ABC has put forth a total of 16 sc
ripted comedies or dramas this season (and more than that many reality shows and game shows, which says something about the state of modern network TV). Rather remarkably, more than half of those shows–9 of the 16–featured Latinos in prominent, continuing on-screen roles. And here’s the best part: 4 of the 6 series already renewed by ABC have Latino cast members, with at least one more to come.
The winners in the One-More-Season Sweepstakes so far:
- Modern Family starring the amazing Sofia Vergara and Rico Rodriguez (ABC’s #1 rated show)
- Grey’s Anatomy, with Tony Award-winning Sara Ramirez (ABC’s #2 rated show)
- Cougar Town, ABC’s #4 rated show, featuring Ian Gomez
- Castle, ABC’s #7 rated show and a cult fave, featuring Jon Huertas and Ruben Santiago-Hudson in its ensemble cast
Meanwhile, Desperate Housewives, with Eva Longoria and Ricardo Chavira still working their magic, hasn’t been officially renewed yet, but it seems like a no-brainer–it’s ABC’s third-highest-rated scripted series, and the only one of ABC’s top seven ratings performances that hasn’t already gotten the nod.
The remaining four have a much tougher row to hoe. In fact, together they inhabit the cellar (and the afterlife) of the ABC schedule.
- V with Morena Baccarin and (for a while) Lourdes Benedictos, did not amaze much of anybody with its recent return; it’s #11 out of 14 on the ABC list of scripted series.
- Off the Map, which features a host of Latino stars including Valerie Cruz and Aimee Garcia, has been losing viewers each week, and is doing slightly worse than V
- Detroit 1-8-7, a quirky street-detective show featuring Natalie Martinez, had a great cirical reception but never found an audience. Today it has the dubious distinction of being the lowest-rated show on the net.
- My Generation, featuring Daniella Alonso, fared even worse: it was the network’s (and the whole season’s) first casualty, cancelled after only two episodes aired.
Still–a better-than-50% survival rate in this day and age is pretty remarkable, and the mere fact that more than half the 2010-11 series featured Latinos in prominent roles is something to be proud of. Let’s see what the summer and the next season brings (and who knows, Off the Map still might make it!)
