Can you make a career out of being a nosy neighbor? I would certainly hope so, given that I watched a man trying to light a dead rat on fire outside of my window the other day. But in a way, that's one of the main starting points in Only Murders in the Building—that everyone is a nosy neighbor.
Even before starting the series, it's clear that the main cast is an unlikely pairing of people. Steve Martin—who's also a co-creator of the show—plays Charles Haden-Savage, a minor celebrity, and former detective series actor. Oliver Putnam, portrayed by Martin Short, is a Broadway director who's a bit down on his luck. Selena Gomez is Mabel Mora, who's in her mid-twenties and is revamping her older aunt's apartment. The one thing that connects them is an apartment building: The Arconia, which exists in real life as The Belnord on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The three of them first meet in the building's elevator, where Oliver goes overboard in trying to make conversation with both Mabel and Charles, who aren't really feeling his overly enthusiastic and slightly unhinged vibe. Tim Kono, another resident, also hops onto the elevator briefly.
