'Rutherford Falls' Showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas Says Series Will Be Shopped Aroun

There's still a chance that the acclaimed Indigenous comedy Rutherford Falls will survive its cancellation at Peacock. Following its axing after two seasons on the streamer, the series showrunner and co-creator Sierra Teller Orlenas released a statement both reacting to the move from Peacock and offering a glimmer of hope for fans that the series could find a new home.

Ornelas was part of a creative trio with Ed Helms, who also starred opposite Jana Schmieding, and Good Place creator Michael Schur who, together, formulated a series that married social issues surrounding Indigenous Americans with humor in a manner that had critics and audiences raving. She was part of one of television's largest Indigenous creative teams, including herself and Schmieding alongside Bobby Wilson, Tai Leclaire, Tazbah Chavez, and Michael Greyeyes, making the show a landmark for representation. Across its two seasons, Rutherford Falls earned a cumulative 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes while viewers gave it a less-stellar, but still solid 70% rating.

With the single cam comedy done at Peacock, Orlenas reflected on the series with nothing but positive feelings for how it turned out:

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.

Continuing on, she said that the creative team is now shopping the series to other platforms in hopes of picking up the show where it left off. Given how the second season proved a larger hit with critics and the fact the show was an overall success, it's not a stretch to think someone out there will want to take another shot with Rutherford Falls. The statement reads:

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.

Rutherford Falls follows Nathan Rutherford (Helms) and Reagan Wells (Schmieding), lifelong best friends who wind up butting heads when a statue of Nathan's ancestor, the town founder, is set to come down. Nathan rallies to the monument's defense while Reagan fights for its removal as his ancestor was well known for his attacks on the fictional Minishonka people she's a part of. Jesse Leigh and Dustin Milligan also star alongside Helms, Schmieding, and Greyeyes.

All episodes of Rutherford Falls are currently streaming on Peacock. Check out the trailer for Season 2, which released back in June, below: