The Fate Of Ed Helms’s New Series Has Been Decided
Ed Helms co-created and stars in a critically acclaimed new show, and now the fate of its future has been determined.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock is one of the seemingly countless streaming services battling for a piece of the consumer pie. The company has had to work overtime to compete with already established brands including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, along with a string of new services including HBO Max and Disney+. Launching in June 2020, the streamer had managed to reach 28 monthly active accounts and 13 million paid subscribers by April 2022. Peacock has managed to remain a relevant player on the streaming front due to an impressive catalog of existing films and television shows as well as several original movies and series including One of Us Is Lying, Dr. Death, and the Ed Helms-co-created Rutherford Falls.
Speaking of Rutherford Falls, we’ve recently learned from Deadline that Peacock has decided not to renew the critically acclaimed series, which stars Ed Helms, for a third season. The unfortunate news comes just a couple of months after the sitcom’s Season 2 premiere on June 16th.
Co-created and executive produced by Sierra Teller Ornelas, Ed Helms, and Mike Schur, Rutherford Falls was recognized for boasting one of the largest Indigenous writers’ rooms on television. The show had six Native writers on staff including Ornelas, Tai Leclaire, Jana Schmieding, Tazbah Chaves, Dash Turner, and Azie Dungey.
Rutherford Falls starred Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover series) as Nathan Rutherford, a local legend and town namesake, who turns his small town in the Northeast upside down when he fights the moving of a historical statue. Jana Schmieding (Reservation Dogs) co-starred as Reagan Wells, Nathan’s lifelong best friend. Over the course of the series, the two tackled work and romance amidst major changes to their small town.
No reason was given for the cancellation of Rutherford Falls, however, it likely came down to low viewership amongst subscribers. The series was a huge hit with critics, boasting an impressive 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of Ed Helms’ highest-rated projects to date. The audience score on the site is much lower, sitting at a 68% fresh rating. On IMDb, the show sits with a 6.6 rating from approximately 2,500 user reviews.
The first season of Rutherford Falls consisted of 10 episodes, with the second season containing 8. Although Peacock has opted not to renew the series, Sierra Teller Ornelas has indicated that the show will be shopped around and hopefully find a new home on a different platform. We’d love to see Nathan Rutherford’s (Ed Helms) story explored even further. In addition to co-creating and executive producing the sitcom, Ornelas also served as showrunner.
Rutherford Falls was produced by Universal Television in association with Mike Schur’s Fremulon, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Pacific Electric Picture Company. Schur has been a vital asset for Universal Television, with creator/executive producer credentials on The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Parks and Recreation. We’re anxious to see what other ground-breaking shows he brings to the company. Perhaps we can get Ed Helms in one of his future projects?
All seasons of Rutherford Falls are now streaming exclusively on Peacock. The series stars Ed Helms, Michael Greyeyes, Jana Schmieding, Jesse Leigh, Dustin Milligan, Bobby Wilson, Julia Jones, Beth Stelling, Dana L. Wilson, and Dallas Goldtooth. The show was created by Ed Helms, Sierra Teller Ornelas, and Mike Schur.
