Take a trip to Peacock’s Rutherford Falls in exclusive first look at opening credits
It’s almost time for the new Michael Schur comedy Rutherford Falls on NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock, which he co-created with Sierra Teller Ornelas and lead star Ed Helms. Most of Schur’s popular TV shows tend to highlight the location they’re set in. The Office often detailed its Scranton, Pennsylvania setting, just as Parks And Recreation did for the fictional Pawnee, Indiana. Brooklyn Nine-Nine spotlights the absurdity of its the New York City borough and The Good Place dwelled heavily on its utopian neighborhoods. Rutherford Falls, as evidenced from the name itself, seems to take a similar approach right away, including in its opening sequence.
The A.V. Club is debuting the opening credits to Rutherford Falls, which is an animated and colorful introduction to the world of the series. The sequence takes us through the notable locations of the town of Rutherford Falls. They include the Running Thunder Casino, the local cultural center, and the office of the Rutherford Daily Star newspaper, among others. In the show, Helms plays Nathan Rutherford, a descendent of the town’s founder. He gets into conflict with the mayor and the Indian reservation in town about a poorly-placed statue of his ancestor. Meanwhile, his best friend Raegan Wells (Jana Schmieding) seeks the help of casino owner Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes) to help save the failing cultural center.
Rutherford Falls is a breakthrough moment in terms of Indigenous representation on a TV comedy. Along with Schmieding and Greyeyes on-screen, the show boasts five Native staff writers including Ornelas, Schmieding, Bobby Wilson, Tai Leclaire, and Tazbah Chavez. The comedy also stars Dustin Milligan, Jesse Leigh, and Dana L. Wilson.
It will premiere on Peacock on April 22.