Peacock announced the cancellation of Rutherford Falls today. The series aired for two seasons on the streaming service. The show is considered the first breakthrough comedy featuring an Indigenous showrunner, actors, and writers.
Rutherford Falls was co-created by Sierra Teller Ornelas, Ed Helms and Mike Schur. Ornelas is Navajo and incorporated five Indigenous writers into the 12 person writing room, including herself, Jana Schmieding, Bobby Wilson, Tazbah Chavez, and Tai Leclaire. Schmieding would end up staring in the comedy as Reagan Wells with Helms as Nathan Rutherford. Michael Greyeyes, Jesse Leigh, and Dustin Milligan rounded out the lead cast. But the show gave us so many more extraordinary characters, utilizing the hidden talent of Indigenous actors from across the United States and Canada.
RELATED: Read All of Our Rutherford Falls Recaps Here
Ornelas released a statement, saying the show would be shopped around for a new home:
It’s been a true joy to make these two seasons of Rutherford Falls. Mike Schur, Ed Helms and I set out to make something new, real, and smart—but also dumb—that made you cry and think, but also laugh when Reagan got kicked in the face or Nathan was stuffed into a coffin. Borrowing a line from Terry Thomas, played by the ridiculously talented Michael Greyeyes, before our show, “Native representation [was], for the most part, a hate crime.” Which is why it’s been an honor to introduce the best of Indian Country to the masses.
We remain overwhelmed by the critical response, garnering a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score in our second season, and while we’re sad that our time at Peacock has come to an end we are immensely grateful to them for picking us up and showcasing the talents of comedy legend Ed Helms and breakout stars like Jana Schmieding, Jesse Leigh, Dana Wilson, Dallas Goldtooth, Kaniehtiio Horn, and many others. We love these characters, the world we created, and the impact it has had, and will be exploring other platforms where, hopefully, the folks of Rutherford Falls can call home.
Season two ended with many questions about Nathan and Reagan’s futures. It would be a shame to not find out how their stories end. Hopefully the show will be saved by another streaming service. There’s just so much more story to tell. A lot of untouched Indigenous comedy that the world hasn’t seen yet.
You can still stream Rutherford Falls on Peacock.
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