Peacock Offers First Look at Sierra Teller Ornelas’ Groundbreaking Comedy Series “Rutherford Falls”

Here’s your first look at Sierra Teller Ornelas’ groundbreaking project…

Peacock has released the first trailer at Rutherford Falls, an upcoming original comedy series from the 40-year-old Navajo and Mexican American showrunner, screenwriter, filmmaker and weaver from Tucson, Arizona and her co-creators Michael Schur and Ed Helms.

Sierra Teller Ornelas

Peacock will premiere the series on Thursday, April 22.

The comedy centers around two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford, played by Helms, and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads – quite literally – when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wakeup call. Michael Greyeyes, Jesse Leigh and Dustin Milligan also star.

The series represents a breakthrough in Native representation in comedy television both in front of and behind the camera with Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux) and Greyeyes (Nêhiyaw from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation), along with five Native writers staffing, comprising one of the largest Indigenous writer’s rooms on television.

The writers include Schmieding, Ornelas (Navajo), Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), Tai Leclaire (Kanien’kehá:ka [Mohawk Nation]/Mi’kmaq), and Tazbah Chavez (Nüümü [Bishop Paiute Tribe], Diné [Navajo], San Carlos Apache).

Rutherford Falls is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

NBC Orders Diana-Maria Riva’s Immigrant Comedy “Sunnyside” to Series

Diana-Maria Rivais ready for the Sunnysideof life…

NBC has picked up to series the Queens immigrant comedy Sunnyside,  starring the 49-year-old Dominican American actress.

Diana Maria Riva

Co-written and executive produced by Kal Penn and Matt Murray and executive produced by Michael SchurSunnyside stars Penn as former New York City Councilman Garrett Shah, who finds his calling when faced with six recent immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream. In keeping the authenticity of the project, the producers assembled a cast of predominantly immigrant actors to star opposite Penn, a rarity on broadcast television.

In addition to Riva and Penn, the cast includes Joel Kim BoosterKiran DeolPoppy LiuMoses Stormand Samba Schutte.

Sunnyside is produced by Universal Televisionin association with Fremulonand 3 Arts Entertainment.

Riva previously starred on the short-lived NBC series Telenovela, as well as CBS’  Man with a Plan.

Diana Maria Riva to Star in NBC’s Comedy Pilot “Sunnyside”

Diana Maria Riva is looking at the sunnyside of life…

The 49-year-old Dominican American actress has been cast opposite Kal Penn in NBC’s comedy pilot Sunnyside (formerly Untitled Kal Penn/Matt Murray).

Riva joins a cast that includes Kiran Deol, Moses Storm, Samba Schutte, Poppy Liu, Joel Kim Booster and Tudor Petrut.

Co-written by Penn and Matt MurraySunnyside is named after the neighborhood in the historically diverse Queens borough of New York where the show is set. It centers on former New York City Councilman Garrett Shah (Penn), who finds his calling when faced with seven recent immigrants — five of them played by immigrant actors — in need of his help and in search of the American Dream.

The single-camera comedy is being executive produced by Penn, writer-producer Murray, The Good Place creator/executive producer Michael Schur and Universal Television.

The seven recent immigrants are Jin Hao, played by South Korea-born Booster; Mallory, played by UK-born Deol; Mei Lin, played by China-born Liu; Drzen, played by Romania-born Petrut; Hakim, played by Africa-born Schutte; Griselda, played by Riva, a first generation Dominican; and Brady, played by Storm.

Directing the pilot is another immigrant, Oz Rodriguez. The ensemble was put together by casting director Allison Jones who also has worked with Schur on his other shows, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place

Riva was last seen in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan and NBC’s Telenovela. She’ll next appear in the Netflix series Dead to Me and the Appledrama series Morning Show.

Lopez to Guest Star on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”

Jennifer Lopez is ready for a little recreation

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and American Idol judge has booked a guest-starring role on the seventh and final season of NBC’s Parks and Recreation.

Jennifer Lopez

Lopez, who will headline her own NBC cop drama Shades of Blue in the near future, will reportedly play Leslie (Amy Poehler) and Ben’s (Adam Scott) hot nanny.

For this final season, the couple is now living in the year 2017 as the parents of triplets as per last season’s ending. “

I think everyone feels like, ‘We don’t want to overstay our welcome. We want to go out on a high note,’” executive producer Michael Schur told Entertainment Weekly last May.

Other celebrities set to guest star on the upcoming season of Parks and Recreation include Rachel, Jon Hamm, Megan Mullaly and Natalie Morales.

Lopez previously made high-profile guest appearances on How I Met Your Mother and Will & Grace.