big Mistakes” turns out to be a showcase for Metcalf — a decorated veteran of comic ensembles like “Roseanne,” “The Conners” and “The Big Bang Theory” — and Ortega, who’s appeared on shows like “Succession” and is making a meal out of her first starring series role.

Television Season 6 of “Schitt’s Creek” promises to be emotional.The cast says filming it was plenty hard.“Big Mistakes” is also a big window into Levy’s own evolving sensibilities as a creator and performer, and what finally drew him back to series television.

As Levy explained, “I had taken six years off because I wanted to make something that I really loved — th...