Navajo writes for Happy Endings

Ah, here's the explanation for the unusual Navajo theme in last week's Happy Endings. Here's a blog entry dated 4/12/11, which was the day before the TV show debuted:

Multi-talented Weaver Sierra Ornelas Writes “Happy Endings”The weaving Teller-Ornelas family will be glued to their television sets tomorrow evening when the new comedy “Happy Endings” premieres on ABC. Sierra Ornelas, Barbara Teller Ornelas’ multi-talented daughter Sierra Ornelas is one of the writers for the series, which explores modern relationships. The show is on after “Modern Family” at 9:30 Eastern and Pacific time, 8:30 Central and Mountain time. Sierra is also an accomplished weaver of the 100 weft count tapestries that her family is famous for. Congratulations on the premiere, Sierra! I hope the show is a big hit!Here's a video showing Ornelas at work in a room of six female writers:

Casey Wilson Corners the Female Writing Staff of Happy Endings

Comment:  Having a Navajo writer on staff explains the choice of a Navajo ancestor and the Navajo words. Cherokee would've been the more obvious and plausible choice.

Ornelas isn't listed as the writer of the episode Yesandwitch, but she probably contributed ideas and jokes. I trust she pointed out the script's problems and the other staff members overruled her. If she wrote these scenes herself and the others let her...well, they weren't that great. They were kind of hit-and-miss, if you ask me.

For more on this season's TV shows, see Columbus Day in Saturday Night Live and Pete Littlebear in Up All Night.

Below:  "Sierra Ornelas (right) with Mom, Barbara (center) and brother Michael Ornelas."