NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service is set to premiere original comedy series “Rutherford Falls” on April 22. Two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), find themselves at a crossroads — quite literally — when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wake-up call. Michael Greyeyes (“I Know This Much Is True”), Jesse Leigh (Heathers) and Dustin Milligan (“Schitt’s Creek”) co-star.
The series represents a breakthrough of sorts in Native American representation in comedy television both in front of and behind the camera. In addition to Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux) and Greyeyes (Nêhiyaw from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation), there are five Native writers on staff, representing one of the largest Indigenous writer’s rooms on television.
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Writers include co-creator and executive producer Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo), Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), Tai Leclaire (Kanien’kehá:ka [Mohawk Nation]/Mi’kmaq), Schmieding, and Tazbah Chavez (Nüümü [Bishop Paiute Tribe], Diné [Navajo], San Carlos Apache).
The show’s co-creators and executive producers include Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation,” “The Good Place”), Helms and Sierra Teller Ornelas (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Superstore”). Mike Falbo, David Miner and Morgan Sackett also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Television.