Only Murders in the Building is an American mysterycomedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The show focuses on a trio of strangers (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating a succession of suspicious murders in the Arconia, their upscale 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.
Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage,[2] a misanthropic semi-retired actor who was the star of the popular 1990s crime drama, Brazzos, and later, as a result of the podcast, its 2020s revival
Matthew Lamb as young Charles (season 2)
Martin Short as Oliver Putnam,[2] an ambitious but financially struggling Broadway director who spawns the idea of the podcast and becomes its director
Samuel Farnsworth as young Oliver (season 2)
Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora,[2] a young artist living alone in her aunt's unit who was part of a quartet that solved pretend mysteries throughout her childhood and teenage years, which included her best friend Tim Kono, the first season's murder victim
Madeleine Valencia (season 1) and Caroline Valencia (season 2) as young Mabel
Aaron Dominguez as Oscar Torres (season 1), a friend of Mabel and Tim who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of their friend Zoe ten years earlier, has recently been released from prison, and dates Mabel for a while
Amy Ryan as Jan Bellows (season 1; recurring season 2; guest season 4), a professional bassoonist who begins dating Charles.
Cara Delevingne as Alice Banks (season 2),[3] an artist and briefly Mabel's love interest.
Adina Verson as Poppy White (season 2; guest season 1),[a][4] Cinda's ambitious but abused assistant. She later reveals her true identity as Becky Butler, the subject of the All Is Not OK in Oklahoma crime podcast
Michael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris (season 3–present;[5] recurring seasons 1–2), a cat-loving resident of the Arconia whose cat died the same night as Tim Kono. He becomes Oliver's assistant in season 3 for his play and becomes more invested in helping with the podcast during season 4.
Ben Glenroy (season 3; guest season 2), a Hollywood actor who is murdered on the opening night of his first Broadway play.[6]
Glen Stubbins (season 4), Ben Glenroy's Irish-born former stunt double.[7]
Meryl Streep as Loretta Durkin (season 3–present),[b] a struggling actress and Oliver's love interest, and later wife, who stars in his Broadway play, and later its musical reinterpretation.
Zach Galifianakis (season 4)[8][c] as a fictionalized version of himself, portraying Oliver in the film adaptation of the podcast.[9]
Eugene Levy (season 4)[10][c] as a fictionalized version of himself, portraying Charles in the film adaptation of the podcast.[9]
Eva Longoria (season 4)[11][c] as a fictionalized version of herself, portraying Mabel in the film adaptation of the podcast.[9]
Recurring
Julian Cihi as Tim Kono (season 1), a resident of the Arconia who dies in the first episode. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his death spur Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to do their own investigation.[12][13]
Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Donna Williams, a detective who ends up becoming involved with each of the mysteries. She is introduced when she initially closes the Kono murder case but becomes interested again after her wife starts listening to the podcast.
Tina Fey as Cinda Canning (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), the host of the true crime podcast All Is Not OK in Oklahoma, a parody of Sarah Koenig and her true crime podcast Serial.[14]
Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller, an ornery Arconia resident
Jayne Houdyshell as Bunny Folger (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), the iron-fisted board president of the Arconia whose murder is investigated in the second season.
Houdyshell also voices Mrs. Gambolini (season 2), Bunny's pet parrot
Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas (seasons 1–2), an old friend and patron of Oliver's family, who has ties to organized crime and agrees to sponsor the podcast.
James Caverly as Theo Dimas (season 1; guest seasons 2–3), Teddy's Deaf son.
Ryan Broussard as Will Putnam (seasons 1–2; guest seasons 3–4), Oliver's son
Teddy Coluca as Lester (seasons 1–2 and 4; guest season 3), the Arconia's doorman
Vanessa Aspillaga as Ursula (seasons 1–2), the Arconia's building manager
Russell G. Jones as Dr. Grover Stanley (seasons 1–2), a therapist who lives at the Arconia.
Zainab Jah as Ndidi Idoko (season 1), Tim Kono's next-door neighbor
Maulik Pancholy as Arnav Kapoor (season 1), Charles's next-door neighbor
Olivia Reis as Zoe Cassidy (season 1), a friend of Mabel, Tim, and Oscar who died ten years earlier after falling from the roof of the Arconia.
Zoe Colletti as Lucy (season 2), the teenage daughter of Charles's ex-girlfriend, with whom Charles has a tenuous father–daughter relationship.
Michael Rapaport as Detective Daniel Kreps (season 2), a police detective investigating Bunny's murder[15]
Christine Ko as Nina Lin (season 2), Bunny's protégée and the Arconia's new board president
Ariel Shafir as Ivan (season 2), a server at Bunny's regular diner
Andrea Martin as Joy Payne (season 3; guest season 2), Charles's longtime makeup artist and love interest
Jason Veasey as Jonathan Bridgecroft (season 3; guest season 2), Howard's neighbor and love interest, and an actor in Oliver's show
Linda Emond as Donna DeMeo (season 3), a Broadway producer who funds Oliver's return to Broadway
Ashley Park as Kimber Min (season 3), a young actress and influencer who plays Ben's love interest in Oliver's show[16]
Jeremy Shamos as Dickie Glenroy (season 3; guest season 4), Ben's adopted brother and manager[17]
Wesley Taylor as Clifford "Cliff" DeMeo (season 3), Donna's clingy son who co-produces Oliver's play[18]
Jesse Williams as Tobert (season 3), a camera operator hired by Ben to make a documentary about his Broadway debut and briefly Mabel's love interest[19]
Don Darryl Rivera as Bobo Malone (season 3), an actor in Oliver's show
Gerald Caesar as Ty Wessex (season 3), an actor in Oliver's show
Allison Guinn as K. T. Knoblauer (season 3), the stage manager for Oliver's show
Jane Lynch as Sazz Pataki (season 4; guest seasons 1–3), Charles's stunt double, who dates everyone he dates after him, and whose popularity with their coworkers often surpasses his.[20] She is shot dead by an unknown assailant at the end of the third season with a snipe ostensibly meant for Charles.
Catherine Cohen[22] as Trina Brothers (season 4), Tawny's twin sister and the co-director of the film adaptation of the podcast
Jin Ha[22] as Marshall P. Pope/Rex Bailey (season 4), the screenwriter of the film adaptation of the podcast
Siena Werber[23] as Tawny Brothers (season 4), Trina's twin sister and the co-director of the film adaptation of the podcast
Desmin Borges as Alfonso (season 4),[23] the patriarch of a family living in the Arconia's west tower
Richard Kind as Vince Fish (season 4),[22] a resident of the west tower who wears an eye patch
Kumail Nanjiani as Rudy Thurber (season 4),[24] a fitness influencer and resident of the west tower who decorates his apartment with Christmas decorations year-round as a result of a Christmas-centric video becoming a hit
Esteban Benito as Tavo Mora, Mabel's cousin who runs a tattoo parlor (season 1)
Mandy Gonzalez as Silvia Mora (season 1), Mabel's mother
Amy Schumer as a fictionalized version of herself (season 2), who moves into Sting's former apartment and proposes a TV series to Oliver based on their podcast[26]
Ben Livingston as Charles's late father (season 2)
Shirley MacLaine as Rose Cooper (season 2), Charles's father's lover and painter pretending to be Bunny's mother, Leonora Folger[26]
Damani Varnado as Liam Grimsby, a member of the Arconia board (season 2)
Steve Martin conceived of the idea for Only Murders in the Building ten years before its premiere. 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.[29] In January 2020, it was announced that Martin and Martin Short would star in the then 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;[30]Selena Gomez would then join as the series's third main lead. On September 14, 2021, Hulu renewed the series for a second season.[31] On July 11, 2022, the series was renewed for a third season.[32] On October 3, 2023, it was renewed for a fourth season.[33] In September 2024, it was renewed for a fifth season.[34]
Casting
Alongside the initial announcement, it was announced Martin and Short would star in the series.[30] In August 2020, Gomez joined the cast and also serves as an executive producer.[35] In November 2020, Aaron Dominguez joined the cast in a series regular role.[36] In January 2021, Amy Ryan joined the cast in a series regular role[37] and Nathan Lane joined the cast in a recurring role.[38] In December 2021, it was reported that Cara Delevingne joined the cast as a series regular for the second season.[39] In January 2022, Short announced that Shirley MacLaine and Amy Schumer were cast to guest star for the second season.[26] In February 2022, Michael Rapaport joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season.[15]
The Belnord on West 86th Street on the Upper West Side is used for exterior shots of the fictional Arconia apartment building.
Principal photography for the first season began on December 3, 2020, in New York City,[43] and concluded in April 2021.[44]The Belnord was used for exterior shots of the Arconia.[45] Filming of the second season began on December 1, 2021.[46] Filming for the third season began in January 2023[47] and concluded in late April.[48] Filming for the fourth season began in March 2024[49] and concluded in June 2024.[50]
Music
A digital album for the score was released on August 27, 2021, four days before the series's debut.[51] On July 15, 2022, the original song that was played briefly in the second season episode "Here's Looking at You", "Angel in Flip-Flops", was released online. It was performed by Steve Martin as his character Charles-Haden Savage, and written by Martin and Kirker Butler, with Paul Shaffer as producer.[52] An album for the second season was released on August 12, 2022. An album for the third season was released on September 15, 2023, followed by a deluxe edition on October 4.
Release
The first season of Only Murders in the Building premiered on August 31, 2021, on Hulu in the United States.[53] 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.[54] On Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and Star+, episodes were scheduled to debut on a weekly basis.[55] The second season premiered on June 28, 2022.[56] The third season premiered on August 8, 2023.[57]
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.[58] The show was added to Disney+ in the United States via the Hulu hub beginning in December 2023.[59] The fourth season premiered on August 27, 2024.[60] The second season will make its broadcast television premiere on ABC on January 2, 2025.[61]
For the first season, review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10, based on 108 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."[62]Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 34 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[63]
For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 97% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10, based on 119 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus states, "Only Murders in the Building gets a new lease on life with a knottier sophomore outing that retains the series's core charm and wit."[64] Metacritic gave the second season a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 25 critic reviews, signifying "generally favorable reviews".[65]
For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 7.95/10, based on 114 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Relocating the action to the theatre, Only Murders in the Building can take a bow for yet another twisty mystery handled with a good-humored touch."[66] Metacritic gave the third season a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on 33 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[67]
For the fourth season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.1/10, based on 76 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus states, "The gang is back together in a more metatextual season full of famous faces, continuing Only Murders in the Building's reign as one of television's most delightful comedies."[68] Metacritic gave the fourth season a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 29 critic reviews, signifying "universal acclaim".[69]
The second season received 11 nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, with one win in a technical category. Notable nominations included Outstanding Comedy Series, Short for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Lane for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, and one nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.[73][74]
On September 3, 2021, it was reported that Only Murders in the Building set a record for the most-watched comedy premiere in Hulu's history.[78] 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 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 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 attributable to word of mouth.[79] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, Only Murders in the Building was the most-streamed TV series across all U.S. platforms during the week ending October 24, 2021,[80] and second during the week ending October 31, 2021.[81]
According to Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, Only Murders in the Building was the third-most in-demand streaming original series in the U.S. during the week of August 13 to 19, 2022,[82] as well as during the week of August 20 to 26.[83] According to Whip Media's viewership tracking app TV Time, it was the most-streamed TV series across all U.S. platforms during the week ending August 7, 2022,[84] and during the week of August 28.[85] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, it was the third-most streamed TV series across all U.S. platforms during the week ending July 3, 2022.[86] Whip Media announced Only Murders in the Building was the fifth most-watched streaming original television series of 2023.[87][88]
^Verson is credited as starring for the final episode of season 2, after being credited as recurring in all her previous appearances.
^ abRudd and Streep, when they appear, are credited as special guest stars during the opening credits in seasons 3 & 4 alongside the main cast.
^ abcGalifianakis, Levy, and Longoria, when they appear, are credited as special guest stars during the opening credits in season 4 alongside the main cast, except for in the first episode of the season.
^Roush, Matt (September 24, 2024) [September 16 – October 6, 2024]. "The Roush Review – Only Murders in the Building". TV Guide. Vol. 72, no. #3766–3768. p. 10.
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