When Tina Fey left 30 Rock for “other projects,” I was filled with both a melancholy longing for the show that had put my favorite comedienne on the map as a writer, and excited to see what the funniest woman on TV would bring us next.

I never could’ve imagined the result to be Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

This Netflix Original follows its title character (played by Ellie Kemper, Bridesmaids), who, after having been rescued from a bunker where she was forcefully kept for 15 years, sees New York City as her chance to start anew.

Kind, naive, and always looking on the bright side, Kimmy is able to win over nearly every cynical New Yorker she encounters – from her diva roommate, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), to her wealthy, self-loathing boss Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski).

I can easily agree to several, statements made about this show thus far – like that it seems to possess the lighthearted screwball effect normally seen on NBC’s now fallen Thursday night comedy block. Or that Kimmy Schmidt has set the bar for Netflix-produced sitcoms, making their original programming roster more well-rounded.

I’ve also made some observations of my own:

First, the characters and storyline are absolutely magnificent, despite being recycled; naïve and kindly person in a big city is an archetype that has been done over and over again almost since the dawn of moving image.

Notable examples include The Wizard of Oz, Big, Coming to America, Enchanted, Coyote Ugly, Rock of Ages.

With all of these movies, some obviously far more lesson laden than others, there is something to learn; usually, the tenacity and positivity that their doe-eyed protagonists possess are what lead them to their triumphs at the end of the story.

Kimmy Schmidt, as a character and as a show, offers something that several of the examples aforementioned don’t, and that’s fearlessness.

Strong in the face of every obstacle that stands in her way, Kimmy lets nothing hold her back.

And, in this same way, Fey, and co-creator Robert Carlock, move past several touchy topics in the narrative (child abduction, sexual assault, Stockholm Syndrome, racism, class disparity, gentrification) with delicate ease – and laughs.

Satire aside, the actual writing of Kimmy Schmidt is unsurprisingly filled with quippy one liners and jokes that fly so far under the radar, it may take you a few more rewinds to catch.

Although its style is being compared to 30 Rock, this show is feels more realistic than the latter as its story lines feature problems that are more in tune with the struggle of us everyday folk.

Kimmy Schmidt is inspirational, quirky, and utterly hilarious. The pure realness and breadth of Kimmy Schmidt, coupled with the ever-increasing popularity of the “behemoth” that is Netflix, have made this show a hit.

The entire first season is available on Netflix for our marathoning pleasure, and while that’s great, it probably means we’ll have to wait until next year for season 2.

It’s worth the wait though, isn’t it?