‘Sunnyside’ set to make small screen debut

The new NBC sitcom “Sunnyside” will premiere on NBC in September. Photo by Colleen Hayes/NBC via AP.

By Victoria Merlino

Sunnyside is heading to the small screen.

NBC has picked up a show called “Sunnyside,” following characters within the titular Queens neighborhood. The sitcom will debut on Sept. 26 at 9:30 p.m. 

The show star Kal Penn, who plays a New York City councilmember who lets lust for political fame undermine his priorities and kill his career. After moving in with his sister, he’s hired by a group of people who think that he can help them become American citizens. 

Most of the characters on the show looking to receive U.S. citizenship are recent immigrants in real life, according to Deadline. 

“We want to tell a bizarre grounded story in a way that audiences can identify and laugh with so we’re hoping this is the half-hour we can tune out the rest of the world and laugh with these hilarious people,” Penn said during a press tour earlier this summer, as reported by Deadline. 

The neighborhood’s councilmember, Jimmy Van Bramer, was namechecked by the show’s cast in the same press tour. 

Van Bramer returned the favor on Thursday. “Cannot wait for [Sunnyside] to air! Enjoyed talking to folks at the show. Looking forward to all the ways [Kal Penn] & the cast will make us laugh and think!” Van Bramer tweeted. 

The show has begun to pick up buzz as the premiere draws closer, with the Hollywood Reporter claiming it is “giving off some serious Parks and Rec vibes,” a nod to another critically acclaimed NBC comedy, “Parks and Recreation.”