Charley Lhasa via Flickr
March 8, 2019 By Nathaly Pesantez
Sunnyside will be front and center in an upcoming comedy pilot co-written by and starring Kal Penn.
The show’s title was revealed in a report published by Deadline yesterday, which said a group of mostly immigrant actors has been cast for the NBC pilot to be set in the neighborhood.
“Sunnyside,” according to the report, will center on former City Council Member Garrett Shah, a fictitious politician played by Penn who finds his calling when he encounters six recent immigrants “in need of his help and in search of the American Dream.”
Five of the seven actors lined up for the pilot are immigrants themselves.
The cast includes Joel Kim Booster, the high profile, South Korean-born comedian; Kiran Deol, the UK-born actor, Poppy Liu, an actress born in China; Tudor Petrut, of Romanian origin; Samba Schutte, a Dutch-Mauritanian actor who grew up in Ethiopia; Diana Maria Riva, a first-generation Dominican; and Moses Storm.
The Deadline report included an image of Penn seen at the Sunnyside mural at the corner of 40th Street and 47th Avenue.
The show has been in the works for some time, with NBC giving the pilot the green light in late January.
Penn took to Twitter to comment on the latest step in the pilot.
“Can’t wait to start shooting with our hilarious, talented cast!” he wrote. “Welcome to Sunnyside!”
Locals expressed their excitement under Penn’s tweet for the project, which reached the office of Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer.
“Hey @kalpenn, from one NYC Councilman to another — welcome to #Sunnyside!” Van Bramer tweeted. “If you need any help with method acting, hit me up.”
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79 Comments
Hey there can be an episode of a Hispanic guy grabbing a woman’s butt on the 7train
Trump isn’t hispanic though
Since when did Trump ride the subway???
TV and Film industry provide thousands of good union jobs.
Absolutely! Fortunately they got the tax subsidies that Amazon didn’t. Do ya think the unions are in little Jimmy’s pocket…payola brings votes don’t ya know. And maybe a few acting gigs for JVB, Ginaris and AOC
Not only do they get a tax break they also bring all their own food and services so there is zero positive impact felt by sunnysiders
They should parody the pariah group Queens Streets for All.
Trying to blame the bike lanes for firetrucks not being able to get past scofflaw drivers, and more recently for crashing into parked cars! They could probably do an entire episode on what these miscreants try to blame on the bike lanes. What a bunch of jokers! It writes itself!
Sunnysiders are arguing day and night about parking vs bikes lanes and these film crews come in and take 1/4 of all the spots in sunnyside bothnorth and south of the Blvd over night without any benefit to the neighborhood. Bikes lanes save lives. Parking is vital to any one who works or has family not easily accessible by public transport.
Bike Lanes only save lives if the freaking bikers STAY in the FREAKING lane, pay attention to and obey traffic lights, go on the correct side of the road, stay on the correct side of the road, put lights on their bikes, get off their phones, have at least one ear bud out of their ears go the speed limit (slower the better)….
The list goes on and on. They kill more.
This thread is gold Jerry!! Gold!!
Who needs a sitcom all the funny is in this thread.
Saw Jimmy the other day, lost a ton of weight, pale as a ghost, went grey overnight, bad teeth, lost spring in his step as well. Seems the notion of being out of work very soon when his term is over, the end of his political career looming, being blacklisted by NYC big business for the Amazon fiasco, never to aspire to be hired for a decent NYC job and grim future stacking books once again has him rather depressed.
Gotta be tough being in the minority. Of all the conspiratorial bs spouted by his detractors, the idea that he is gaining politically was probably the only one with merit.
Why so sad?
Your definition of bs is known as the truth by the vast majority of sound-minded individuals.
You’re free to define your own truth and claim the sound-mindedness of your position as long as you don’t claim the majority.
Jimmy has certainly gained politically by shifting left just as handily as (maybe even because) AOC wiped the floor with Joseph ‘gue$$ I’ll $tay in DC’ Crowley.
This may be insane to you, not of sound mind, you might say. Feel free to hold that minority position. The times they are a change-in.
Cool rant grandpa. It’s it related to this tv show at all?
You, on the other hand, are looking great. What’s your secret?
Say, have they named a street after Joe Spinell back there yet?
Nobody should get over the Amazon thing, not liking Trump and calling out Jimmy Van Jobkiller are not mutually exclusive.
I analyzed ratings for 16 years working for Nielsen. This show will fail big time since it’s just NBC pandering to the left. No one outside of Sunnyside will give a crap. But what do I know. I’m just an old white guy. #Makesunnysidegreatagain.
Good point grandpa. What left-leaning comedies have ever been successful, besides Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Cheers, M.A.S.H., The Office, Friends, Veep, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, South Park, Fraiser and Curb Your Enthusiasm?!
I guess Roseanne was a successful conservative comedy before all the racial slurs.
South park is not left leaning. Both the writers are Republicans. Look it up
They are libertarian. Stone said “I hate conservatives”. But yeah that’s 1 out of 12 of the most successful shows ever…great point lmao.
So you should know that most Republicans are more accepting than most Democrats.
Down vote all you want. It really is true.
This is not sunnyside
All Van Bramer haters: Run for office so we can bash you.
Every episode will end with the Chase bank getting robbed and the robber never getting caught throughout the entire show.
Changeguy will be played by Jussie Smollette
I remember growing up in Sunnyside in the 60s. There was this kid, Rock Novack, who was a boxer. He had arms the size of Skillman Av sycamores and a shock of red hair. The last I heard he worked the independent wrestling circuit down in Zekiah Swamp, Maryland. He was the resident expert on Cryptozoology too, specifically, Sasquatch.
I’d watch a show about him.
How about a show called the Adventures of Little Jimmy
Little Jimmy finds 1 anti-immigrant poster (not posters)! – Hero of the down trodden.
Little Jimmy finds thumb tacks in the street! – Always looking out for others.
Little Jimmy is harassed at a restaurant! – Willing to take a stand and suffer the consequences.
Little Jimmy is for the Amazon deal before he’s after it! – Willing to admit his mistakes especially if it means saving his deserving constituents for being exploited.
He’s already has good acting skills and a knack for publicity.
Maybe he could ask Cynthia Nixon for an audition.
Don’t forget little Jimmy’s little sidekick – A Ocasio-Cortez. She’s inexperienced and immature, but has an opinion on everything. Spends all day tweeting. More a celebrity than a politician. Wants the government to pay people “unwilling” to work, yet is against something that would have brought 25,000 and more jobs to the area. Also something of a bigot, thinks her job is to “correct” uninformed white men. She’d make an outstanding character for the “Adventures of Little Jimmy.”
and what do you think the president does all day with his time???
Little Jimmy’s cohort is jamming the thumbs down again. Hey, that would make a good episode for the “Adventures of Little Jimmy.”
Will there be roles for extras from the neighborhood? There are so many beloved star characters right here at Sunnyside/L.I.C./Astoria Post!
Chaaaaange.
hope they can write in a character name something like timmy van lamer who, along with his their friend, AOL destroys all jobs in Sunnyside
that’d be hilarious, but not really.
I’m pretty sure AOL destroyed all of its own jobs
Who is going to play the big fella and Big smart Al?
First Episode:They got a job interview in the city, 7 train is delayed and they can’t make it on time. Depressed all of them try to order some pizza… and it sucks.
Welcome to Sunnyside guys!
If you don’t like Sunnyside why don’t you just leave then? Some of us love this neighborhood
I did leave. 35 years ago. You think Sunnyside pizza sucks? Try California pizza.
Sunnyside sucks. Its overpriced, filthy, and is full of drugs and crime. Perverts too. A train thats forever being fixed. They should name it suckyside. Or overpriced slum. Something more accurately describing the area.
that is rediculous – you have a very loose hold on reality if you think sunnyside is filthy + full of drugs and crime – overpriced is debatable (yes vs middle of nowhere, no vs manhattan)
One trick pony rides out and does its one trick.
lmao – this show would ACTUALLY BE FUNNY. reality wins every time – hollywood is pathetic.
We already have a real life comedy show that is the city council.
One thing for sure, jvb is an excellent actor. Fictitious as they come
Because parking in the neighborhood isn’t bad enough ….
Ideally, people frustrated with the parking in Sunnyside will move elsewhere, somewhere where cars are a necessity and pedestrians haven’t already given up acres of real estate up so some people could park their vehicles on our streets for free.
What about the sunnyside hooligans
I’m all ok with it as long as they’re here legally.
I understand the first episode is entitled “Flip”. It tells the story of a local City Council member who flips his position on just about everything: bike lanes on local streets; accepting contributions from big corporate donors; the opening date and cost of the Hunters Point Library; endorsement of the Democratic Party candidate for Congress; recruitment of an entity that would bring 25,000 to 40,000 jobs to the local economy; and too many more issues to list here. The cast at the table read were rolling on the floor in laughter.
Trumptards just can’t get over the Amazon thing. Really Sad.
The show will be a flop just like you and your hero Jimmy van Jobkiller.
Anybody defending Van Bramer and Ocasio-Cortez clearly have serious psychological issues.
John Holmes?
Yeah blame Trump for the Amazon disaster,everybody knows who really caused it.
Where’s Cliff Wilson when you need him?
Hell, hopefully
In the season finale El Loco gets hit by MTA bus
Does the bus hit me and knock me across the street? Does it run over me? Does it drag me several blocks?
I hope all 3. I hate you.
I love Jennifer
Oh no! High paying jobs coming to the area? Job Killer Jimmy VanPayme will not be happy. Maybe one episode could focus on Job Killer Jimmy trying to shut down production.
No thanks.
Who still watches TV shows???
Welcome to Sunnyside Kal! There’s a White Castle on 43rd st 😉
What immigrants need is opportunity not government handouts. The reason why politicians want to hand out free stuff is because they want the people to become dependent on them and vote for them.
Interesting. They are the ones getting the handouts left and right. Then they go to the churches to get free food.
I bet it lasts 3 episodes. Doesn’t sound like anything I want to see.
Who asked you? You must be fun at parties.
Is there a reason you had to post that negative comment?
I’m excited and I hope it lasts.
How about this for a pilot.
LIC Loses 40,000 Jobs starring Jimmy Van Bramer, Michael Gianaris and the realty tv star AOC.
Trump was literally a reality TV star…
Thanks Jimmy.
The concept doesn’t sound funny, unless you enjoy “Self Depreciating Humor”, which I find obnoxious.
One thing..our buses are good. Don’t hit people (usually)
Ehhh. My neighbor wasn’t hit by one but had her hip shattered by one just the same. Apparently she was leaving via the back door and easy midway when the bus took off. Threw her. Onlookers didn’t catch the number of the bus but DID pick her up, thus adding to the damages to the hip. #DONT pick up anyone who falls or is hit!